My usual routine goes something like this: being a couch potato after work, a couch potato on a weekend and a couch potato in between the things I am usually supposed to do but I usually don't. Let's just say that I am the perfect living version of Dagwood Bumstead. And my couch is my constant companion in all my adventures (or lack thereof).
But earlier this year I heard someone say, "This year I want everything to change." On a normal day I would have shrugged it off and left that someone to initiate the changes while I went back to my routine. But on that day, something was wrong. Looking back, I am not sure why but at that instant, the statement made a lot of sense to me. And so, obeying to the strange command like the Manchurian Candidate, I abandoned my couch and started to work on "This year I want everything to change." But I was still sane enough to rephrase it to "This year I want something to change." Now it felt better. And doable.
So, like that title character whatshisname from 'My Name is Earl', I drew up a detailed list of to-dos I planned to strike off hoping that in the process I would also improve my karma.
So what did I do? Its a long list but let me pick a few high points. To begin with, I started off with working on my worst fears. Of which one happens to be taking an exam. I must say that it has been a while since I last wrote an exam and so going back to the exam hall made me relive all those heebie-jeebies I used to have. But this time, strangely enough, a sense of calm and confidence I had acquired over the years kind of offset those scares. After all, it was just an exam. All I had to was give the paper my best shot and forget the rest. And I loved it. In hindsight, going back to school was definitely not a bad thing. Result notwithstanding. Moral of the story, never take an exam as if your life depended on it. Rather take it as if there are better things you can do in life than taking an exam. A certain amount of disdain always helps.
After that, to cool off the exam heat, I took to swimming. Yup! Finally! Considering that I am totally scared of water, I can proudly say that this is one of the biggest breakthroughs I made this year. Thanks to a good but persistent friend of mine. That's what good friends are for. To push you into a 6-feet pool when you least expect it. Needless to say, it felt good to conquer one fear after the other.
Two fears vanquished, I needed a break. So I traveled. And then I traveled again. Traveled to places I didn't think I would travel to. Not the kind of places they list in 1000 places to see before you die but still places worth traveling to. These places had been lingering in my travel list for a while and I wanted to strike them off the list before I forgot all about them. Or the travel list in which they lingered.
In course of one such travel, I came across a beach and did something I always wanted to do when I hit a beach. I threw a message sealed in a bottle into the ocean. I am still waiting for whoever receives the bottle to message me back. Provided he/she understands my scrawl, that is. By sheer coincidence, a message in a bottle also happened to be on my to-do list. That's another to-do struck-off. For a while it was hard to believe that I was striking off to-dos at a breakneck speed. Well, what can I say? When it rains, it pours.
Anyways, I also struck off a few other minor things such as overcome fear of dancing in public, see a gorilla in flesh, watch all the 23 Bond movies, etc., etc. but that's for another day. Now its December and despite my best attempts, my to-do is still far from done. But the things I struck off the list gave me a lot of satisfaction. While crossing off those things, I was also able to overcome my worst fears in the only way I could. By facing them.
So looking back, I must say that this year has kept me a bit busy. It has also made me realize that it IS possible for a guy like me to make better use of my daily quota of 24 hours. Even if I am not Jack Bauer (from '24'). Which is good news. However, before I forget, there were some downsides as well. I am no longer in sync with the plots of half the TV series I used to watch. I don't even remember the names of the characters who I used to think were permanently etched in my memory. But that's besides the point. In order to do something new, you need to get rid of something old. Especially when it comes to acquiring new habits. I learned this from some TV sitcom. I think 'My Name is Earl' it was. Who says TV sitcoms are shows about nothing? You can learn from them too.
And that my friends is what this year has taught me. And fetched me some good karma in the process. I hope. I think I will retain that list for the next season to strike off some more to-dos. Thanks Earl. And Thanks to that someone who said, "This year I want everything to change." Okay, now moving onto the next on the list, grow a mustache :-{
But earlier this year I heard someone say, "This year I want everything to change." On a normal day I would have shrugged it off and left that someone to initiate the changes while I went back to my routine. But on that day, something was wrong. Looking back, I am not sure why but at that instant, the statement made a lot of sense to me. And so, obeying to the strange command like the Manchurian Candidate, I abandoned my couch and started to work on "This year I want everything to change." But I was still sane enough to rephrase it to "This year I want something to change." Now it felt better. And doable.
So, like that title character whatshisname from 'My Name is Earl', I drew up a detailed list of to-dos I planned to strike off hoping that in the process I would also improve my karma.
So what did I do? Its a long list but let me pick a few high points. To begin with, I started off with working on my worst fears. Of which one happens to be taking an exam. I must say that it has been a while since I last wrote an exam and so going back to the exam hall made me relive all those heebie-jeebies I used to have. But this time, strangely enough, a sense of calm and confidence I had acquired over the years kind of offset those scares. After all, it was just an exam. All I had to was give the paper my best shot and forget the rest. And I loved it. In hindsight, going back to school was definitely not a bad thing. Result notwithstanding. Moral of the story, never take an exam as if your life depended on it. Rather take it as if there are better things you can do in life than taking an exam. A certain amount of disdain always helps.
After that, to cool off the exam heat, I took to swimming. Yup! Finally! Considering that I am totally scared of water, I can proudly say that this is one of the biggest breakthroughs I made this year. Thanks to a good but persistent friend of mine. That's what good friends are for. To push you into a 6-feet pool when you least expect it. Needless to say, it felt good to conquer one fear after the other.
Two fears vanquished, I needed a break. So I traveled. And then I traveled again. Traveled to places I didn't think I would travel to. Not the kind of places they list in 1000 places to see before you die but still places worth traveling to. These places had been lingering in my travel list for a while and I wanted to strike them off the list before I forgot all about them. Or the travel list in which they lingered.
In course of one such travel, I came across a beach and did something I always wanted to do when I hit a beach. I threw a message sealed in a bottle into the ocean. I am still waiting for whoever receives the bottle to message me back. Provided he/she understands my scrawl, that is. By sheer coincidence, a message in a bottle also happened to be on my to-do list. That's another to-do struck-off. For a while it was hard to believe that I was striking off to-dos at a breakneck speed. Well, what can I say? When it rains, it pours.
Anyways, I also struck off a few other minor things such as overcome fear of dancing in public, see a gorilla in flesh, watch all the 23 Bond movies, etc., etc. but that's for another day. Now its December and despite my best attempts, my to-do is still far from done. But the things I struck off the list gave me a lot of satisfaction. While crossing off those things, I was also able to overcome my worst fears in the only way I could. By facing them.
So looking back, I must say that this year has kept me a bit busy. It has also made me realize that it IS possible for a guy like me to make better use of my daily quota of 24 hours. Even if I am not Jack Bauer (from '24'). Which is good news. However, before I forget, there were some downsides as well. I am no longer in sync with the plots of half the TV series I used to watch. I don't even remember the names of the characters who I used to think were permanently etched in my memory. But that's besides the point. In order to do something new, you need to get rid of something old. Especially when it comes to acquiring new habits. I learned this from some TV sitcom. I think 'My Name is Earl' it was. Who says TV sitcoms are shows about nothing? You can learn from them too.
And that my friends is what this year has taught me. And fetched me some good karma in the process. I hope. I think I will retain that list for the next season to strike off some more to-dos. Thanks Earl. And Thanks to that someone who said, "This year I want everything to change." Okay, now moving onto the next on the list, grow a mustache :-{
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