Life is a sequence of time and events, and it is more about what you do to it than what it does to you. While everyone’s circumstances are different and there is no magic wand or magic potion to help you sail through life, I think it makes sense to analyze what works best in it. This is an attempt to pen down some best practices I have found in my life...
Do the right thing(s) !
Your success does not depend on working hard, it depends on doing the right thing(s). Working hard might be one of the right things, at times. Just like it is important to do the right things, it is important not to do the ‘not right’ things. Invest and spend your time to find what is right in circumstances and different phases of life, and go about doing it. Defining ‘right’ is subjective to each individual and sometimes there might not be ‘the’ right thing and decision making comes to the fore here.
Find Good Mentors, and/but take your own decisions !
It's said “A picture is worth a 1000 words” and I would say “A good mentor is worth a 1000 friends”. Your first mentors are you parents, then the teachers and as your life progresses, you find less mentors when you are supposed to take up more responsibilities and handle more complexities. A good mentor can be the guiding light at different phases of life but remember that the path has to be traversed by you and it is very important to take own decisions and keep learning/growing along the way.
Invest in yourself - take responsibilities and keep learning !
The best investment that can happen is an investment in self. There are various ways to invest in self - like trainings, networking, reading and most importantly, taking up responsibility. It is important to have a positive frame of mind, believing in self and persist with learning and gaining expertise. Knowledge and skills should pay handsomely, in the long run.
Focus on health !
I think ‘Health should be considered as wealth’, which actually it is. It is highly advisable to focus on health - regular exercise, good sleep, right nutrition, managing stress, etc are all key ingredients to healthy living.
Give sufficient time and enjoyment to family !
Life feels longer when difficult and shorter when merry. It is important to have everything balanced, more so when it comes to Work-Life balance. The people who care for you the most are your family. Give sufficient time, care and love to family, take vacations, do enough leisure activities with them - Family is who cares the most for you.
Make lasting friendships/relationships !
Relationship is a two way street: While someone can be of help to you, there is immense happiness in being able to help someone out. It is not just about give and take; and a good company can be much more rewarding when it inspires and motivates !
Cultivate hobbies and follow interests !
While it is a lot about investments and returns in life, you should find time to cultivate some hobbies and follow your interests. A happy moment or a pleasant memory can help you survive some tough ones. You should be able to create enough fun in your life that helps you stay blessed.
