Habits for a lifetime

There has been much emphasis on social media regarding building habits rather than chasing goals. I strongly agree with this statement. Chasing goals might bring disappointment when it is not attained but building habits is more about adopting positive practices every day without stressing over the result. The result from a habit on a daily basis is negligible but the compounding effect of habit over a span of time is profound. Having said this, I would like to share my story of building habits and the reward that it has provided me.

Learning a new language

I have been learning German for over 2.5 years on Duolingo App. This could be possible because of my intense desire for travel and an urge to alleviate boredom. Let me elaborate on it a bit more. Somewhere, during my Masters, I came across the fact that the German Passport is the most powerful one in the sense that it gives the owner access to travel maximum countries in the world. When I researched further, I got to know that to acquire a German passport, one must be fluent in German. This planted the idea of learning German. Even though I started with the task of installing the DuoLingo App on my mobile, I could not be consistent during that time because of other engagements.

Fast forward to 3 years, I was lying on the bed of the isolation chamber of Princes Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong after being detected as COVID-19 positive. There was nothing else to do for the entire day. I started learning German from DuoLingo App to get rid of the boredom. I tried devoting, on an average, 30 -45 minutes every day to DuoLingo. Initially, it was a little boring as the pace of learning was very slow and words were repeated in exercises. After 2.5 years of learning regularly on the DuoLingo App, I realized the importance of repetition to improve retentivity. For a solo learner like me, with no one to practice with, I needed to repeat the words to get them absorbed in my memory permanently. Learning anything new requires a lot of patience and perseverance but it’s worth all the effort. Currently, I am on Day Strike – 759 and I also started learning Finnish a year ago along with German. In this era full of distractions in social media, I am proud to say that I devoted my time to something productive and I absolutely enjoyed this journey.

Meditating

I am a beginner in meditation now. I started meditating a week ago, to be frank, but I got highly benefitted by meditation during my school days. As a student, I used to meditate regularly, and its results were reflected in my grades. Over the years, I developed an ON-OFF relationship with meditation. I have realized to implement a similar logic of learning with meditation. These days, I am not too busy not to be able to take 10-20 minutes from my daily routine, for meditation. When I am fully convinced of the long-term effects of meditation, why should not I try to meditate to live in the present moment and focus on important aspects of my life? As a beginner, I have started using Medito App for guided meditation sessions and want to develop this habit by taking #30DaysOfMeditation challenge. I am sure that, by the end of the 30^th day, I will be able to meditate without any external assistance.

Self-care

It is important to take very good care of your mind and body. These days, I am devoting a few minutes every day to my hobbies. I have always enjoyed hobbies like reading, singing, writing, and painting. I feel that hobbies rejuvenate me and help me to connect with my inner child. I make sure never to give myself any excuse for not brushing my teeth twice or not exercising, even for 5 minutes. I am mindful of what I eat, read, and consume on the internet. I try to breathe in fresh air and practice gratitude.  I believe that the initiative for a healthy and happy life in the future must be started from today.

Habits can be regarded as tiny bit-sized practices done day in and day out. These practices if continued for a lifetime, can have a life-changing experience. There’s no denial in the fact that positive habits build a positive life and who doesn’t want a life filled with happiness and prosperity?

#HealthyHabitsWithHappinetz

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Swati Sarangi

13.09.2023