Focussing on what really matters

I've been constantly introspective for most of 2009. What triggered it? Hmm. It could have been one of several factors or even all of them combined: I made a lateral move at work from engineering to project management. I hit the big 3-0 mark. I exhausted myself out mid year and needed a vacation big time. Increased baby pressure from the folks. The result - I turned into a negatively charged stress ball from the otherwise calm, positive and chilled out person that I usually am and I didn't like it one bit. I also don't do complaining. Yet I found myself complaining a lot and often. I've read more productivity and 'life' blogs this year than I can count. I've tried to read up on so many different topics that my focus was stretched too thin to make a difference in any one in particular. That's it. No more! I'm putting an end to the madness that 2009 has been.

Most people fail at fulfilling their new year resolutions. I've come to the conclusion that this is due to a few different reasons:

1. Too many resolutions. It's hard to focus on getting good at one thing when you've stretched yourself thin among too many. You've set yourself up for failure right there.
   
2. Each resolution individually is a drastic, cold-turkey type of change. "I'm going to start hitting the gym at 6:00 am every other morning." I hate to break it to you but it's just not gonna happen. Change typically happens gradually, especially when it comes to breaking old habits. Fact check: cold-turkey rarely works. Ask any smoker who's successfully broken the habit.
   
3. Expecting results too soon. You cannot expect to become an expert at something instantly. We live in a world filled with activities geared towards instant gratification. This cannot be applied to picking up a new skill for example. It takes passion, practice, more practice and patience.

I'm no exception. I'm guilty of all of the above. I've therefore decided on a few things:

1. I'm not going to align my resolutions with the New Year. It's a bogus way to convince yourself that if you start at New Years, you're going to stick with it. Nope, doesn't work. I've already started!
   
2. I'm going to prioritize my list of goals and pick the top 3-4 items to focus on. Everything else will remain prioritized lower and I will get to it when I get to it. 
3. I will focus on one thing at a time.
4. Perfection be damned.
   

The point of putting these thoughts out here is to create a web of accountability for myself. Somehow making it public seems to add 'good' pressure to me following my goals.With that said, my first goal is to start waking early. I've tried this several times before and failed miserably. But this time I'm going to approach this gradually and with incentives. So, what are my reasons for focusing on waking early? A few. Morning time is peaceful. I can start having a good breakfast every morning instead of munching on a Clif bar on my way to work or worse, starving until lunch. I can even set time aside to focus one any one activity that I really like to do which will count towards my other goals.

Alrighty, it's time to stop the talk and walk the walk. I am really thrilled to note that I woke up at 6:40 am this morning. Woohoo!! I fought that crazy little voice in my head talking me into going back into the warm, cozy comforter. I need to keep this up for at least 30 days to make it a habit. Wish me luck y'all.

Random thought

I've been sick for the past few days with the flu. Fever chills, body and head aches aside, it naturally gives me time to ponder 'life', jobless as I am while recovering. :-)

I am far from religious in the 'God' sense. But this something I've thought hard about through the blip of an existence that is my life thus far. I feel that there is no such thing as a perfectly rational or logical human. There never has been and never will be. We humans are inherently flawed and egotistical. We have been religious and always will be - whether that religion has something to do with a traditional 'God' or 'Science' or  your toaster or whatever else. We know so little about our own infinitesimally insignificant existence and have difficulty accepting that we cannot explain everything - that's the egotistical part. On one hand, this ego is probably what keeps us from becoming extinct (yet). On the other hand, it might just be leading us further that way... :-)

On the lighter side, how else would one explain Mac fanatics arguing vehemently over why Macs are the greatest thing since sliced bread? ;-)