Make Changes in the Process.

I know I've been all about reading lately, and pardon me on this one, but what can I say? I love reading.

Seeing that it's a Sunday night and for some of you, Monday blues is already kicking in.

Here's a remedy that might hopefully alleviate your Monday blues symptoms, even if it were by a little.

I actually found this one out purely by accident.

It came about some days back, one morning when the alarm was blaring in my ear and I wished and wished with all my might that I could have another 20 more minutes of snooze time (I am perfectly aware that to be happy is to be disciplined, and being disciplined means NOT hitting the snooze button, but I guess snoozing is just one of the bad habits that I'll have to live with for a while, while I think of an effective way to kick it) but I knew that wasn't going to happen, so I reluctantly got out of bed (yet another bad habit of mine is not sticking to the bed time curfew that I give myself, hence the difficulty in getting out of bed in the morning. I'm still working on that), washed up and got dressed.

While getting dressed, my mind began to drift to the book that I had just purchased, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. I had just finished the first chapter the night before, and I couldn't wait till the next chapter.

I usually have a habit of reading in the train on my commute to work, and instantly I thought "oh boy, I can't wait to get on that train, so that I can continue my reading."

From that point on, my entire mood changed. Instead of dreading the morning, I actually looked forward to hopping on that train because it meant I could resume doing what I loved - reading. I enjoyed my ride to work, and I entered my office building in a much improved mood after that. It was at that point, I realised that I had found a remedy to an otherwise gloomy morning.

My point is, make the change you need to make the process enjoyable.

Try these simple steps: 1) Think of something you usually dread doing, like a chore or task. 2) Think of something enjoyable that you can do during your journey/process of completing it. 3) Make it a habit, so that it becomes something you look forward to doing.

You may not be able to avoid a particular task or chore, but by adding an element of what you enjoy into it, you are definitely able to change your own attitude towards the process of doing it.

P/S: The Power of Habit is a really, really awesome book. I'm still halfway through it, but I'm already inspired by it (for instance, I could develop habits that make myself happy). I'll be sure to share more about it in my upcoming posts! :D

Don't Worry, be Happy.

I've mentioned before in one of my previous posts about how much benefits can be reaped from the habit of reading. I can never emphasise it enough.

My morning never feels complete unless I'm reading something on my commute to work. Sure, the ride was only 10 minutes, but that 10 minutes I spent reading made all the difference. I stepped into the office feeling like my morning had already been productive, even before I started doing any actual work. On the contrary, if I used the time to play games on my phone instead, I'd end up walking into the office feeling unfulfilled and empty.

But I digress.

So I recently purchased a new e-book, The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell. Hence recently, my morning train rides had been filled with several pages of happiness "lessons", and it is my pleasure today to pass them down to you.

The book seemed pretty boring at first, but then I came to Chapter 5: Fatigue.

It immediately reminded me of something my mother used to say to me when I was younger: "Don't worry, be happy."

A quote that all of us have heard too often, so that it has become more like a meaningless saying, something we tell our peers when they're feeling down, as though it were a greeting of "Good Morning" that you use to others without really having the meaning to actually wish their morning well.

It wasn't until I read this particular chapter by Russell, that I had, for the first time in my life, contemplated so deeply about this very, very common saying.

This applies especially to us, the group of young working adults, working extremely hard each day, using all the youthful energy in us to earn a living while we're still young and fast and capable.

Building careers don't come easy, and each job has it's own worries. But some of us worry way too much, to the point of being fatigued. This fatigue causes us to lose our momentum and causes us to be unhappy when there is nothing that can be done.

This is not to say that we should let go of our responsibilities. When there is work to be done, it is our full responsibility to do it and do it excellently. When it is time for the problem to be solved, it is our responsibility to solve it to the best of our abilities, if not exceeding it.

However, what good would it do to bring your problems to bed? What good would it do for you to toss and turn around at night, wearing yourself out with unnecessary worry when you should be using that time to get a good rest so that you are able to be recharged again the next morning to tackle said problems? Worrying about it at the wrong times is useless because it causes mind fatigue and you wake up the next morning feeling like a zombie and shit, that problem remains unsolved. Dammit.

Some people allow their worries to overwhelm them and that's when they get burnt out and become unhappy.

A simple but very logical sentence that may sound overused, but true: Don't worry (about things at the time when they should not be worried about), be happy.

Go to bed, don't worry, think of happy thoughts, get the rest you need, and continue fighting tomorrow.