Unlocking the good life

Putting in a little extra effort everyday can drastically improve your life in the long run. Start of with small changes and slowly work up from there. When it comes to adopting a new and positive daily habit, you don’t have anything to lose. Change, especially the positive kind is not an easy task. There are a huge number of factors involved in any given aspect of life, and there are plenty of these aspects as it is. Here is a list of small things that you can do every day, which will improve your quality of life in the long run,

1. Sleep for at least 7-8 hours- No compromise here. You want to regain your energy for next 16 hours? You got to give your body and mind rest for at least 7-8 hours.
2. Drink at least 500ml of water as soon as you get up in the morning - Water fires up our metabolism, hydrates us, helps our body flush out toxins, gives our brain fuel, and even make us eat less.
3. Exercise for 30 minutes – Going to the gym is not necessary, just take a walk, jog, practice Yoga. It is important that we exercise our mind too. Meditate for at least 10 minutes every day.
4. Read a book – Read any book that is inspirational to you. Read it for 1 hour in the morning. Something related to personal development, self improvement, your industry, business, career. Warren Buffett said his #1 key to success is to read 500 pages a day. He has been doing it every day for 30+ years. (I know it's not practical for the average person to read 500 pages a day as it would take hours), but the key is to read every single day and develop the habit. As Warren says it build compound knowledge, just like compound interest on your money helps your money to grow it does the same for you, your knowledge and your skills. 
5. DO NOT skip breakfast - Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Breakfast provides you with the energy and nutrients that lead to increased concentration. People who skip breakfast are unlikely to make up their daily requirement for some vitamins and minerals that a simple breakfast would have provided.
6. Write down your schedule for the day, make a to-do list. Your brain is not the most efficient memory tool and will only trust systems that it knows works. Good memory recall is as simple as finding those things that will jog your brain at the time it needs to remember. Having a written list helps us remember when things have do be done so we do not miss anything. Also a to-do list will make you feel that you are in control of the day.
7. No TV and Junk Food – Try to avoid watching TV, especially daytime TV. Also avoid eating junk food throughout the day.
8. Move - Take a 15 minutes walk after lunch. Experts believe that walking at least 100 steps after eating your meals improve your overall well being. This includes proper digestion, burning calories, better control of blood sugar levels and triglycerides in the body.
9. Take stairs instead of the elevator - This form of exerciseis good for your heart. It can lower your bad cholesterol levels and raise your good cholesterol levels. It also relieves tension and stress that can have adverse effects on your heart. This too can lower the risk of hypertension and diseases that are related to heart health.
10. Spend time with your family in the evening. If you do not live with your parents, call them in the evening. Ask them how they are? Check if they need anything.
11. Write down 10 ideas every day – It can be about anything. It does not matter if they are business ideas, book ideas, ideas for how to make better cricket bats, anything you want. The key is that it has to be ten or more. The purpose is to have thousands of ideas over time. To develop the idea muscle and turn it into a machine.
12. Turn off your smart phone/tablet or laptop before going to bed - Researchers warn against using gadgets with a backlit display (which is most phones, TVs and tablets) for more than an hour before bed. Using an electronic gadget for just two hours before bed can cause sleep problems.

“If you want to achieve success, all you need to do is find a way to model those who have already succeeded.” - Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins

Thanks!

Arindam