In today's world, career success has become of utmost importance, and our happiness has taken a back seat. Nevertheless, when we have a look at the successful people, what we see is quite different. They have an amazing balance that has helped them achieve the best in the world.
Look in the Mirror
The best individual to grade our success is we. When we stand in front of the mirror, what we see is not just the outer appearance but also a reflection of our thoughts and deeds.
If we make someone upset one day and stand in front of a mirror that night, the guilt would stand-in in front of us. So, it is always advised to see your reflection at least twice a day once before you sleep to check what you feel about the day and one in the morning to see the determination to change.
Plan Before Sleeping
Making a to-do list and scheduling your day is always a good idea. Many inspiring people suggest that this planning should be done before you go to sleep. This planning should be realistic and arrange the tasks in order of priority as well as in reverse order of difficulty. This makes the next day efficacious as you wake up with a target in mind and are not just lost in the maze. Always try to do the most difficult tasks first, which gives a good sense of accomplishment as well as releases happy hormones.
Never Say Die Attitude
'Perseverance' though a simple single word, is one of the most challenging parts to work on. Many are not afraid of hard work, but repeated failure does put them down. Here comes the role of 'never say die attitude'. One has to understand that each one of us is unique and has unique problems and joys in life. One has to work persistently throughout life. There is no such thing as clear one exam, and you are on top of the world. Life gives new hurdles after every step, and they have to be cleared regularly. Take time, learn and analyse, and finally, you will reach your target, but to stay at the top is even more arduous yet again asking for consistent efforts.
Learn Every Day, Every Time
As Mahatma Gandhi said, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever". There is no single human who can learn everything just by completing twelve years of school or four to five years of higher education. There are so many aspects to learn and apply – science, commerce, civics, spirituality, behavioural sciences etc.
One who gives away all the ego and is humble enough to learn from an ant or even a junior is truly capable of going a long way. Our ego is our biggest enemy that prevents us from opening our mind to new lessons and makes our life stagnant. We should learn from everything and the most from our mistakes.
Deal With Fear
'Fear' is the biggest hurdle. Everyone has a different set of elements that provoke fear in them. As most people say, the biggest fear is inside one's mind. If we conquer this 'fear of fear' then there is nothing that can stop us. Fear can be of losing what we have achieved, losing family, money, fame etc. This prevents us from taking risks. Someone has rightly said that we should not be afraid of losing anything because our biggest achievements are our good intentions, our character and our knowledge, no one in the whole universe can steal these from us. Thus, whatever be the situation, there is nothing to lose, and no fear should exist inside us.
Self Care
Over the years, we have become so dependent on others that we forget that we have the same body and can take care of our basic needs. Even the busiest people in the world take out time to sleep, eat and maintain self-hygiene. Though this sounds basic, in a rush to win some external competition, we sacrifice on the basic needs of the body. It is very common that people sleep for two to three hours at night, have breakfast on the way, skip a bath and use perfumes instead. If this is the methodology behind becoming successful, then we are mistaken. This just aggravates stress, and the body breaks down in less than a decade.
Self-care in the form of six to eight hours of sleep, eating at least one to two meals with the family, taking out time for your own body, and exercising as well as relaxing is the actual predictors of how long one would go, measuring the happiness quotient.
Baby Steps to the Top
Making a drastic, almost inevitable step creates havoc. When we look at the stories of the lives of most prosperous, we would always find many small steps directed towards the goal. For example, Helen Keller learnt to identify objects by touching them, then learnt how to read and write, later learning the art of speaking and finally even found a way to appreciate music.
So, divide the huge goal into many short targets, making mini day- to -day tasks, weekly and monthly goals. Slowly and steadily, you would reach the finish line.
Accept Both Apples and Oranges
This is a comprehensive spectrum, analogy. At every step, we come across situations that are like Apples, painless and fruitful to accept which give sweet juicy results, but oranges like conditions test our capabilities. Only those who can sustain the sourness of the procedure and still come out with bright colours have passed the difficulty. One should remember that diamond is nothing but coal that did well under pressure.
This broad idea can also be applied to the people we meet. Humans are social beings. Even the introverts have some people in their lives to share their inner thoughts and feelings. So the people we meet can be easy-going, difficult and uptight. No one is bad; it is just the amount of effort we put in to understand the underlying softness of people. Those who climb the ladder of success learn to deal with all types of situations and make friends with all types of people.
Get Rid of Distractions
Each day has twenty-four hours, and one has to understand that everything has to be done within this time. There are too many distractions in everyone's way. When you go out, many people come to tell you to do other things or lure you to different paths, change your method, watch a movie or television series, go out or leave this field and jump to another through easy ways. But the only person to decide what we should do and what we should abstain from are we. Our brain has a subconscious part called 'id' which always does things based on instantaneous and superficial thinking. One has to consciously think and understand both immediate and long term happiness and make our way through it.
It is difficult for many to understand that there is fun in not only going out in clubs, adventure parks, watching movies but also in playing or taking out hobby time and even in philanthropic deeds. Nevertheless, find what makes you feel good and work on it and not on what others think is good for you.
Be Early and Smile
Even though some people like working in the night but one has to understand that human body over the centuries and long term evolution is still diurnal. Our body has a set clock inside that is controlled by the hormone melatonin, and it works in correlation with the sunlight. The winters are lazy, and summers are active months of the year. Working on this clock, research has shown that our brain's efficacy is better early in the morning as compared to late night.
Lastly, a simple, honest smile goes a long way. It spreads happiness inside you and to others. Smiling is a well-known reflex. By six to seven months of age, the human brain acquires this reflex, such that whenever we see someone smile, we reflexly smile. A smile gives the strength to evade difficult times and makes things look plausible.
So, like all the busy people in the world manage time, work hard, work consistently and go to a good night sleep at the end of the day, practice it.
Conclusion
We hope these secrets will help you in your life.
Co-author: Paridhi Singhal
Paridhi is a budding doctor. Apart from studying medicine, she is a a keen writer who believes in the thought that pen is mightier than the sword.
