Pause for a second…
How does it feel to know that it is the 22nd day of the new year? How did the first three weeks go? Quick, right? In Special Theory of Relativity, Einstein said, “Time is relative”. He obviously meant it concerning speed and acceleration. However, let us talk about how time is relative in a non-conventional, non-Einstein way. How do we perceive the passage of time, irrespective of what happens to the clocks near us? Our perception of the passage of time changes depending on the contents of that period or the activity we are involved in. I experienced the first three weeks go by as quickly as a flash. I was caught up in my day-to-day life - my default mode - eat, work, sleep, repeat. The default mode is the comfort mode where growth does not happen. It might also be the mode where our ultimate happiness does not lie. Sure, it entails a tremendous amount of instant gratification - “oh, it’s a weekend - I am going to lie in my bed and use my phone all day”, but in this mode, we also forget what our values are, what our long-term goals are, and where our greatest happiness lies. Years go by fulfilling the same daily chores. You wake up one day, only to realise half of life went by living a default life.
One of my new year’s resolutions is to reflect on the past few years of my existence and the current trajectory of my life. While the process of continuous introspection is ongoing, I have come up with a list of questions that are helping me navigate the answers to create a path for myself and keep a check on the trajectory. These questions are based on some of the important aspects of life, and as such, a healthy and happy mind requires a healthy balance in these.
Pause your daily chores, and have a look at these questions to analyse how far you are from your path of life.
Health
How am I doing physically? How physically fit am I?
How much do I exercise every week?
Do I have a healthy, well-balanced diet?
How is my mental health?
What am I doing to be mentally fit?
Can I make some changes in my daily schedule for my mental and physical fitness?
Relationships
How is my relationship with my family?
How is my relationship with my friends?
How is my love life?
Can I make some changes in my behaviour/attitude to have loving, cordial, long-lasting relationships?
Career
Is my current job/role/work satisfying? (‘satisfying’ can have different definitions)
Do I see myself working in a similar role 5 years down the lane?
Am I happy with the work culture?
Am I passionate about my current work?
Is my work contributing to the world in some way?
Is it paying me well?
Can it sustain my lifestyle?
Hobbies
What are my hobbies? (If you do not know what your hobbies are, perhaps it is time to start exploring them)
Do I get time for my hobbies?
Can I make some time for my hobbies?
Life
What are my long-term goals?
What are my values?
Are my actions aligned with my values?
What kind of personality do I have?
What kind of personality would I like for myself?
Are my actions causing pain to others?
What does my daily schedule look like?
How would I want my daily schedule to look?
How spiritual am I?
What role does spirituality play in my life?
A few of these questions do not have any right answers. The answers depend on where your ultimate happiness lies.
It is imperative to understand that these are interconnected spheres of our lives. Instability in one has the ability to impact other areas and that is why we need to focus on the age-old mantra ‘Balance’. Why not take a few minutes, or a few hours, or a day to analyse how we are doing? Taking a day to understand your trajectory of life might cause a marginal difference to your daily chores but can lead to an umpteen number of great outcomes later in life.
If you are very busy with your monotonous daily chores or non-monotonous parties - do yourself a favour, and take a break from it and analyse where you stand and where you would like to go. Eighty, ninety years of human life span feels too long but if you look closely, these years go by in the twinkling of an eye.
But the great news is, you have all these years to do whatever you want, to create a life that you are happy to live, that you are proud of, and that satisfies you.
Shakespeare coined the phrase ‘the world is your oyster’. It is truly your oyster and only you have the power to realise it.