If You Only Want to Adopt a Few Winning Habits This Spring, Try These

“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.”

– Bernard Williams

Gloomy days are always followed by sunshine, same as winter is followed by spring. A new season is like a short life with the onset, shining rise, a moment of glory, and its sunset.

Despite the fact the life is finite, and no one knows what the future holds, we all deserve to be happy. YOU deserve to be happy. It is your right and obligation since birth.

Spring is awakening season. It is your chance to start fresh with your best intentions. Slow down for a moment, look around, and what do you see? You see the present; we all live in the present. Past is already gone, while the future is yet to come. You've got this spring, a tiny moment of your life, to shape your future self.

Leo Tolstoy, a Russian poet, once put it well: “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” I couldn't agree more!

It's time to take a deep breath and keep living your best life, despite the pandemic and other global challenges.

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This spring, dare to say "no"

How often do you sacrifice your precious time to be somebody else's darling? You agree to work overtime because your boss needs you. You say "sure" to your friends' invite, despite having your own plans.

At the end of the day, you might sit on your couch and wonder: "Will I ever have time for myself?" If you've ever caught similar thoughts, you are on your way to personal freedom and growth!

This spring, I encourage you to say "NO" to tradeoffs and lost opportunities. It is not selfish to take care of yourself!

Rethink your current state of life. Are you a happy man, or is there anything bothering you, causing stress? Now, close your eyes for a moment and imagine how your life would flow without this burden. If you feel better now, then it is time to clean up your routine and find new opportunities.

I refused to work with several freelance clients to get extra time for reading, and I couldn't be happier. It is such a small move, yet it's had a powerful impact on my mood.

Working on the edge of your abilities won’t make you wealthy and happier. Your inner self wants your time as well. The brightest ideas and your intrinsic motivation might reveal once you connect with yourself.

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Do you keep track of time? This spring, do some math with your productive hours

As the sun moves higher in the sky between March and June, there are two more minutes of daylight each day, which gives you 2-3 productive hours comparing to winter (I hope I did some math right). You have more time to live, create and enjoy sunny days. What will you spend this time on?

While you are thinking about what you could fit into your spare time, I encourage you to do one fun exercise.

1) Take a sheet of paper and a pen.

2) Draw 7 columns with 24 raws (24 hours a day) - 7 columns for 7 days a week.

3) Fill out your day with time slots and activities that you usually do at this time.

4) Repeat the same exercise for the rest days.

5) Now, let's look at what you've got and figure out where you "waste" your time, what can be removed and added to your day to make the most out of your time.

I love this exercise for its simplicity and its powerful impact. You become the master of your time; you own it!

I've been doing time tracking since January 2021 (don't worry, you are not late to the party if you give it a try this spring.) It helped me realize I can still fit a morning workout in my busy routine; I can combine an evening walk in the park and a family talk; I can cram cooking on weekdays and leave the weekend for fun.

You can only see the opportunities if you look at the whole picture. Time tracking helps find time for new opportunities and make sure there is always a minute for yourself.

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Kick-off your spring by setting focus goals

92% of people fail to crush their goals even if they push them hard. It has nothing to do with their motivation, though. They just plan way too many things at a time.

I've tried to develop a daily reading habit for several years - failed. I've wanted to do regular workouts while working from home - failed too. I've forced myself to eat more broccoli (my stomach is convinced it is a disgusting vegetable) - drastically failed.

No, I am not a loser. Habits are not easy to develop. Habits require intrinsic motivation, your time, and a reward to find a place in your routine. Besides, you can't work on all your dreams at a time.

If you want to crush this spring, start defining your focus goals!

Suppose you want to move to Bali this winter, what a great dream! Let's see what you can do now to make your dream come true.

Perhaps, you need to save money, get some vaccination, rent an apartment, and do some side hustling. These are all tiny goals you should achieve, but what should your focus as for now?

Take a paper sheet and list all things that pop up in mind to help you get to Bali by December 2021. Next, assign a priority score from 1 to 10 next to each item. You'll get something like this:

• Save $20k - 8 points.
• Find a side hustle to earn $3k a month - 10 points.
• Medical check-up and treatment before leaving - 6 points.
• Arrange life in Bali before arrival - 1 point.

Can you spot your focus goal here? Exactly! This spring, you'll start creating a side hustle plan to make sure you can support your living in Bali by December 2021. You can work on up to 3 focus goals at a time to make them feasible to achieve.

Focus goals help you find the right path and stick to it no matter how luring other opportunities might seem and how bad some days might be.

At last, this spring, don't forget that both good and bad things are interim and adjust your internal paradigms accordingly.

“Despite the forecast, live like it's spring.”

― Lilly Pulitzer