What’s up, blogosphere?! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!
For those of you who have been regulars to this platform, welcome back to another bright new year. For my new followers, thank you for visiting me and choosing to be part of my journey! You can read a little bit about me here.
For the past three-ish years, this blog was like a online journal for me. It started off as a writer’s platform, but gradually molded to a more personal blog as my priorities changed. This year, I do not expect that to change by a lot. However, given that I started a new YouTube channel, I will be re-visiting what I want to share through this space. I have been writing for a long time and my love for that has by no means reduced. However, I do want to explore other avenues of self-expression and the vlog came out naturally out of that want.
I’ll surely talk about that in detail once I have a plan ready.
As I mentioned in the last post, I expect 2018 to be a happy, warm new year. I have my resolutions all noted down. The broad themes are:
Health – Gym! Gym! Gym!
Eat healthy
Maintain minimalist lifestyle
10K subscribers on YouTube by 2018 end
Travel to at least three places
Give something back to the society
Be more social
I think the last point will be my focus for 2018. I have worked a lot on my communication last year. I called up a lot of folks yesterday and caught up with their life. This year, I want to meet more people personally and share and understand their stories.
In fact, I have been toying with the idea of having a bloggers’ get-together for a while now. So, if someone of you are in Bangalore and think that such a meet might be a good idea, please let me know. I’d love to catch up.
Will be back with more posts in the coming days. Until later, take care and spread some love!
Today, I had a couple of other ideas in mind. These ideas, I feel, are very relevant to forming great habits and I did not want to miss out on capturing them and sharing with you guys. So here are the two additional tips:
Pick one new habit at a time: We want to change a lot of things. The worst thing that prevents you from realizing all of them is trying them all at the same time. I think it is important to give our brains enough time to process why we are making one particular change and help it form into a habit, before trying out something else. Lately, I was writing an article (for work) on mindfulness. While researching for it, I realized I should start meditating on a regular basis. But then, I started my YouTube channel and every other new, good habit in my life went for a toss. So for now, I decided to let YouTube sink in, become part of my everyday life, before I go on and pick another great habit.
While forming in a new habit, keep up with the other good things that are already part of your schedule: For example, even though the first thing I want to do after waking up in the mornings is watch videos on how to make better videos, I resist the urge and make sure I am going to the gym. I motivate myself saying, going to the gym will make me look fitter and prettier in the videos. Whatever it takes to trick the brain! Continuing with the 10 other good habits that you have is essential because it helps your mind not to get saturated with that one new habit and prevents burnout.
So, those were my two tips! Let me know in the Comments if you found them useful. I will see you in another blog post.
Habits make us into the people we are. Consistency, for me, is the prime factor for success. However, it is not always easy to form and sustain good habits.
For example, I have been trying to go to the gym four days a week for almost a month now. I maintained the routine successfully for two weeks. In the third week, suddenly, I woke up in the morning and did not feel like going to the gym. It was not that I was not feeling well, but I simply did not feel like going. It was like my body telling me, “It’s okay, take a break!”
That was not nice. Every time I avoid hitting the gym I get all these guilt trips. Being healthy is number 1 on my priority list. Only when we are healthy can we enjoy the beautiful things this world has to offer to the fullest.
As some of you might know, I recently inaugurated my YouTube channel (I will put a link to the video below). I have received some great feedback on it from friends and family. It is all very exciting. At the same time, I am worried how long can I put up the schedule. Right now, I am thinking of making one video per week, over the weekend.
But looking at my track record, I have always had these moments of extreme enthusiasm for something which would fade out really fast as well. In 2015, it was about self-publishing books. Now it is about making YouTube videos. How soon till this excitement fizzles out?
Nonetheless, there are a couple of things which I feel help stick to good habits. Let me know if you feel the same:
Forming a love for the habit you want to form: This is crucial, because we do not let go of things that we love that easily. So if you want to lose those extra pounds (or kgs depending on where you are in the world), visualize a leaner, fitter version of yourself and fall in love with it. Watch videos to help you see that goal (I watch videos of women with great bodies while I exercise). Give your mind suggestions how much you love being fit.
Have measurable outcomes: If you have been going to the gym and do not see the any visible changes, probably you will lose interest (this happens with me all the time). Even if you are not able to lose the pounds, at least measure the distance you run and keep upping it. Once you set daily targets to beat your previous high, it becomes sort of a game. In my case I have found, my mind is excited about these little games.
Shut up your body/mind as soon as it says it is enough: In the end, it all boils down to having a strong willpower. Every day when I run on the treadmill, my body keeps telling me, “It’s enough, it’s enough! Stop now.” I consciously fight the urge to give in to that ill advice. It is a mental struggle to shut your mind and stretching yourself to run the extra minute. But if you can master the art of this, things become so much easier.
Do not give up as soon as you begin: This is probably the second-most important thing. I will take the example of exercising again, because it fits so well in this context. When I first started exercising, my entire body would ache. I slept very little because of the pain and it was really bad. However, I knew that this was temporary. Once I got a hang of it, it would become easier. It always does: you take any thing that you are trying to excel at. There is nothing that does not become easy when you do not give up on it and keep continuing.
Have someone to hold you accountable: This is sort of a last resort. It helps when someone is pushing you constantly, to the point of irritation. It gets the job done, even if it ruins your relationship with the person :D. Now that I am away from home, I sure miss my mom’s scoldings for not getting up on time or watching too much television.
Have you been struggling lately to prolong certain changes in your lifestyle? Do you have any tips that helps you sustain great habits? Do let me know in the Comments section.
Until later, take care and enjoy life to the fullest! ❤
Scribbles@Arpita 