Finishing a task on time
Time management is something we all struggle with. As a result, often, we cannot finish a task on time, whether it’s a chore at home or a project at work. The reason for inefficient time management could be many—poor planning, wrong time allocation, or simple carelessness. And once you are behind one task, it affects the others on the list as well. It happens to all of us. But there are also days when you finish a task on time, and one after the other, you check off everything on your to-do list. The icing on the cake is when you end your day just in time, while others are still trying to catch up. It feels great, doesn’t it? Only if every day could be like this.
Finishing a book
A book can be anything—a therapist, a pastime, a vent for your erratic thoughts, or a platform to enrich your vocabulary. But mostly, it’s an experience that takes you on a journey, far away from your responsibilities and problems. And when this experience comes to an end, it leaves you euphoric. This being said, how often do you complete a book? Our responsibilities at work and social obligations keep us occupied, leaving less time for our books.
Make a conscious effort to pick up the book and lose yourself in it again. And if you need a sound reason to do so, remember the words of author Dr Suess: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Getting your favourite dish right
We all have spent hours watching MasterChef or those “easy” to cook videos on YouTube to learn a recipe or hone our culinary skills. But when we do enter the kitchen to attempt those dishes, all we successfully make is a mess! Then comes that one attempt when we get the dish just right and surprise even ourselves with its taste and texture. This is one underrated experience we don’t bask in too often.
A walk with a friend
In our busy and chaotic lives, nothing beats having a walk with a friend after a long day at work. It relieves your stress, clears your head, allows you to catch up with your friend, brings you joy, and according to a study, it lifts your mood too. Despite its long list of benefits, however, seldom we make time for a walk with a friend.
After putting our mind and body through gruelling hours at work, a walk can be the highlight of your day. And if you have a friend to accompany you, it can become more joyful and comforting. All you need to do is make a plan to go for a walk daily and stick to it.
A smile exchanged with a stranger
In our world, time is of the essence. We cannot afford to stop chasing our responsibilities, taking care of our loved ones, and providing for our families. Even when we are not working, our mind never stops churning thoughts, for something that has already happen or never will. When so much is going on in life, little room is left for underrated things like saying hello to a stranger.
On rare occasions, when we are waiting for a Metro, standing in a queue, or sitting at an airport lounge we exchange a smile or a hello with a stranger. More often than not, it happens unconsciously, on its own. But it feels good, and its memory stays with us for a long time. So why not do this more often?