Five-point strategy to get the most out of life

Abraham Lincoln said with rhetoric, “In the end, it is not the years in your life that count but the life in your years.” His creed clearly drives home the fact that it is not about how long we are here, but rather how well we live this life here on earth.

A day in the life of an urban man is anything but harried and stressed. There are just too many challenges that he needs to confront. Traffic jams, potholes, unexpected weather changes, poor infrastructure and apathy from public officers are just a few among the list of woes beyond his control that he has to contend with. Thankfully, life also offers much that he can wield power over. There are several ways in which he can take charge and make himself effective despite all odds. These five simple strategies, advocated by self-help gurus, can make every man effective and help him get the most out of his life.

Firstly, beginning the day well is at the core of living each day to the fullest. There is magic in starting the day early. Waking up early at the crack of dawn and spending about half an hour of the morning time in prayer and meditation will give a great start to the gift of a new day.

Secondly, taking a few minutes at the start of the day to plan the day is something that will bring discipline and direction to the day. “Failure to plan is a plan to fail,” confirm experts in the field of self-management. Put in another way, when one is clear about where he is headed, he can reach there efficiently. Writing out clear action items for the day in the order of their importance and urgency is therefore a positive approach in making the most out of a day.

Following this with complete focus on the job at hand and avoiding unnecessary distractions are sure ways to unleash creativity at work. Pointless surfing of the Internet and yielding to distractions from social networks must be avoided. This will leave much time for concentration and attention to the tasks of the day.

Next comes consciously putting into practice eternal and respectable values through the day which will open the doors to a fulfilling and successful day. Kindness, tolerance, honesty and sincerity are just a few examples of how when employed with perseverance can transform an ordinary day into a day of substance.

Finally, caring for physical health through balanced and timely meals will pump in all the energy that is required to make a day and every day a joy to live. After all man should never get so busy making a living that he forgets to make a meaningful life.