Plan Your Life...Huh!

Everybody keeps lecturing on planning but when it comes to it, almost everyone fails. Ironic but true! Before you sneer over and give me a dirty look on another attempt at preaching, hold on. The following is a simple tell-a-tale about my life and times.

To most of the people who know me well (including my own self), I’m quite an organized person. To me, being organized goes with being systematic and as far as I can, getting everything planned in advance. Planning is an element that has the effect of making things extra special. It has surprised me with many benefits in not just planning things but executing them as well. Here’s how!

First things first: When I plan, I tend to prioritize things. Every task comes with a deadline and I find planning to be an excellent way of doing things in the right order. Prioritizing events and activities puts me in a frame of mind where I know what needs to be done first and what comes last. Start with maintaining a journal and Go retro; keep a pen, paper, and a calendar handy all the time.

Do not delay things to their due day: I make a list of all the things that need to be completed in the coming days, weeks, or may be months like buying birthday presents for friends, paying monthly bills, shopping for a forthcoming family event, etc. As and when I find something interesting to gift to my friends, family, or my niece, I just pick it up. I gift these thoughtfully chosen articles on the right occasions to each of them. Similarly, whenever I am close to the place where I generally pay my bills, I make the payment even if it is long before the due date.

Before you leave the house, give yourself a minute. Think about every miscellaneous job that you can do on your way and follow a designated route for that.

The idea is to finish all those jobs that can be completed before time. This way I save time, I save money (by not feeling forced to choose whatever is available due to time constraint), and feel relaxed to see a to-do-job being deleted from the list. Yayyyy...

Prevent anxiety attacks: I tend to avoid more than 95% of crisis situations by staying organized with my work and my life in general. Everybody has his own way of accomplishing things. I prefer to do any task in stages if that is possible. I start with jobs that are most difficult, boring, monotonous, but still, very important. While planning, I assign a date to every task in accordance to its priority and then complete it within the deadline.

It allows me to be creative with my time: Another interesting way of finding good amount of time to relax and unwind even on fully packed working days is by doing bits of work on non-working days. Although I strictly stay away from work on weekends and holidays but when I’m bored or get free time, I tend to complete some easy tasks. A few small tasks combined together offer bonus time to enjoy a long walk followed by a hot cup of tea early in the evening.

Let’s face it! Planning is a way of life and does not apply to just office work or routine household chores. It applies to each and everything that I do from getting up in the morning till I lay my head on the pillow in the night.

It’s not easy to apply especially for someone who has not been doing it as a practice. But believe me; it only takes some discipline and practice on a regular basis. Try it and you will achieve it.

Why I Love to Get Up Early in the Morning

If you are typically a “night person” who hates to get up early every day and that works well for you, I think it’s great! There’s no reason to change your lifestyle, especially if you’re happy with it. But for me, getting up early in the morning is a blessing. It has helped me become a better person in so many ways that I can never imagine.

There are many things that motivate me to rise early. I'd like to share a few of them with you.

The early morning hours are so quiet and peaceful: It’s my favorite time of day. I truly enjoy that time to myself, when I can think, when I can breathe, when I can dream. Mornings are the most productive time of day; at least for me. I do all my work that requires me to concentrate and pay attention to just work. There are no distractions; no cars, no television noise, no phone calls, and no door bells to answer.

Since I can get so much more done by starting on my work in the morning, when evening rolls around, I am free to spend time with family.

Best time to pray and say thanks for all the blessings: Isn't it strange that no matter how busy you are, you somehow find time to eat, sleep, work, go shopping, meet friends but hardly find any time to pray. Mornings allow you to connect with your inner self and offer gratitude to Him for even the simplest things that make your life worth living.

Mornings offer time to plan the day: Starting my day with extra time to plan it relieves most of my stress. I have experienced that a day well spent brings with it a sense of satisfaction that goes with me to the bed, hence assuring a sound sleep.

First meal of the day; Eat like a king: I’m told that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. When you have sufficient time for a good breakfast, your body is saved from consuming all the unhealthy stuff that you can lay your hands on the way to work, or at your work station. Also, when you eat breakfast while reading an interesting book or follow it up with a nice cup of coffee, it is even more enjoyable.

How important is exercise to you: I know and strongly feel that exercising right after work is very enjoyable and distressing but I’ve seen that it is more likely to be cancelled in the evening because of many activities that come up. An exercise regimen for the morning is however cancelled.

Just like I did, you too can discover your motivation to get up early. Like everything else in life, one needs some kind of motivation too to rise early in the morning. I love to have my morning tea in solitude, enjoying every sip of it, and thinking only about how good it tastes. I also like to write in the morning, so that’s another reason.

For me, an amazing end to the day is when you have been able to do some good work. The feeling of satisfaction and contentment that you get as you lie down and close your eyes is immense and cannot be compared to any other thing.

Having said that, I know it’s not easy for most of us to get up in time but I’ll be happy to share with you some simple but tried and tested formulas to make an easy shift...till then; Happy Sleeping!

Each Year I Wish...

Only two and half months left and year 2010 will be gone. It’s safe to say that this time around most of us have already lost focus of the resolutions that we had made for this year; a habit to break, a new skill to learn, a friend to meet, a career goal to achieve, or a broken heart to heal.

I can understand that it's always difficult to keep your eye on the ball for the entire year, but what is more challenging is to know what resolutions to make. We resolve to spend more time with family & friends, fitness, quit smoking, enjoy life more, cut down on wasteful expenditure save more, help others, get organized, etc. Anything in the list above is not a daunting task nor does it require you to place it on the top of your priority list. But even then we fail to achieve the smallest bit of it. Have you ever wondered why?

Let’s face it! We tend to see our resolutions as a problem that needs to be worked upon rather than a new and innovative activity that will bring fun, amusement, and a good change to our everyday life. When we do that, it looks like a tough job. You need time, attention, and effort to execute it and that too, on a daily basis. But only if you take it as an exciting opportunity to reach your goals while having loads of fun, you’ll look forward to doing it every day.

Let me give you an example. This is another one in the list of my “Moments of Truth”. Last year on my birthday, I got a careless hint to start working out to look and feel fit and energetic. Although the idea was wrapped in loads of compliments, pleasant wishes, beautiful greetings, and accompanied with wonderful gifts, it struck me right where it was meant to be; my heart, body, mind, and soul.

I silently made a resolve to myself and thanked this person for having triggered this dormant feeling inside me. I always wanted to do it but never felt motivated enough to do it. Don’t ask me why! Some activities seem more worthwhile than others so at that time I just resolved to exercise; not attaching it to the objectives like losing weight or becoming lean, doing it 2 hours at least, or following a strict diet and surprisingly, the whole thing took off very well.

I started exercising (brisk walking, stair climbing, doing stretching exercises and sun salutations) whenever and whatever be the time; sometimes 60 minutes or on someday just 20 minutes; at times 5 days a week and on occasions just twice a week. But it did not stop.

I have experienced that the starting point to being successful at achieving anything in life, including resolutions, is your expectations. I just trained my mind to work out notwithstanding the time and form of exercise. All other things like weight/ inch loss; diet consciousness, healthy eating, and sound sleep soon followed it.

The best part is that it gives me a chance to catch up on my favourite music and enjoy long brisk walks, thus disconnecting me from work stress. For me the trick is to look at the positive side of any activity rather than forcing myself to do something that bothers me. For instance; the idea of buying a one-year contract at the fitness centre in the hope that it will somehow drag me to the gym is an absolute no-no for me!

As I know it, resolutions provide us with an opportunity to assess our progress in life, which any day is not a bad deal. They cheer up our lives with exciting challenges and wonderful experiences to anticipate.

So the next time you promise something to yourself, think about it; just because you have never considered New Year or Birthday Resolutions as a wonderful means for creating new and exciting outcomes, doesn't mean it's too late to get into action.

And let me tell you that I have already committed myself to another interesting resolution that’ll translate my hopes into achieving one of the biggest goals of my life --- by December 31, 2010?

Thanks to my buddy, the past year has turned out to be the most amazing year of my life. So far So good!

Manage Time Manage Your Life

Managing time is by far the most complex thing in managing our life. All of us have access to many valuable resources but nothing is more important than time. Its effective organization requires us to identify and develop our core strength. If we manage your time carefully and strategically, we achieve almost anything in life.

It’s true that one's, personal or professional, increases greatly with the optimum utilization of time.

Let us start with a few things that we all know are extremely important but still blame the shortage of time for not doing them. For instance; the world today is raving about health, fitness, diet foods, weight related diseases, and the like. But how many of us work out daily, do we watch what we eat, how regular are we when it comes to routine health check-ups, or make an effort to find time to meditate, practice one or two stress relieving exercises? Very few. Let's face it! We hardly make any appointments with our kids, spouses, parents, siblings and friends and hope to see them whenever it is convenient.

Sparing some time for the loved ones is not at all difficult. All we need to realize is the importance of planning a small get together and marking the date in the calendar.Not only will it be a constant reminder of the good times ahead but will also take half the stress out of our lifestyle. To do this, we need to train our minds to adopt this practice of planning things and develop it into a lifelong habit.

Give yourself time, and you’ll be able to do it. Once you’ve gotten into the mode of planning your day in advance, you’ll help yourself in more than one ways. Every morning you’ll have a comprehensive plan ready to implement and reach your goals.

In the following days I’ll share with you some simple tips and techniques that will help you manage your time wisely thus making you more productive.

Laughter is the Honey of Life

I honestly believe that a sense of humor can make the difference between running the rat race and easing down the road.

Like appreciation, you can always find something to laugh at. We’ve always been told that 'Laughter is the best medicine’, but don’t you think there's something more to a good chuckle than just raising our spirits for a couple of minutes.

Let’s start with a very sensitive issue with most people today; WEIGHT! Did you know that a hearty giggle raises the heart rate and speeds up the metabolism? Have you heard the phrase 'my sides ache' after laughing too much? Well, then you shouldn’t be surprised. A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, and contracts the abdominal muscles along with working out the shoulders, therefore making you feel a lot more relaxed.

As a matter of fact, laughing 100 times is as good as spending 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on a stationary bike. So go ahead and laugh the extra calories off.

Laughter is as much about social relationships as it is about wittiness. If you can make people around you laugh out loud, you're likely to have a good circle of friends. People love to be with someone who can make them cheerful. Also, you're likely to improve your productivity at work. Better communication, a good sense of humor helps you to become a team player in no time because most things we laugh at aren't necessarily jokes, but comments in everyday conversation.

We know that everything is funny as long as it is happening to “someone else”; TRUE! But it is also very healthy to laugh often at your own self. It has many benefits. For example; if someone makes a stingy remark on you, your outfit, your views, or your work, make a joke out of it and be the first to laugh at it. It’ll not only disarm him/ her but will also save you from getting into an argument.

Life is too short and so is time. Stop worrying about every small thing in life and start enjoying every single moment bestowed upon you.

Life as an Independent Freelancer

While I was in a full time job, the thought of working from home crossed my mind several times. There were a lot of factors that propelled that feeling; erratic working hours fetching the top position here. But it seemed like wishful thinking then owing to the lack of experience, knowledge, resources, and awareness.

Though I never seriously contemplated working from home as an option, I happened to take it up purely due to the circumstances. I was fed up with the weekly routine of pressing that alarm clock at 7am, 6am or even earlier and dragging myself to office, spending 10-12 hours doing nothing creative, coming back home with no energy left to participate in family conversations, chatting or meeting up with friends, and then hibernating on weekends to regain the lost energy.

I kept thinking about it, long and hard, and then one fine day, I decided to take the plunge in form of a break from work. A sense of responsibility to prioritize continual growth and improvement motivated me to take this decision.

Unfortunately or fortunately for me, the job scenario across the globe was not very encouraging at that time. Recession had taken its toll and the companies instead of hiring resources were concentrating on realigning roles and responsibilities to bring down their manpower requirements. That is when I started exploring opportunities in the field of freelancing.

Availability of latest technology gadgets, high speed internet access, knowledge and awareness, globalization, and flexibility in the professional approach of both employers and employees today has significantly changed. All this has given people the opportunity to work from the convenience of their home. Trust, mutual understanding, and socially responsible behavior has made it very simple for people from diverse backgrounds and cultures to work cordially for one other.

Working as an independent freelancer is difficult but at the same time challenging enough to help you grow personally as well as professionally. One needs to be hugely organized. You need to be very clear while prioritizing your time, finances and other physical resources in relation to your work commitments.

One also has to keep in mind the fact that after the work schedule has become flexible and is not restricted to a 9am-5pm setting, family’s expectations change as well. Your family members demand a little more of your time. They expect your participation in events that are pre-planned. Unanticipated episodes require your obvious attention and involvement, so on and so forth.

It is therefore necessary to prepare yourself physically, mentally and emotionally too to deal with situations that you may have never stumbled upon earlier or may have never expected to take place.

Just take one step at a time, follow a structured approach, and let this transition take place in convenient but effective phases from a current state to a desired future state. I am on my way too...see you there!

Bestow & Accept All Love, No Strings Attached

We feel, therefore we are. Everything that we dream of is based on a desired feeling. Our desired feelings are the basis of our goals and strategic planning.

“Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them “ - John Updike

So does it mean that if we focus on our inner state first, the outer reality has a better prospect of lining up with our ideals? According to me, YES!

I use my feelings as a guide as it is the most direct indicator of whether I am happy or sad. To me, my feelings are a foolproof guidance system, letting me know if I am experiencing excitement or boredom, adored or ignored, comfortable or restless etc.

I try to maintain a high self-esteem and the feeling of happiness, self-empowerment, and contentment in work, good relationships, constant growth and a sense of achievement, all contribute to it.

It is a calm, comfortable feeling of total acceptance and love for yourself. I respect and see myself as a valuable human being by honestly evaluating my good and not-so-good qualities, and look after myself so that I can become all that I am capable of being.

I take due care of my physical, emotional, mental as well as spiritual well being. I try to maintain a balance between extremes of thought, feeling and behavior. I learn from mistakes and say, “I made a mistake, I’m sorry.”

I realize the importance of taking responsibility for my own life and not turning power over to another to make decisions for me, and then feeling victimized if the results are not what I expected. I take responsibility for my own perceptions and reactions. With time I have been able to develop the ability to listen to my wise inner self (intuition), and to act on this guidance.

I know what my strengths and weaknesses are and am open to taking positive risks. But I make it a point to stay away from self-blame, and self-criticism. What works best for me is never interpreting the hurtful words or actions of others as a sign of my disrespect.

I believe that self-esteem should be the very basis of our lives. If there are some parts of our life that need to be changed, we only have the power and the responsibility to restructure them.

I too, have done the best that I could, under various circumstance that have shaped my life so far.

And I strongly believe that with further self-awareness nurturing, and self-acceptance, I’ll continue to grow! Amen...

Follow the Footsteps!

Let’s continue with the second one in the series of my “life experiences” that have taught me lessons that have made my life beautiful. Talking about “moments of truth” this one came up on me rather badly. I still don’t know if it was the comment or the act that made the difference but something struck me REAL HARD that day.

I reached office the day after I had taken a sick leave by casually informing my boss over the phone about my illness. Little did I know that like me there were 7 more colleagues who had not showed up that same day, of course, for various reasons? As a result of these emergency leaves, not only did the productivity of work suffer but even the colleagues present in the office had to stretch their work hours.

“The Boss” was fuming with anger and called all us culprits in the meeting room. She went on explaining how our irresponsibility to remain absent from work, whether informed or uninformed, affected so many people in the office, ruined their plans, their mood, and most importantly the work. All the things that she said were very routine and I thought she was being quite insensitive by not thinking about our problems but her own (read work performance related problems). But there was one thing that forced me to think if she was actually being insensitive or was I being too judgemental.

She called us immature and irresponsible and quite frankly, I did not like it. She concluded the meeting saying, the next time you find yourself in a situation where you have to decide between work and your other priorities, think about what your father would have done? Boy oh boy, what a revelation? She was right. In all the years, I had never seen my father behaving irresponsibly when it came to his work, family, children, and his personal life?

So, for the rest of the day, I could not help thinking about the fact that I surely need to become absolutely responsible for whatever I commit to. It could be my job, work, friends, parents, siblings; anything. But I made a resolve that day; a resolve to accept those seemingly harsh words and change my attitude and lifestyle for the better. By becoming more disciplined in life and taking responsibility for whatever I take up, I’ll do justice to my life and to those around me.

That day was probably one of the most unpleasant days in my life but it cannot deny the truth that it was a huge eye opener for life. All the good habits that I can boast of today have been the result of following my father’s footsteps. And one thing more; I also learnt that to accept reality and start working upon it is easier that running away from it.

It’s easy to give in to the temptation of shirking from our duties. It has become our way of life because we know everybody does that, so why can’t I? Don’t make the mistake of falling into that trap.

Why You (and I) Should Never Stop Learning

Every new activity calls for learning a new skill.

Children encounter a remarkable learning curve. They learn to crawl, feed themselves, walk, and learn a language and later on figure out how to tie their shoe laces. This process of learning goes on all through school and begins to level off in their college days. In a majority of cases, it comes to a shrieking halt when we get our first job.

It is amazing how many people never take the time to read a book or two after high school. Even those who take up reading never progress beyond the first chapter except for a very little percentage. To add insult to injury, most of them feel so proud of the fact that they do not read.

If you visit the historic homes of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison and any other historic icon, you are sure to find a library. Great leaders are readers. Leaders continue on the learning curve all through their life. Leaders continue to learn and grow. Leaders prosper.

Most metropolitan locales include at least one institution of continuing education. Now that most of us are internet savvy, access to online universities is increasing. Continuing education becomes easier and simpler with each passing innovation of technology. No valid excuses exist for pause out on the learning curve. Ah, but you say, "I’ve got no money." But we tend to forget that public libraries are free and even the library card is made free of cost.

Then the other excuse is "I’ve got no time". The counter question is; how much time do you spend watching television? Situation comedies on television entertain you for sure but add nothing to your education. How much time do you spend travelling to and from work? Have it ever crossed your mind to use this time in listening to lectures and discussions. Libraries even provide educational CD's on almost all topics.

If you really desire a turning point in your life and your finances, you need to get back on the learning curve.

If you are single and are seeking a companion, why not meet someone else who is improving their awareness? Seek a companion who also desires to make progress with their life. You will appeal more to them if you are working on expanding your learning curve and they will be more attracted to you when they are moving onward and upward in their life.

Your turning point in life starts the day you jump back into the learning curve with a positive attitude. When you remain persistent and consistent with the improvement of your learning curve, it yields positive results in every aspect of your life.

Introduction to Social Media Marketing

Social media are media for social contact that uses highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media utilize web-based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues.

Social media have been reorganized to reach consumers through the internet. Social media have become engaging to big and small businesses. Big and credible brands are utilizing social media to reach customers and to build or maintain their reputation in the market. The ability to reach more consumers globally has also increased with social media continuing to grow. Twitter, for example, has expanded its global reach, among others, to Japan, Indonesia, and Mexico. This means that brands can now advertise in multiple languages and therefore reach a broader range of consumers.

Social media have turn into the new "tool" for effective business marketing and sales. Popular social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook and Twitter are social media most commonly used for socializing and connecting with friends, relatives, and colleagues.

Social media has developed into a platform that is easily accessible to anyone with internet access, thus opening doors for organizations to enhance their brand awareness and aid conversations with the customer. Also, social media serves as a comparatively inexpensive platform for organizations to execute their marketing campaigns. Organizations can get direct feedback from their customers and targeted markets.

Social media marketing has proved beneficial to organizations and individuals by providing them an additional channel for customer support, a better means to achieve customer and competitive insight, and a simple yet effective method of managing their reputation online.

Key factors that ensure its success are its importance to the customer, the value it provides them with, and the strength of the foundation on which it is built. A strong foundation serves as a stand in which the organization can integrate its information and direct customers on its recent developments through other social media channels, for example; article and press release publications.

The most popular platforms include Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and MySpace.

Climb Your Way To Fitness

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression "use it or lose it". And when it comes to exercise, this expression holds true. If you don't use your body, you are sure to lose it. Your muscles will become slack and fragile. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently and your joints will become stiff and prone to injuries. Did you know that inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!

If you are looking for a simple work out that is convenient and provides aerobic conditioning, strength and endurance, stair climbing could be the right choice. It works well if you find it difficult to hit the gym or regularly attend aerobic sessions.

Walking up and down the stairs has not only proved to be a complete work out in itself but also perks up the cardiovascular health of the person.

But there are certain points that you must keep in mind before you make it a part of your fitness regimen. One, it is very important to maintain the right posture while climbing stairs. Slumping or bending forward may injure your lower back. Two, keep your foot firmly on the step, look straight and keep your back straight. Three, stair climbing should be done only three or four days in a week so that the muscles are not overexerted. You can do some running or cycling on other days. Last but not the least is safety.

Climbing down the stairs is more strenuous as compared to upward movement as you have to hold your feet back. So, go easy, at least for a first few days and ensure that the area is well-lit.

Let me share with you the many benefits of stair climbing;

It is a great way of losing body fat and toning up thigh muscles. It firms up legs, stomach and butt.

It is highly time efficient. Stair climbing takes just half the time of what other aerobic activities take to burn up a given number of calories.

This activity can be combined with running, swimming, and cycling for best results.

You don’t require any expensive or specific equipment and can therefore be carried out at any time of the day.

Studies have proved that stair climbing improves bone density and if it is incorporated in your daily exercise regimen, good cholesterol levels rise in the body.

A word of caution; those suffering from hypertension should avoid this activity because it has been confirmed that blood pressure rises during stair climbing exercises. People with certain cardiovascular disorders or orthopedic problems should also consult their doctor before taking up this vigorous exercise.

Put this to the test right away and make stair climbing a regular physical activity. To make it more interesting, you can even play some music while going up and getting down the stairs.

Every Day is A New Day

Ever wondered how sometimes life changes radically without experiencing something new, impressive, or special? Well, I can guarantee that as it has for me, it must have for you as well.

I’ll share some of my experiences that I believe have been the “moments of truth” at different stages in my life so far.

Here goes the first one. It would not be wrong to say that I was an average student all through my academic years. Since I studied because I had to study, I never felt motivated enough to “study hard” and make it to the top ranks. Things went on like this until I got admitted to a new school that offered one of the new courses that “I” wanted to pursue.

On the very first day, the entire bunch of new students was addressed by our new class teacher. I don’t remember a single word from the 20 minute long speech except for a few words. That day, I wasn’t aware then that these words were about to define my journey to a new life altogether.

Because all of us had come from different schools to study a new stream, almost all of us were new to each other. So this new class teacher of ours, very rightly said “You are all new here and hardly know each other. Take this as an opportunity to let go of the past and start things anew. If there are habits you wish to chuck, or a reputation you desire to change, this is your chance. Nobody knows how good or bad have you been as a person, student, friend, or a classmate. You’ve got the chance to become a new you, create a new impression and live the kind of life you always wanted to, by replacing everything that is undesirable with what is pleasant and satisfying. ”

This idea gelled so well with my psyche that without giving it a second thought, I made it my slogan in life. I went on to make new friends, followed brighter students in my class, discovered my potential and with a good amount of effort, I gradually became a well accepted student with exceptionally good grades and a knack for learning new things.

Even today, when I find myself stuck in a certain lifestyle, unable to move out of a droning situation, I look for an opportunity in life to start once again. It gives me a new perspective to become what I have always wanted to be. It has worked wonders for my self-esteem, confidence, personal and professional growth and you know what, I’m very happy.

Did you notice how many times have I used the word”new” in this write up? Assuming that you did notice it, let me conclude by saying that, in life; always be on a lookout for anything new that happens, no matter how small it may seem; Always and All ways. Good Luck!