Whether it's tackling a problem or celebrating a success, life always gives us lessons. It is up to us to listen to them, interpret them and learn them. 5 of the lessons that life has taught me.
"Life is a long lesson in humility."
Sir James M. Barrie.
For several years I have gotten into the habit of keeping track of those moments when life takes the chair and teaches you one of its lessons. Some have to do with everyday life, others have a deeper reach. It does not matter: in these moments we should know how to listen with humility so as not to find ourselves unprepared for the next opportunity.
Here are 5 of the life lessons that I wrote in my diary:
1. Make decisions
"When you have to make a decision, focus on the pursuit of happiness and not pleasure."
Every day we find ourselves in the position of having to to make decisions. Whether it's about choosing what to eat for breakfast or how to change our lifestyle, every choice we make has as its goal the experience or the happiness.
We choose pleasure when we decide to get up at the last moment. We choose pleasure when we indulge in unhealthy habits. We choose pleasure when we continue to browse Facebook and Youtube instead of completing our activities. We choose pleasure when we postpone our goals.
I am not a masochist, do not worry, in fact I think that every day must have its dose of small pleasures, but obsessively seeking pleasure can only have negative consequences (read alcohol, drugs, etc.). Pleasure is ephemeral and the more we accumulate it, the more easily we tire of it.
If you are looking for true happiness you will find yourself in a position to test your self-discipline and give up a momentary pleasure. Are you willing to do it for your dreams?
The next time you have to make a decision, try to focus on finding the happiness and waives for once the experience.
2. Time management
"The more time you have, the more you will waste."
Yes, this lesson is not a great discovery, yet I try to remember it every time I get the chance. There time management it is an extremely useful skill both in your professional life and in your private life.
Know manage time effectively it means being able to reach goals that others can only dream of, it means freeing up more time for your passions, but above all it means learning to manage yourself.
Among the many time management techniques, in my opinion, the simplest and most effective is Parkinson's law. Guess what his message is? The more time you have, the more you will waste.
3. Productivity
“Just do it. Just do it. " (no, I don't work for Nike)
The world of personal effectiveness is populated by dozens of blogs (ups!), Best sellers, productivity gurus, wacky techniques and tech gadgets. But the truth is that to increase their own personal productivityone should learn to apply this simple lesson: “just do it”. Just do it. Nothing else to add.
Don't worry, you can subscribe to the Rss Feed to read the articles later and get back to doing what you need to do. Just do it. ;-)
4. Interpersonal relationships
"Learn the art of discretion."
Are you still reading? I see that I still have to work on mine ability to persuade others. Speaking of interpersonal relationships, one of the most important lessons I've learned is about discretion. If I were vulgar I would tell you that you must respect the 11th commandment: "be your own cats!".
Joking aside, being discreet has multiple advantages:
- Increase the consideration others have of you.
- It makes you a trustworthy person.
- It avoids trouble in the workplace or in any other social context.
Achtung! Doing your own business has nothing to do with being disinterested in others, the point is to do it with discretion.
5. Career
“Under promise & over deliver. Promise little and accomplish a lot. "
Promise heaven and earth and you will have the lights on you. You disappoint expectations and they'll throw those headlights at you. Think twice before making a promise in the world of work: there will be no justification if you don't fulfill that promise.
Promise little and then surprise your client / boss / colleague. This simple lesson can give you tremendous satisfaction.
But be careful how you interpret it: promising little means guaranteeing a reasonably good job, it doesn't mean playing to the bottom. The goal is not to have a margin of protection, the goal is to challenge yourself every time to do a better job than the previous one, and at the same time not to create false expectations in others.
If I had to mention one life lesson, what would it be? If you like, share it in the comments. I would be grateful.
