These are habitsboth ingrained deeply in our behaviors and mindsetsthat take time to form.
In other words,we have to practice becoming the person we want to be.
First up, this piece is not about unbridled hedonistic behavior or irresponsible spending.
Instead, I invite you to aspire toward what I like to callEveryday Amazing.
That’s a compound interest from which you want to benefit!
Let’s start with the obvious: Draw inspiration from your vacation because there are bits that youdoengage in.
In what ways are thesemissingfrom your everyday life, that make it miserable or make you feel resentful?
Plenty of things that we tolerateincinerate our energywithout us knowing it.
So here’s a simple example.
These are things you could engineer into your life.
Then, circle the one that will be easiest to execute while creating the biggest change.
What do you resent maintaining in your everyday life?
I did not understand what my mother meant by her statement that it’d be difficult to clean.
“Just push it out, clean, and then back again,” I protested.
On the flip side, there are other things that keep paying you dividends.
Let’s start with money because money is neverjustpractical; it’s hotly emotional.
Or are you keeping five different streaming options,just in case?
That’s a win-win for me!
I live in atinycity in Singapore where many locals I know bemoan it to be boring.
After all, we’re technically a little red dot on the map.
At other times, it’s a new running route.
That takes care of my introvert needs to nourish myself.
And then I also make it social.
I’ve made friends who bring each other around random neighborhoods or trek down different hiking trails.
Sometimes I invent food pilgrimages.
At other times, I take my visiting tourist guests around.
There’s always culture, architecture, history, food, and conviviality.
And something new to discover (or rediscover).
Because I’ve committed time to it.
What mindsets stand in the way?
Or maybe you think it’s shallow to be happy, or someone’s told you that.
But the idea of Everyday Amazing isn’t about overtly chasing happiness (or your image of it).
Making these switches also means that you have to give something up.
Or, having to explain these new choices to someone in your life.
How do I make time for the life I want?
One of the first protests I often hearfrom myself toois, “I don’t have time.”
These areas are where it’s possible for you to start reclaiming time.
So I sat down and created a system to sort that out.
It was a grueling and gloriously boring four hours.
But I’ve never looked back.
Designing a good life takes effort.
A miffed participant raised this question at one of my workshops.
And that everybody has their own resets; it can be as simple as taking three deep breaths correctly.
But there’s no right or wrong.
It may be trivial, and that’s the point.
And hey, we’ll also be better poised to enjoy our vacation and eventual retirement.
