5 Of The Smartest Decisions You’ll Ever Make
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Ever wondered how Jack Ma got to become The Jack Ma? Or how did the Ambanis and the Tatas of the world get to be where they are? It’s not like they are mutants who were born with the gene for success, it’s just that they developed certain habits and attitudes which guided them towards success in life. After doing a thorough research on the lives of movers and shakers of the world, we realized that they made some decisions, quite early on, which then went on to change the course of their lives. Curious to know what these decisions are? Read on to find out.
1. Having A More Realistic Approach Towards Work
Have you ever felt frustrated with how much time you end up wasting in a day? Have you ever felt that you could be more productive with your work if only you knew how to manage your time? If you answered yes to any or both of these questions, then we are here to tell you that your brain is on the right track. Instead of sticking with a task and then procrastinating it for the entire day or whiling away your time in unnecessary breaks, start working in 90-minute “pulses”.
This will allow your brain to focus its energy on the task at hand and after that, you can take a short break like go for a walk or have a coffee. When you allot big time capsules like 4–5 hours to a task, you are more likely to get distracted since our brain seeks novelty all the time. Also, you are less likely to procrastinate when you have assigned a time limit for a task. You can also use hacks like the Pomodoro Technique, which has been proven to increase productivity (1).
2. Scheduling Your Social Life
If you thought success was all about how much work you do or how good you are at your work then you are missing a key element. It’s your social life! Having an active social life not only gives you much-needed relief from a hectic work life but it also provides you with opportunities to network. This might open up new avenues for you, if only you know where to look.
So as to not let your social life fall by the wayside, you need to schedule it. Make time for your friends and acquaintances, you can also schedule monthly or weekly meet-ups with friends so that you don’t fall out of touch. Doing so would allow you to lead a meaningful life.
3. Putting Your Priorities In Order
What is that you truly seek in life? Is it financial security or do you want to bring about social change by working for a cause that is dear to you? Or do you want to devote your time to your family and bring up your children in a holistic manner? Whatever it might be, sort out your priorities and work towards them now so that you can reap the rewards later.
For example, if you want to lead a financially comfortable life, work hard now. Be frugal now, so that you can lead the kind of life you have always dreamed of for yourself. You might have to make a few sacrifices along the way but prioritizing your goals makes that an easier alternative rather than slogging for years at an end without achieving what you set out to do.
4. Realizing The Importance Of Your Health
The one thing all successful people do is that they never take their health for granted.
It’s because they realize that while money and fame can be earned but health once lost, cannot be brought back easily. Devote time to taking care of your health as you would with any other work-related task. The phrase “You are what you eat” is true in this context.
Take care of what you put into your body and how much exercise it’s getting. Don’t opt for crash diets to fit into a dress; don’t wait till you want to have a kid to start living healthy or when it becomes a medical imperative.
5. Being On Top Of Your Finances
Now you would say why would Jack Ma decide to do this, isn’t he already a billionaire? We would like to tell you that successful people, no matter how flush they are with cash, are very careful with their money. In fact, instead of working hard and slogging all day for money, they believe in making it work for them. Our advice to you is don’t wait till you reach a certain age to be in the loop regarding your finances. In fact, the sooner you start the better. Draw up monthly budgets to see where you are spending the most. Curb frivolous expenses, while it’s okay to indulge once in a while, buying a video game for a few thousand rupees when you can’t afford rent makes no sense. Once you start tracking your expenses you would be amazed to see how much you can save.
With these tools in your arsenal, we can guarantee you will lead a much more sorted and focused life with more resources to achieve your dreams and hopes. Do you have any other worthy additions for this list? Let us know in the comments.
