Thursday 2 April 2015

Closing within......Goals for 2015


Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind. But in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. 

The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon. For each day to have a different sun. If you want to gain more out of life, you must loose your inclination for monotonous security and adapt a helter-skelter style of life that will, at first, appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life, you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.


This quote from IN TO THE WILD, summarizes life for me. My Nanu(my grandfather, my friend, philosopher and guide) used to say, 'find Who You Are! That's what your life is about'. While as a kid, I never understood that in its deepest sense, it is now that I think I have begun to understand his words. At the onset of this search within, one thing I have understood about myself very clearly is that I am an explorer. Rather, an aimless wanderer, who enjoys the road more than the destination. I am the breadth, which wants to experience different things and assimilate everything within. I am the depth that wants to be lost within my own abyss.   

So, it's never too late to do the right thing! We all need some goals in our lives to feel accomplished in this human life. Goals that help us connect with our inner beings, that make us feel alive and goals that give a direction and purpose to our lives. Hence setting goals becomes crucial to our healthy existence and growth.


In the past year, while I might not have accomplished all that I set out to achieve; might have failed on some, might not have started at all on few, but I have taken promising steps towards finding myself , for the better!


So, in this new year, I look forward to finding the better side of me. The side that's better than the last, more polished, more learned and more towards the TRUTH. 


Here is the list of my goals for 2015:

  1. The very first goal that I want to set for my entire life is - to set some new goals every year. You read that right! I have a feeling that with this I will be able to experience the vitality of my life. Guess I have started towards this goal with this list.
  2. Developing new habits for a better lifestyle. I seek good health. My health defines me and therefore I am always going to give it a priority over everything else. This year, I plan to:
    • Sleep on time and wake up early in the morning at 4 AM for at least 90 days. 
    • Have some physical sport in my routine everyday. Be it as simple as running or walking for an hour. I can also substitute it with meditation, swimming, cycling, badminton or tennis.
    • Say no to unhealthy outside food. I will refrain from over pampering my palate and will train it for limited and essential foods. 
  3. I regret not being able to read enough books the last year. I plan to make 2015 an year of books (Mr. Zuckerberg, thank you for the idea!!). Books that challenge my thought process, add to my learning and help my growth. So, here is a list that I am starting with. I will keep on adding as and when I pick up a new one:
    1. Meditation and its methods - Swami Vivekananda
    2. Master the moment - Pat Brans
  4. I want to learn more mathematics - advanced statistics and probability for a start!
  5. For the explorer in me, I will learn a new art form this year. Maybe Salsa or Tango! 
  6. Also, I want to learn to bake.
  7. Continuing what I learnt last year, I will learn guitar further and practice every alternate day continuously for at least 2 months.
  8. Over the last few years, what I have really missed doing is practicing my writing skills. Though I am no Bertrand Russell or Gulzar, but penning down my thoughts does relieves me of the stress. Hence, there is going to be a new blog post every fortnight. Let's keep a track!
  9. I want to travel - to keep the wanderer in me alive. To where, is something I will decide.
  10. Last but not the least, I will not procrastinate, because the moment is NOW.

I am excited for this year. Happy to learn, to explore and to be more close to myself.

Swami Vivekananda said "Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached."