Adding dedicated, committed, disciplined time to my day is a way to honour and be true to myself. It has helped to make me happier, and also more productive.
When I say “adding time” I am talking about positive habits that aren’t easy to do, or make space for, but which truly make my day to day life a far better place to be in. And where am I, if not in my day to day life? I am in the future, or the past – places where I can’t find true peace. The only place in which we can be truly fulfilled, is right now. It’s the only place in which we live our lives. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, but right now.
Since completing the six-week modern yogi project, which you can read about here, I have realised that completely committing to positive habits and surrendering myself to them is the only way that I can ensure that I am putting myself first in life, in order to give and be of service to others. Which in turn, gives back to me in the form of fulfillment.
Sure, I could save a lot of time by skipping habits that add to my wellbeing, like yoga and meditation, but what do I get from not doing these things? I get extra sleep but I also get extra stress and I miss out on time for myself.
These crucial things can’t be replaced. There is no task that I do in my day-to-day life that could ever be as responsible for my own wellbeing, as yoga and meditation is for me. It might be different for you – such as other forms of exercise or playing music. Yet the truth remains that it must be something you do for yourself regularly – whatever it may be – so that you can truly feel the benefits of that commitment to yourself.
Every day that goes by when I put everything else before myself and I don’t take the time to do what I know makes me happy, is a day when I generally feel negative, emotionally up and down and unsatisfied with what I’m doing with my time.
Here’s how I have been able to identify and prioritise the habits that create the most wellbeing in my life.
Try something that resonates with you – it could be something you envy in others
Often, what we envy in others is what we see within ourselves. If you have seen someone else doing something that you WISH so much you could do – try it out. Just give it a go. It could be anything, and for me it was actually dance. I practiced ballet, tap, jazz and also gymnastics when I was young and I had to give them up for various reasons. I always wanted to pick them up again, but when I started yoga it really tapped into that desire because it’s a similar form of discipline. I love it and have been able to maintain it, and it’s something that brings me great joy and goes beyond the physical movement.
Practice discipline
The only way you can get the most out of something that you love to do, is to truly commit to it and practice regularly. It’s not enough to do something once every now and again – although it will make you happy during those times, you won’t get the maximum benefit out of it unless you really do commit. That means getting up and doing it even when you don’t feel like it, and it means sacrificing other commitments in order to do it. But it’s so worth it.
Identify the things that create the most wellbeing in your life
It is different for everyone but the trick is to know what it is for you that creates happiness and fulfilment. That means trying different things – but giving them a real go. Rather than just trying something every so often, it’s again about commitment – practicing regularly so that you can get the most out of it, in order that you know how you feel when you are really involved in it.
These things may seem obvious, but it took me a really long time to figure it out! I am always about output and what I can achieve, and sometimes it seems too overwhelming to start something new because it means that I’m going to be right at the bottom, having to work my way up.
Yet sometimes it’s the things that we have to work the most at, while staying true to our strengths, hat bring us the most joy.
What do you prioritise in your day that makes you a happier, more fulfilled person?
