TIME

As I write this post on the year end 31^st Dec 2013, I cannot but remind myself that this is such a unique moment; for with every passing second I will bid good bye to 2013 and usher in 2014 with fresh hopes and dreams. What is more  significant is the realization that while the event will repeat itself every year on 31^st Dec. this moment when I writing this post will never mean the same ever. For this is my TIME as I write and your TIME as you read it and for you and me This Instant Moment is Everything .

The ideal way to ensure you utilize your time well is to ensure you plan well. Perhaps this is reinforced by the fact that we ritually make New Year Resolutions. If you haven’t done that yet, resolve to make the list as soon as you finish reading this post. When you make your New Year Resolutions it would help if you grouped it in meaningful ways. E.g. Personal Goals, Professional Goals, Financial Goals, Academic Goals, Self Improvement goals etc. To make your plan work well and help you achieve your goal list out at least 3 action plans and put a time frame to each action plan. 

It is assumed that you would write down all the plans listed above. It is equally essential that you  ensure that your plans are often seen by you. This means you need to display it in a place where you see it and are reminded of it regularly. Additionally it would help you to share some of your significant plans with family and friends who hopefully will prod you, nag you, remind you, push you and pester you about your progress on the goals. Sure enough you will find yourself spending your TIME very productively chasing those plans. Don’t forget to also review your plans and revise it if needed for almost all plans need tweaking and adjustment before they fructify into achievements.

On the other hand one need not get obsessed with TIME or else one would never enjoy a good time. Partying and relaxation is as important as achieving your goals. Taking TIME out to recharge and rejuvenate is an essential part of spending TIME for your self. Similarly ensure frequent time out for family, friends, socializing for as a social animal, these are significant moments that will ensure a healthy personal, family and social life. 

At various times each of us will feel guilty of either squandering time or being slaves to time. It is possible that there is some truth in this feeling of guilt for none us can ever be clock work in real life. What is important is not to let the guilt overwhelm us but on making the realization take steps to remedy the situation. This is possible only if one ensures that his/ her time allocation for whatever planned has ample time cushions. We get stressed when we fail to allocate time cushions for life is always full of surprises and we can never be sure of what lies in store. 

There are times when each of us have also gone through the agony of finding time weighing heavily on us especially when sick or immobilized or when one has lost his/ her job or retired. That is the time for one to be creative in utilizing your time. Think positively, find alternatives, rework your plans, don’t forget that 24 hours is all yours; use it well. Results may not be apparent or immediate, but patience is a value that is best taught by TIME.

Whatever be our take on TIME, no time is wasted except when we willfully become complacent, lethargic and indifferent to the value of TIME. After all we are all blessed with TIME as long as we are alive and that should also remind us that This Instant Moment is Everything 

So in closing let me quote Longfellow

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate ;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

May EACH one of you blessed with ample TIME for growth, happiness and contentment!

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Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

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COMMIT

Everyone has noble thoughts, good intentions and certainly the desire to be an ideal individual. Many a time these positive thoughts propel us into action and we begin with élan and panache only to falter, fail and give up too soon. For the vast majority our intent keeps the desire burning in us but does not manifest itself in anything tangible or substantial. The key to transforming our lives into the ideal and successful individual we intent to be, is in making a determined effort to COMMIT ourselves to what we set out to do. The moment we make that effort to commit to our plans and dreams is the moment we Create One Major Magical Instant Transformation

We fail to commit for a variety of reasons. Top of the list is our sheer laziness.  Sadly that is followed by our unwillingness to challenge ourselves, our fear of failure, our penchant for escapism to more enjoyable pursuits and of course lack of self discipline. If we delve into our school/ college days, many of us would make the regrettable and painful realization that our marks and performance were not up to our abilities simply because we did not commit ourselves to the rigors of studying for the reasons elucidated earlier. Despite this realization, we continue with our wayward ways and hope for some divine miracle or some chance success. It is essential to remember here that if you want to win the lottery you must commit the price of the lottery ticket and buy the lottery; no pain no gain is the simple principle.

Fast forward your thoughts to those momentous events in your life that made you happy and elated. Underlying each of those moments, there would surely be commitment made by either you or someone close to you to ensure those magical moments. It could be the first time you were applauded by your teacher or the very first goal you scored in a match. It could be a fancy dress completion in which you won a prize or the time you cleared a competitive exam. What is common is that for every little success you enjoyed you did commit yourself to the task on hand. Whilst other too would have made similar commitments, with a wee bit of luck and perhaps your special talent and ability you managed to taste success. There could many moments that your recollect where despite you committing yourself you were disappointed with the outcome. However you will never regret those moments because you know for sure that it was not because you didn’t commit that you didn’t win but for reasons beyond your control.

So how does one ensure that one can commit to something? The first is to decide what you want to commit yourself too. This is a very tough decision because many a time there are so many equally attractive opportunities competing for your attention. Remember Mr.V.V.S.Laxaman the star batsmen in the Indian cricket team. He had to make a momentous decision in his teens whether to pursue his academics and follow his parent’s footsteps and become a doctor or to pursue his love for cricket despite it being an extremely competitive sport. He did commit to the latter and the rest is history. Notice there was nothing common between the choices on hand for him.  Once you decide what to commit to, be prepared to give it your all. This means sacrificing a lot of pleasures, being self disciplined, being ready to face the physical and psychological pain, having the courage to fall down and get up no matter how hurt you are and being ready to shut yourself away from all forms of temptations. Does this guarantee success? Alas the answer is NO but it definitely brightens the chances of success because once you COMMIT you Create One Major Magical Instant Transformation and you will be a changed individual forever. 

Action Points:

1. Take out your New Year resolution list or prepare one right away. It must have at least 3 short term goals, perhaps another 3-5 medium term goals and possibly 3 long term goals. For each of these goals outline at least 2 firm commitments to ensure your progress towards achieving your goals. E.g. If you have a long term goal of achieving X amount by the age of 55 list out how much you will save from today and where will you invest it. To arrive at the savings figure each month you may have to do a fair bit of calculations but that is all part of what you have committed to. Or if you have short term goal of improving your scores in the coming exams prepare a study time table and allot more time to the subject you are weak in or dislike.
2. Can you remember 2 of your most passionate dreams? Perhaps it includes things like meeting your favorite icon or owning a fancy car or creating a mobile app etc. Now commit yourself to the intermediary steps to achieve that dream.
3. Outline 5 of the most pleasurable diversions / activities that you love. (Partying / movies / TV / sleeping / chat / mobile games etc. could be part of that list.) Commit yourself to sacrificing 3 out of the 5 in order to achieve your dreams/ goals.

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our inspirational and motivational blog

http://www.actspot.wordpress.com

URGE

Progress is made only when someone has the urge to be proactive and try something different, create something new or bring about a change in the staid and mundane. This comes about only when one has the Unique Resolve Generating Enthusiasm. Everyone reading this can look back and visualize the countless ideas that one has flirted with, the critical evaluation of things and happenings around us, yet not too many can claim to have initiated the changes one wished. At the same time each of us can be proud of the small accomplishments that we would have triggered or executed be it reorganizing the furniture, investing in some household gadgets or cultivating a hobby, we can link it to giving in to the urge to make a difference.

If you are reading this, notice that it is the urge to read that has brought you this far. Similarly, it is important to realize that when you do something that is out of the way like chucking a well paying job to take on a social activist’s role or doing something innovative like learning a new dance form or merely giving freshness to the environment around like redecorating the house, the impetus comes from the urge within you. What is important to make the urge work is the enthusiasm that one generates that then translates into the resolve to get going. If we see it from this angle we can understand why with rare exceptions most times our New Year resolutions turn out to be damp squibs; for the resolution is first made and then we fail to inject the enthusiasm so essential to make the resolution a reality.

If you are a passionate supporter of a team, you would notice that in close games you unconsciously attempt to urge your team to victory. This urge is a variant that attempts to translate your enthusiasm to a common cause that you heartily support. If you have been to the horse races, you would notice that the jockeys make every effort to urge their horse to speed up and the whip is the most visible tool to translate this urge into an outcome. Urgency is another variant where the urge becomes reactive because matters have come to a head and it is essential that crucial steps be taken in haste. Here the enthusiasm is often propelled by fear of the consequences of timely action not be taken.

There are times when the urge seems to have lost its sting and that is when we simply go through the motions. We then participate not to reach our original goal but merely to satisfy a necessary requirement or to pander to our conscience. As individuals we need to constantly better ourselves each day. To achieve this we have to find the urge to tackle the mundane, the challenging, the routine and the impossible for everyday life is simply a combination of all these. Look closely at the lives of the great achievers in any field and you would notice that each of them has had his/ her share of failures; but what made them great is that URGE to keep going in relentless pursuit of their goals with their Unique Resolve Generating Enthusiasm.

Action Points:

Make a note of the most complain that the following individuals make against you and find the urge to address the complaint at the earliest

• Your spouse or sibling or parent
• Your superior be it a boss or a teacher
• Your friends/ colleagues/ social circle

Jot down three commitments for yourself ( 1 each for the following areas of your life)

• Commitment to a social service activity
• Commitment to a personal improvement activity
• Commitment to a quality family life activity

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our inspirational and motivational blog

http://www.actspot.wordpress.com