Have you ever wished that you could find ways to improve your life but feel like you are short on time? Here are some ideas that do not require a lot of time or effort.
1. Read.
Just 30 minutes to an hour of reading each day can change your life forever. You would complete between 2-4 books each month this way putting you in the top 10%. Just imagine what you could learn.
2. Practice a new skill.
There are many useful skills which can be developed within an hour a day. Cooking, drawing, sewing, and speed reading to name a few. Apply the latter to the suggestion above and you can double the amount of books you can read each month!
3. Write a blog.
In today’s changing world, blogging is becoming more and more prominent. It is no longer just a means to express pointless ramblings. Businesses and celebrities alike are harnessing the power of the web. Are you ready to jump on the bandwagon and find your niche? What is your passion? Talk about it!
4. Exercise.
Want to gain more energy, be happier, feel better, look better, and live longer? Of course you do! The answer is exercise ( and healthy eating mind you ). For less than an hour each day, or hell even a few days of the week, you could transform your life towards the positive. Get off of the couch and get going!
5. Plan the week’s meals.
By creating a meal plan for the entire week, you save yourself the trouble of figuring out what to eat. You are better able to shop for the exact food that you need, and avoid buying useless junk food, therefore you end up eating much healthier and saving money as well. Start by researching 2 or 3 dishes that interest you for each meal of the day, and then break down the ingredients into a list. Next go to the store and get them. Keep the meal plan on your fridge so that you have it ready when it is time to eat.
6. Write out your goals.
A lot of times we spend our days doing meaningless things such as watching TV, browsing the internet, or any other number of tasks. One big reason is that we don’t know what else to do, or we do not have anything to work towards. Make it easy on yourself by writing out some things that inspire you, and create actionable steps to take each day.
7. Update your resume.
Stop complaining that you have a crappy job and get out there and find a better one! It doesn’t take a lot of work to update your profile. Google ways to make it stand out from the crowd. There are so many ways to look for jobs these days. Use the internet, newspaper, and referrals from friends.
8. Clean and organize your space.
You will be much more inclined to do productive and positive work when your home is tidy. How good does it feel to come home and not feel cluttered? I know I can’t overstate the positive effect it has on me.
9. Have a quality conversation.
Who is important in your life? Have you not been keeping up with an old friend or family member? Give them a call, they will really appreciate it. Relationships are a key ingredient to happiness.
10. Keep a Journal.
Reflect on the past week and/or month. Get clear on what you have learned, what was joyful to you, and what you would like to improve over the next month or so. Some people don’t journal because they think it has to be some huge log of words. It doesn’t. Sometimes I write just small sentences on how I am feeling. Here is an example from an entry I wrote last year.
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Alright, so I was able to finish up the article for Ginger. That feels good to have finally completed that. Next thing to do now is get familiar with Box2D and integrate it with my framework so that can easily add the physics to my game.
Watched some more Dexter.
Not too much going on really.
Hungry.
Not sure what to eat. If I go to the store right now I know I’ll probably get some bananas and a piece of cheese…but what else would I get, honestly?
Meh I wouldn’t even mind if all I ate right now was some cheese haha.
So first step…let’s examine this. What do I want to do? I play games and watch movies because I cannot think of the next step that I should be taking. I mean if I had a good idea of the next best course of action I could easily just do that. Now I mean, I obviously know that I want to integrate box2d blah blah etc however what is the first step.
Okay so first step…
Pull up a test Box2D project and do a demo to create some shapes on the stage etc.———————————————————————————————————————
Alright so that is it. I challenge you to pick out one or more of the above habits and implement it into your life today! Do you have any other ideas for things that can be done in less than an hour? What are some positive things that you have done that you would like to share?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I’m glad you added exercise to this list. All to often people avoid a small 30-60 minute workout a day that can help you add years to your life and make you feel better. I’m one of those people, lol.
Also, planning weekly meals has always been something that is tough for me. Oftentimes I don’t feel like eating or cooking what I had planned. But keeping a list of what I’m able to make is a great saver of time.
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Colbycheeze Reply:
January 31st, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Yea people just don’t understand that they really have to make exercise a habit. That’s the hardest part. Also they get upset when they make a mistake and miss a day. The trick is to say, “I’m not going to miss 2 days in a row!!”
I am glad I created a meal plan. It’s really nice to wake up and wonder, “what am I going to eat? Oh I’ll just look at the sheet here….Oh okay I’ll just make that chicken and pasta” Bam, done.
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