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The ability to say no comes from self-respect (not worth my time) and self-awareness (not something I can do).

If you find it hard to say no, you lack either or both.

The ability to say no comes from self-respect (not worth my time) and self-awareness (not something I can do).

If you find it hard to say no, you lack either or both.

I used to believe in going big or going home.
Until I had to go home.

Today I am not playing the game anymore.I am slow, and I am deliberate.
I am patient in every aspect of my life.

I love playing tricks with my mind.

I stay on the 13th floor and quite often climb up the stairs, after my morning workout.

Usually I climb up while looking down – thinking about something and not consciously counting the floors.

One time, I did notice the floor.
It was floor 4.
And my mind instantly went, “Damn – all the hard work done until now, has to be repeated 2 more times.”

Another time, I noticed the floor.
It was floor 7.
And my mind instantly went, “Okay – just repeat what you have done until now and you will reach.”

And then one time, I noticed the floor.
It was floor 10.
And my mind instantly went, “Just about half of what you have done until now!”

And then one time, I noticed it was floor 13.
And my mind instantly went, “Wow! It’s done?

Another time, I noticed the floor.
It was floor 15.
And my mind instantly went, “I didn’t even realise it!”

There are so many ways we can trick our minds.
All of them begin with not tracking what milestone we have hit so far.
And it will surprise you how far you go.

Focus on the climb.
And keep climbing!

We make the worst decisions when we make them in the moment, led by our emotions.

We make the best decisions when we make them with no pressure, led by our awareness.

YOU ARE NOT STUCK.
No one’s ever stuck. 

In life if you feel stuck, you will be FAR MORE miserable for the exact same conditions, than if you have options.

It is true, not just for work.
It is true for relationships.
It is true for money.
True for life.

Even if the option you create is only marginally better, it will compound subconsciously to make you feel more powerful eventually.

The worst enemy in your life is the person who convinces you that you do not have any other choice. That you do not have options. 

That you are stuck.

Often that person is you yourself.

Managing time can be intensely hard in today’s distraction-filled world.

I see it as an opportunity to stand out.

The world is going to reward even more, the ability to take control of one’s time and drive your own agenda.

If someone told you that you are a lot like the other person, would you take that as a compliment or not?

Do these 3 things.

1) Take up difficult things. 

You can earn decently and have your pleasures even when you don’t do difficult things.
But an easy life does not always become a fulfilling life.

Go beyond your comfort zone.
You’ll be amazed at what you’re capable of achieving.

2) Live by your own definition of success and failure. 

So that when you succeed, it is on your own terms. 

When you fail, you know where to close the gap towards getting successful.

3) Don’t care about what others think of you. 

The burden of others’ opinions is not for you to carry. 

Carrying your own life is in itself an act of courage.
Carrying other’s opinions is in itself an act of cowardice. 

Knowing the difference is a superpower.

We often think we have to be cut from a different cloth in order to become the top 1% of the world.

When in reality, just by defining our path and moving towards it consistently, wins us 99% of the battle.

If you’re struggling to build a routine, these 11 steps are all you need to follow:

1. Start slow 

Our body and mind resists change.
So we have to trick our body and mind, by making the change happen slowly.

For example: You wake up at 8am and want to wake up at 6am instead? 

Set the alarm for 7:50am (10 mins earlier than usual).
Acclimatise your body and mind to this small change for 2-3 weeks.

Post that, another small change.
Repeat. 

Over a period of a few months, you would get to a routine of 6am. 

2. Measure progress 

If you find a way to measure progress along the way, you will enjoy the routine a lot more than reaching the destination.

For example: Reading can be a difficult routine to establish. Because we attach the joy to finishing a book.

Try this instead. 

Read 1 page every day.
And document that progress. 

Put a big calendar on the wall and cross out the day you read a page.

When you see that big calendar with multiple crosses in a streak – THAT will make you feel like a winner! 

3. The 2-min rule 

The hardest thing about a routine is getting started.

The 2-min rule says – whatever it is that you want to set as a routine, do it for just 2 mins.
Slowly, you will get used to it.

4. Temptation bundling 

Bundle what you like to do and what you want to do as part of a routine.

For example: You like watching YouTube, but you want to have a study routine. 

So, you could watch your course content on YouTube — tutorials, discussions, animations, etc.

5. Habit stacking 

Combine what you are already used to with something you want to build a habit for.

For example: Let’s say you want to set a skincare routine.
So you could say, as soon as I have brushed my teeth, I will start my skin routine.

6. Win the week 

We often want to win EVERY day.
Do everything that we want to do, in a single day itself. 

We can’t. 

Instead, plan your week and try to do everything you want to do, within a week. 

7. Reward yourself 

If you do what you want to do, reward yourself with something you would cherish.

For example: I have distraction time scheduled for 3 slots everyday, for 30 mins each. 

This is my reward for doing all the things I have to do in the day.

8) Build in public 

Publicly announce your habit.
Make yourself accountable to someone outside of you.

For example: You tell your friend – I will send you a picture of my watch at the time I get up everyday. Or else, I will pay you XX amount.

9) Pre-commitment 

You are more likely to follow an action, if you already have some form of commitment towards it.

For example: Paying in advance for the gym membership, the book club, the sports coaching, etc.

10) Stay flexible 

A routine is not designed to make you rigid. 

It’s okay if you broke the routine today.
Come back to it tomorrow. 

11) What if? 

Close your eyes and visualise what will happen if you are unable to build this routine.

More importantly, if you do build this routine – how will it change your life?