Don’t wait for the New Year to make your action count or to start over a new habit. You still have time to reflect on yourself and start a new habit. Remember every day is a new beginning, so keep a small note of what you can start that adds a new perspective towards life. It’s the new experiences and regular habits that keep you young, joyful, happy, and open to new ideas.
Leaders have a routine in their lifestyle that helps them be organized and lead, pause and check. Do you have it in you? Are you ready to lead and be the voice? It takes about 66 days on average to master the habit and make it part of your automated lifestyle. Here are the lists of habits that can help you reshape and reclaim life:
1. Wake up early: The most crucial part of the day is to wake up early and witness the beautiful sun out from the window and embrace the day. Waking early also means that you are ahead of people in time. Waking up early has proven to be more effective in helping people overcome stress and anxiety. You command the day when you start early or you’re being commanded by the day when you are late to start. That was what my teacher once told us in class and I find it true to date. The day I’m late, we run around to be on time, to reach the office, or to be within the schedule, all of us are in a hurry and super-fast mode yet late to school, college, or the office.
Associate yourself with an early morning habit of hitting the gym, yoga center, any favorite sport, or reading a book/newspaper. There is an exception to this case for people working late night, odd shifts but that shall not be an excuse for the healthy start for the day. And most important is to start small and steady. If you have the habit of waking up late at 8 AM, make the habit of waking up at 7:30 or 7:45 AM and it works remember getting better never stops so you can always work backward.
2. Preparing for the day: Do you start the day with a to-do list, do you have one for the day? One thing that I’ve loved and learned from my office is to work with a to-do list. This helps me know my task and measure my efficiency. There are days when I don’t have anything on my list and I know it’s my time to take a break. To start the day with a to-do list is to know how well you are placed for the day. In the world we live in, there are more things to do in less time to do them and so a to-do list also enables our priority among things we do in a day. I urge you to have a to-do list as you start your day.
3. Learning a new skill on regular basis: “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”. - Winston Churchill. Learning a new skill and upgrading the skill that you have mastered over a period of time is a must. The rate of growth in the space of science and technology, and advancement in things we use around has no limits then why limit yourself? Organizations/People are looking for a change agent; invest your time in regular updates and good enough skills. Learning the art of doing is the key, you do it to better yourself and not to just compete with others but with yourself. Focus on being the better version of yourself. We often complain about our earnings but do we reflect our progress on our learning?
4. Spend time on physical activity: Go Play. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing”- George Bernard Shaw. When was the last time you hit the ground and swing the bat or kicked the football off the ground? Do you go to the gym or do yoga or a walk in nature, do you do it on a regular basis? Do you acknowledge the benefits of play and the impact of the outdoors on you? It’s a way to reduce stress and increase the mental and physical well-being of the self. A 2013 study in the European journal of humour research found that the more playful a person was, the more likely they were to report a high level of life satisfaction.
5. Be organized: Why do you think Mark Zuckerberg wears similar clothes? Being organized can be beneficial, not just Mark Zuckerberg but Sudha Murthi to Ratan Tata like being organized. They like being organized and saving time which helps them save time and some mental energy, being organized can benefit you in a lot of ways and health is on top of the list this also has enabled leaders to manage time effectively and navigate the busy day. Being more organized has also proven to be effective in making an individual feel happier and more relaxed. Being disorganized can create havoc in life. I've also found when I'm not organized, it leads to increased stress and my wife often relates this to OCD. I laugh at it and continue to be organized.
6. Reading a book: Readers are leaders! I’ve got into the habit of reading books recently but I was too quick to realize the impact that it had on me. My job has allowed me to see leaders closely, as I see many things in common among them is the habit of reading. They have a great library with recent collections of best sellers. In fact, the average number of books read by a CEO is 60 books per year or five books each month against the average number of 12 books per year by a common man “What I know for sure is that reading opens you up,” says Oprah. “It exposes you and gives you access to anything your mind can hold. What I love most about reading—it gives you the ability to reach higher ground.”
7. Eat healthily: I come from a city where it's raining most of the time without reason and mostly I’m tempted to eat all the pani puri on the street or grab that lip-smacking Bajji/Bondaa but, does it have an impact on me? I would definitely love the choice of food that the weather demands and out of all things I recommend I feel this is the most complex one for me. A healthy diet is essential for a good body that surrounds a sound mind. You may be fascinated to learn that Steve jobs experimented with the famous fruit-eating diet he followed before he shifted to normal. Do we give ourselves enough time to understand the food that goes with our body? I would just leave it here with a healthy note of avoiding too much of anything that makes you feel less healthy.
8. Take a break: Weekends are meant for you to relax and reflect on yourself but do we do it as we party or just do things that we love to do on the weekend? Leaders use the weekend to take on a hobby, stop by their family and meet their friends listen to their perspectives, and learn from them. It’s important to learn from our family. Start now, Start today.