Enjoying what you have...

Rather than chasing what you don't.

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The article today is pretty long, but I will give you my home address to come beat me up if you don't find it worthy. I will also drop my bank account “address” to send me your regards, in case you find it more than worthy. Haha, I'm surely going to get rich before the end of today. Having established the deal, come and see what the rich man has to say regarding goals; enjoying what you have rather than chasing what you don’t.

Milestones are markers that we’re evolving—they do not create emotional fulfillment in the way we think they will. This confusion is why with the dawn of each new year, our resolutions are to change our lives rather than to change ourselves. But what if we made goals that were more about loving what we have rather than chasing what we don’t? What if we realized that it’s essentially what we are meant to seek in the first place? I believe that this is something to consider—even if just a little. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Pick up where you left off. Finish the half-read books on your shelf. Eat what’s in the cupboard. Wear what you own in ways you never thought of before. Apologize and mean it. Call old friends. Revisit old projects. Try other routes.

2. Seek out ways to appreciate people the way they are, not necessarily the way you want them to be. It is not your job to judge who is deserving of love and kindness. It is not your job to fix anybody. It is only your job to love them in whatever way is appropriate. You are not anybody else’s god.

3. Make time for the friends you have more than you seek out the ones you don’t. Stop counting how many people are in your life as though hitting a certain tally will make you feel loved. Start appreciating how rare and beautiful it is to even just have one close friend in life. Not everybody is so lucky.

4. Each day, write down (or at least, pay attention to) one thing your body allowed you to do. Whether it was watching your favorite show or listening to the sounds on the street on the way to work or being able to see a computer screen or hug someone you love, focus on what your body does more than how perfect it was done.

5. Learn to love things that don’t cost much. Learn to love simple food and cooking it, being outside, the company of a friend, going for walks, watching the sunrise, a full night’s sleep, a good day’s work.

6. Start a “journal of days” where you write down a sentence or two to sum up each day of your year. The reason keeping up with a journal is only sustainable for a week or so is that nobody has the time (or energy) to thoughtfully or extensively detail their everyday lives. Yet we miss out on the incredible opportunity to see how far we’ve come and what our lives are ultimately comprised of when we fail to journal—so make it easy for yourself. Just write down one sentence that sums up the day before bed. In a year, you’ll be grateful you did.

7. Find meaning and joy in the work you do, not the work you wish you did. Finding fulfillment in work, contrary to popular opinions, is not really about pursuing your idea of what your “purpose” is. It is usually about infusing purpose into whatever it is you already do.

8. Do a “spend cleanse” where you only use what you have for a period of time. At once, teach yourself the art of denying immediate gratification for the sake of something more important, and show yourself that you already have everything you need, or at least, more than you think you do (even when it doesn’t feel like it).

9. Give everything you own a “home”; it is essentially the key to feeling at peace in your space. Go through your belongings and only keep what’s purposeful or beautiful to you—and then assign each of those things a “home,” or a space to return to each night. It makes maintaining flow in your space effortless and calming. (As effective as we all know this is, it isn't quite easy). Let me know how you go about it here:

10. Learn to live within your means—no matter how much money you make, your “percentage habits” will remain the same. If you’re in the habit of seeing all of the income you make as “spending money” (as opposed to investing money, saving money, etc.) you will always revert to that habit, no matter how much you make. It is only by learning to live comfortably within your means that you’re able to actually achieve your goals when you earn more.

11. Call your parents. Not everybody has the privilege.

12. Do the most important things immediately in the morning. Give your energy to what matters most, when you have the most of it. It also helps you define what really matters to you.

13. Shed what no longer serves you. Teach yourself to let go of the big things by learning to let go of the little ones. It is easier to bypass thoughts and emotions that are negative in nature when you’re able to release belongings and objects with negative associations.

14. Pace yourself—if at any point you’re doing anything in which you cannot feel your breath, you’re moving too fast. Make physical relaxation a priority—no matter what you’re doing. Keep track of your breath at all times. Be mindful, present and intentional with everything you do. It is not the quantity of what we accomplish, but the quality of it.

And just like that you are at the end! So, are you paying me or do you still need the address to come beat me up? More importantly, tell me which of the points you've been using, which you're planning to use and which you're never going to use here:

Before you go, let me drop update for you. Apart from Malcolm Gladwell (refer to this article), another excellent thinker I have been tapping current from is Adam Grant and currently I am reading his phenomenal book: Think Again (Download for free here). And here is a quick personality test for you to take:

Did you pass or fail, truthfully? Let me know here:

Till I write you again, stay fine and tell someone to tell someone to tell someone that amazing contents & resources drop here like rainfall. I appreciate all the endless support and look forward to growing this community even bigger.