Make time for what matters to you
Being mindful about growing just a little bit every day.
Hello,
This week was all about mindfulness, consciously observing my own thoughts & actions and expressing gratitude to myself. Here are the highlights divided into the 5 main categories as usual!
Learning & Questions for the week:
Make Time - Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky
Time is the most precious gift that one gets. It is one thing that’s common between every person on the planet. All of us have 24 hours in a day. What matters is how we use them to do what’s the most important to us.
Although I’m mostly following already what I read in the book, here are my own thoughts on the topic of time:
1) You only waste time if you’re not intentional about how you spend it.
Answer this: How do I make my time spent everyday more intentional?
If you manage to answer this, you will stop auto-piloting through life. You don’t have to make yourself feel guilty for spending time with a loved one (or just taking a break & watching Netflix) if that’s what mattered to you. Be intentional about how you use your time rather than trying to fill in gaps in the day.2) When you respect your own time, people will respect it too.
If you change your priorities, people will notice. Your actions show others what’s important to you. When your friends, coworkers, family see you being intentional with your time, you empower them to question their own. So you’re not just doing good for yourself, but actually setting healthy boundaries & habits for people around you.3) What you do everyday matters more than what you do once in a while.
Don’t associate your identity to what you do once in a while. It is always a work in progress. Built it every day. With time, you will move ahead.
Check out the authors’ website here. Plenty of good material to learn!
Here’s my favourite that you can literally start doing at this very moment.
Next Read: Super excited about this one!
What are you reading?Drop in suggestions!
Mental Wellbeing tip for the week:
I recently started using the Headspace app to learn about mindfulness. It has helped realise how I can be completely present in the moment. I run everyday with Nike Run Club & they have some amazing guided runs curated by Andy Puddicombe.
We created the problems we face today
Speaking to Rahma, a friend from Tunisia this week about religion, the world we have and the systems that seem to have gone wrong. How would a Utopian world look like?
Read our complete conversation here.
Go into the storm.
Let me take this space to say STOP judging yourself if you aren’t actively engaged in a physical routine or a fad “diet”. You do you!
PS.: My updates aren’t polished to look perfect. You’ll see me fail. I hope you stick by anyway!
My reflection for the week:
Slow steps to begin with & consistency to keep moving a little better every day is the best formula for physical & mental fitness.
On the left is my first run exactly 2 months ago. I couldn’t even run more than a mile. Chances are, if you’re going for a first few sessions of any exercise, you will feel the same. Trust me, it gets easier.
I’m now running 6.55kms more than that day after 2 months. If you take an avg, all it took was only just pushing 0.1 km more every day.
Imagine what you can accomplish with just a small push every day.
What is that small push for you? What comes to mind?
DM me on Twitter or IG!
Tunisian Ojja Recipe:
Here you go! Tried giving a vegan spin on this traditional Tunisian dish because I absolutely love the taste. Go make some Ojja and let me know below how it goes!
Snippets from my personal thought journal
Growth is not only about hitting goals & crossing milestones.
Take a step back. Ask yourself:
Am I creating a personal ecosystem for myself every single day that will nurture my growth?
Right from waking up till you’re back in bed, how much of your day do you control intentionally to help yourself grow? Can I help you set a better system?
DM me on Twitter or IG!
This pandemic has made me realise that I have never known before how to be grateful towards myself. When I tasted the Ojja I cooked this week, for a moment I had tears in my eyes. It made me realise how far I have come in the last 1 year. My body & my mind have carried me through some amazing experiences in life and for that, this week I want to express gratitude to myself.
How do you express gratitude to yourself? I would love to hear. Let me know below!
Thank you for reading & talk to you next Sunday!
In the meantime if you like this, show some love & tell your friends! ♥️
Speaking about thoughts: I always repeat in my head when the chattering monkeys are louder than me. "I'm not my thoughts, I have my thoughts" it's is exactly like saying your brain doesn't have a brain!