The year 2017 is about to end and we all are ready to welcome yet another year. The New Year 2018. Like every year, let me share with you my top 10 lessons of the year. The practice I began with, in 2010, when I wrote for the first time my top 10 lessons of the year. I had never imagined that those posts would actually change my life so much in the coming years.
One should always look back into the year which has passed by to remember, to pay gratitude to the events which have happened in the year, to feel great to have added many more new and wonderful people into your life, to have learned few more new things and so on. That’s what I think.
So looking back into the year which is just about to close its eyes forever to never come back again, let me share with you the lessons I learned this year.
1. Habit of reading ~ Like most of the people, I too would have not welcomed the changes in my life so well, if it was not for the habit of reading. I ended the year 2016 and began the year 2017 with one major resolution to keep up with. And that was to read at least 32 books in the entire year. Though have not reached that stage where I could say I have done that but yes, after having read 23 books so far this year and the 24th being read, I’m pretty satisfied. The lesson I learned here is that reading keeps you enlightened and going. And of course it helps you get out of the most depressing of situations.
2. Gratitude towards the smallest of things in life ~ The day I understood the Power of Gratitude, I have never missed a day, thanking for all that I have. Power of Gratitude continues to empower me this year also. Lesson is that one should not miss even a single day or an opportunity to express gratitude to the situation and things in life.
3. Family time ~ Though have not been able to manage this one so well but yes towards the later part of the year, when my family which was away from our home for almost two years came back. And my travelling reduced. I am now able to spend almost every evening with my two little kiddos and my wife. The three hours I cherish every day with them is something I look forward to every day. Lesson here is, that spending time with family, talking, playing and discussing things with them, de-stresses you completely. At the same time they too feel great and happy. Quality family time goes a long way in developing the children into wonderful human beings.
4. Don’t mix work with personal life~ To maintain balance in life is the foremost thing one should do. Bringing your work home does no magic to your growth in your professional life. Instead it reduces your chances of going ahead.
5. Devote yourself to a dedicated ‘me’ time~ You not only should manage your personal and professional life with balance but should also be able to take out time for your own self. For your own soul. The time in which you do things which satiates your soul. The time different from your personal and professional life. You too should live your life.
6. Stop watching TV~ From past 2 years, I have successfully managed not to watch the idiot box, TV. For all entertainment I want to watch to, I switch on to YouTube, Amazon Prime videos or Netflix, where I watch what I actually want to watch, and not just what is being telecast. So, I choose to watch. The lesson I have learned is that I am able to spare a lot of time which I am then able to utilize to be with my family or for my own ‘me’ time.
7. Get out of all unnecessary gossips~ Gossips at office or in personal life, I had got off with, ages back. But of late, these WhatsApp groups had taken a toll on life in a big way. So decided and made a big time exit from all the WhatsApp groups. Be it family, friends or official, because it had actually become only a medium of unnecessary forwards of pictures and videos. No warmth, just forwarded messages.
8. Put yourself to a regular physical routine~ With a full time job to manage and so much of travelling involved, I realized somewhere in the middle of the year that all this was taking a huge toll on my body. Hence I enforced myself to follow at least a 15 minute stretching routine wherever I stay, even if it is a hotel.
9. Learn new skills~ This year I finished writing the second novel which got published on amazon with a bang. After all it was among the top 20 books out of the 250 books across the world at the American Idol for book lovers. But then I realized in the process of becoming a published author, I have also learned the art of editing, designing, proof reading, promoting and marketing the books. Towards the end of the year, I can proudly say that I have also become an active narration and voice over actor. And it is all because I love getting into the unknowns to learn the new skills. The result is that I am about to get signed for a narration assignment for a 3 book series, a trilogy on Harappan Culture.
10. Accept your weaknesses and work on them~ The last but one of the most important one is that one should accept whatever he is not good at or whatever he is weak at. Even if you are not good or weak at something but want to make a world out of it, you can still do it. But then you should work hard on it to learn the best ways by reading and researching on it. Talking about it with the experts, take classes; learn from the best in business. So, you need to put your head and heart into it to become a master.