Living once again…this New Year

So guys, I believe the New Year bash is finally over. After spending around a week in wrapping up 2011, rewinding all the important as well as beautiful things it brought by, making your houses as well as minds clutter-free, resolving the dilemma of making New Year Resolutions or not, having good food, fun and frolic, sending and receiving so many New Year wishes across friends and family, and above all, spending a lazily luxurious Sunday at the start of this fabulous year 2012, you might be back to the normal lives now.

Like most of you, the only words I could hear/read in this time is – HAPPY NEW YEAR. It seems as if everybody is programmed to utter those words before beginning any conversation or write them on their pages to do their bit; their bit in wishing that the current year brings all the joys and happiness to you, that your dreams may come true, that you make all success in this current year.

But you also know well, happiness doesn’t come solely through wishes. Being simply happy for the rest of the year, is not an easy game. It requires certain efforts on our part too. Although I had shared this post last year on the ways to stay happy, I believe, by now, you too might have made certain efforts in the earlier years of your lives, understanding what all can make you happy.

But this year, come forward to understand what takes you aback, what spoils your peace of mind. See why you become vulnerable to the situations and how you allow them to pre-dominate and encroach on your time. Hence, before focusing on other targets that you have lined up for this year, strike at the very basic necessity of living better. Learn to let go, to forgive; whether it’s somebody else or you, yourself. Make an actual new start this new year. Promise yourself to be stronger than the situations, to at least not let petty things overwhelm you and your peace, to not let them drain out your new energy and enthusiasm.

I am sure this de-cluttering, this unloading of resentments can let you focus 100% on the things that are genuinely important, that can make a difference in your lives indeed. Only then, those hundreds and thousands of wishes will work wonders.

To let a happy start to my New Year, I pampered us with this rich Vanilla Fruit and Nut Cake made at home. After all, they say You Live, Only Once. Then why not live happily.

Had days been a few hours longer

Haylo good people! How are you? What’s up? Must be very busy in your daily schedules-ehh?? Yeah yeah, I understand. Otherwise, what else could be the reason that I bunked for over a month from this mini-world of mine? How a week’s break can spread over a month, how getting back to routine can become such a task, how you never get time for the morning workout, reading, blogging and all the other things, you can ever imagine for a perfect life-I understand that … quite well.

Now, if you are nodding your heads in affirmation and feeling so eased that someone could comprehend your plight, then hold on for a second. I am not going to spoil you guys by saying that yes, it’s not possible in this era to manage time for so many things in mere 24 hours. Are bhai…everybody has only 24 hours, still people do wonders. Then why should we give up?

 I don’t want to end up fretting over ‘no time at all’ and so must you be feeling deep in your hearts. Chalo not deep down, but somewhere there in a corner? Please allow me to share the steps I recently identified and followed to drag myself out of a phase where I was totally out of sync, and are helping me overcome the sick rush against time and rather stride with it:

1. Stay Organized

How many times has this happened to you? You require some document saved long back and get something done-whether it’s at office or at home. And then, you spend hours searching for that tiny piece of paper? Sounds familiar? Then read this carefully. Although, it might be the 98765th time you are reading the phrase ‘Stay Organized’, even then, keep your eyes wide open and trust me for this. Put your things in order, now. Simple, clutter-free and clean space is the mantra. As they say ‘Everything in place, place for everything’. Once you do that, measure the time you actually gain.

2. Planning:

‘Don’t waste time in planning, just get back straight to work. Plans don’t work’- I know you don’t belong to this school of thought. That’s why my dearies! I am saying-plan things in advance, even the slightest details; let the plans be as exhaustive as possible-it reduces the chances of error. Devote time to planning and see how quick you accomplish things, the right way.

3. Priorities:

Now don’t look for a checklist or a format ready-made for you. Take out your own scales for your priorities and make some effort to measure the importance or urgency of things in your life. Only then you can take smart decisions of devoting your precious time. Get rid of the things and activities, that don’t matter.

Heard about the Pareto Principle or the 80-20 rule? 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. That simply means-80% of your success comes from 20% of your efforts and 80% of your failure results from your 20% mistakes. Hence, focus 80% of your time and energy on the 20% that matters. Don’t just “work smart”, work smart on the right things.

4. Delegate:

Now stop behaving like a Superhuman yaar. People know you have the capability, and even if they don’t know-why worry? The point is in getting things done without overburdening yourself. Get adequate help/assistance of the right people in your tasks, it lends you a smarter hand. Also, it helps you sharpen your people skills. So it’s a total win-win situation-Just Go Ahead.

5. Avoid distractions:

Emails, feeds, futile tensions, phone calls or any other unimportant thing that gets you off the track is nothing, but mere distraction in whatever you are doing. Keep them aside when something important is going on. Instead dedicate hours with least distractions, to the most important tasks. That’s  one of the reasons, why early mornings are remarkably productive.

6. Keep your cool:

With blood pressure soaring all heights, heart palpitating like a bass drum-isn’t it a matter of common sense that you will end up your day getting all drained out, all exhausted? And now, if you are saying yes, then do I need to mention further that keeping your cool can help you sustain longer, work bigger and perform better? So by all means, Take Things Easy.

7. Recharge:

And above all, don’t miss any little chance to refresh, rejuvenate and celebrate life. Work hard, work smart but make conscious attempts to refuel your batteries. By all means, your productivity will increase much more than you can imagine, the hurried times will squeeze genuinely.

December is already here; the whole year has gone by and you don’t know how many more will pass by without even budging the things lying in your wish-list. In order to check them off and do things that really matter, anyhow, you need to fit them in the daily schedules, wherever you can.

(Am wondering whether this post would work even for a month and will I be able to get back to a regular regime of writing )

Stress-Me-Not

There is something terribly morbid in the modern sympathy with pain. One should sympathize with the color, the beauty, the joy of life. The less said about life’s sores the better.

Oscar Wilde

I am sure while writing the last line ‘the less said about life’s sores, the better’, Oscar Wilde actually meant ‘the less thought about life’s sores, the better’. Because you talk about it or not, if you keep thinking about the obstacles, the complications, the unjustness of life, it may never end. It can go on, in a spontaneous flow, taking away your peace of mind unless you deliberately put an end to it. The more you think, the fierce things become.

While talking to my father yesterday, I came to know about one of his friends who was in the hospital since past 2 months. Doctors couldn’t diagnose the real cause of illness for around 3 weeks until they concluded that he’s been suffering from tension and is severely depressed due to which his body metabolism is all disturbed. In other words, he’s suffering from ‘taking things too seriously’.

Also, following Sonal Kalra’s weekly column ‘The Calmer You’ for 5 months now, has brought into light so many differently sized issues that cause day-to-day stress. Some stress out at intimidating, boasting people around while others feel awful about their looks; some fret over how people become pushy for petty things (sometimes important ones too) while others get disgruntled by their bossy bosses; some envy how people take shortcuts and succeed, while others don’t find any relief from their Gmail, Facebook, Twitter; some wish they throw away their mobile phones until they stop ringing at random times while others are too concerned and always ready with their precious advice on Cricket or Politics or Ethics; some worry how their kids will get through while others threatened by the competitive surrounds. Relatives, traffic, exams, relationships, jobs, EMIs,rains, inflation and what not!!! The list is simply endless…

Sometimes there might be bigger reasons too, to worry. But ultimately, all this is taking its toll on your health, resulting into outcomes as small as insomnia or headache to as large as life-taking fatal diseases. Ups and downs keep coming and are inseparable part of life. God has his own methods of regulating them.

No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow intermingled with the gladness of life.

But, our lifetime is precious; getting baffled by ‘the things not working out’ or regretting about the choices made, will only stress us more. We are a small part of this universe and so are our problems too. After pondering hard about this whole thing, I came across the following three ways out:

1. ‘Keep it simple silly’: Getting into deep down details and finding complex solutions is itself a stressful activity, so better keep things simple. Accept the things you can do nothing about and move on further. Don’t take it too seriously.

2. Adopt more healthful ways of living: Health doesn’t come merely by following a healthy diet and an exercise/work-out regime. There is a third cause too that affects and that is Stress. So adopt ways to de-stress yourself, de-clutter your thoughts on regular basis.

3. Just do your bit: In any case, you will NEVER BE ABLE TO PLEASE EVERYBODY, to meet up to their expectations. What best you can do in any situation is: performing your best. Leave the rest!!!

What do you think about the stressful patterns of life? What are your ways of handling it? Share with us your calmness tips, you never know who gets a benefit out of it…

Don’t need to do…still they lie in my to-do

Okay, let me clarify this even before starting…this is not a bucket list, nor it is any set of resolutions. It is simply a recognition; recognition of some facts that have amassed in the recent past. It’s just the cognizance of the idea that devoting some more time or at least, a little time on regular basis, on certain things will emerge me into a more contented individual.

How come? What explains that better, follows:

Cooking

I am a born “good-food-relish-er”, I can mention that as many times as possible. But I never had the slightest idea, earlier than the past 2 years that cooking food, that people relish, is far more gratifying. It gives immense pleasure, especially for new-comers-in-cooking like me, when something-even some regular food item, tingle your taste buds. So I truly madly deeply crave to move on, in this: cook food more often, more variety of recipes and try some innovations as well.

Writing/Reading

What bliss it is-writing things and reading them over and over again-only those who love to write, or simply write often, can apprehend. But forging ahead, from regular personal-diary-writing to writing-for-a-public-blog, is altogether convalescent. Above all, it gives so much impetus to write things, that make some sense. And then reading how others write, what attracts and what does not-all this, gives you a fresh vision.

As I often state, architecture has given me a distinct vision to see this world, it’s much captivating and striking than before. Similarly, blogging has given a new essence to READING, a new drift that I want to drive it further to a regular practice.

Gardening

Why the herbs grown in your backyard taste so exceptional, why the flowers blossoming out of your own plants, look so delightful? I couldn’t infer unless I saw those lovely buds coming out of a wild rose stem or those mint leaves adding so much flavor to the Pulao, I prepared. Now I don’t even mind creating those soil beds or de-weeding the garden or anything else that makes it more appealing. So now I aspire to convert my backyard into a neat and clean kitchen garden consisting of home-grown herbs, flowers, decorative plants and a little more.

Jumping back to the basic requirements is but natural in daily routine-performing tasks that we are required to do, by any means. They don’t comprise, any of the above, at least for me. But stretching myself a bit, out of my comfort zone, can be quite satiating, quite fulfilling. I am not sure how much of the above, will I actually do but as they say ‘writing things down gives them more weight’, I expect this post too, will surely propel me to devote some more time than I normally do.

What about you? Are there certain things that you also want to work on, just like that? Is there some desire, that you don’t get time for? Share your views…may be I recall some more, as well

Trying to compose…no no, not a post this time

Sometimes, I actually fail to comprehend why there are some days when you feel so dismal, not-so-good and that too without any sizable reason. And at others, you can’t even stop putting on that happy expression and that too…without any substantial reason. Okay! so let me acclaim, today is one the second kind of days for me.

Ever since, I have arrived at office, I am all happy, not able to stop my grin. I am feeling like talking to everybody and I am sure people around are able to make this out conveniently. But they are not much reacting to it (may be pointing this out when I am not there ) because they know I am going home today, visiting my parents and siblings. So this vivacious giggle is something very unavoidable.

But they don’t know one thing. They don’t know the other reason that is constantly instilling inside me the feel-good-factor. To ispe ab ek post to banta hai…(this deserves at least one post).

I have created a Facebook page for this blog today-a page that intends to share all the new posts I publish and all other activity going on here. I don’t know whether this page will anyhow help me in making my posts easily approachable or the readers in posting their opinion. But after sharing most of my posts there, I am feeling so pleasured, so contented.

In this happy mode, I would prefer to convey this to you all that it gives me immense pleasure to see the blog stats rising, to see people visiting my posts. It keeps me actuated when you like or comment on them and it lets me get going. To be honest, it gives me a purpose to write-rather write better. Now I actually think about the things I can write about and the whole process of thinking, choosing, framing, editing, reviewing and finally publishing and then checking the blog stats-it is something I am loving these days. And for this, I would not miss to THANK YOU all.