The 21st Century Treadmill to Nowhere...

Do you feel like you are on a perpetual treadmill, going nowhere, yet constantly running really fast? No matter how fast you run, the treadmill outpaces you every single time. If yes, then you are one of the many millions racing on the ‘21^st Century Treadmill to Nowhere’!

Most of us can are perpetually running, and yet so often it seems we are running in the same place. Every day we take the same route to office, sit at the same work desk, pay the same bills, crack the same jokes with the same circle of friends, clean the same set of dirty dishes and sort out the same piles of laundry. We generate reams of correspondence, only to receive more replies that require more pages of communication from our ends. We pay off our credit card bills only to receive more bills in the post. We repair the microwave to discover the water heater has just busted up. The daily incessant media outpour of natural disasters, political scams, gloom and misery have further desensitized us to even the most shocking of news reports. Every night we hit the pillow feeling we have clocked in the necessary miles and we’re a little closer to our goals, but every morning we wake up to the same old routine...as if the miles logged on the treadmill have been completely erased and reset back to zero. It’s always the same wretched race, an unending race to nowhere.

Most of us are so busy running on this treadmill that we lose focus on the things that really matter in life. Before we know it, the seconds have turned to minutes, the days have become weeks, and the months have transformed into years. And when we finally take time to pause and catch our breath, we look back in retrospect and think, “Where did all that time go? What have I really achieved so far?”

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that everything you’ve been chasing or doing so far has been a mistake. It’s commendable that you lead a wholesome and busy life, being pulled in a million different directions and needed by so many different audiences. The important point to note here is that you’ve never had enough time to devote to things that really mattered to you — but rather, your time needed was spent doing something else. Every time you decide to focus on one thing in your life, you’ve also decided not to spend that time on something else. Unfortunately, once opportunities are lost, they’re often lost forever — and the treadmill is back to zero miles on the display window.

But for what it’s worth, it’s never too late to get off the treadmill to nowhere and head towards wherever you choose to be. There’s no dearth of opportunities, no time limit to achieving your goals, and no rules in living your passion. Set out on a pathway that translates into a life well lived and one that you will be proud of. And in case you fall or get sidetracked along the way, you always know you can chart your way back and start all over again. After all, life is the greatest journey of discovery!

So, if you think it’s time to jump off the treadmill and change course, it’s important to identify some vital signposts to help point you in the right direction:

1.     SET AN AGENDA – Do you even have a goal? Do you permit everyone around you to create or control your daily agenda? Are you aimlessly running after tasks all by yourself or do you effectively delegate? Or worse still, do you ask your loved ones to do all the accommodating whilst allowing others to monopolize and crush your dreams?

2.     PRIORITIZE – Do you procrastinate and allow inconsequential tasks to blindside you from doing the things that you should care about the most? Identify what matters most to you. And then makes it a point to spend a portion of your time in that area.

3.     TIME MANAGEMENT – Are you one of those who spends more time thinking or talking about what you’re going to do, or are you committed to putting your holistic efforts to achieving the dream? When was the last time you identified and eradicated unimportant chores and routines? Have you even taken the first baby steps towards embarking on your dream?

4.     MINDFULNESS – Engage with the present moment. It’s easy to step back to the safety of the treadmill, go into a mindless jog and let our repetitive habits carry us through the day. Pause every few hours and take stock of the situation. Let your breathing be your anchor to the present moment. Mindfulness will help you become an active participant in your daily life.

5.     MAKE PEACE WITH YOURSELF – Are you more concerned about what you want out of life or about what others think? Do you value creating magnificent memories or are purely focused on material rewards that must be flaunted? Are you investing in your family and friends, or taking them for granted?  When was the last time you were honest with yourself? Take a journey of discovery within...you’ll be surprised at what you discover!

6.     INDULGE IN HOBBIES – We habitually let go of our leisure pursuits because we feel they aren’t a good use of our limited time. But hobbies are an extension of our true identities, bring inimitable happiness and take our minds temporarily off the mundane. Spending time on enjoyable activities stimulates parts of the brain associated with our outlook on life and inspires us to be more imaginative and to think positive!

7.     PUSH BOUNDARIES – Put yourself out there. Being outside your comfort zone creates a level of optimal anxiety which maximizes your productivity and performance. Pushing your boundaries occasionally will make you a more productive, flexible and creative person. It could be as simple as taking trying a new cuisine, or seeing a new movie without reading the reviews first, to more dramatic events such as bungee jumping or getting a permanent tattoo.

8.     GO ON, DISCOVER – Put yourself out there geographically. Travel, see new places, interact with new people, taste different cuisines. Expand your horizons and broaden your perspective on people, cultures, and the world as a whole. Learn more about the world and create eternal memories to last a lifetime.

9.     FRIENDSHIPS – We take the ones we are closest to for granted. Devote time to your friendships. Make some time to grab coffee with your buddy, or set up a night out with your college clique. Healthy social interactions serve as a great destressor, provide a sense of fulfilment that is detached from the core pillars of work and family, and offer a fantastic net to fall back on during your low moments.

10.  LEARN – Learn something new constantly, expand your knowledge, become more adaptable to change, enjoy more stimulating conversations, and feel more independent. In an era of manifold self help manuals and tutorial videos on YouTube, there’s no excuse to never stop learning.

11.  GIVE BACK – Offer your time or resources back to society. Help the underprivileged and feel more fulfilled in your life. It will also offer you a much needed perspective of the many blessings present in your life and fill you up with gratitude. Volunteer to a Cause that’s significant to you, or find a group that needs volunteers!

11 easy steps that can fill your life with happiness and get you on the right track to leading a more wholesome life. But it’s ultimately your decision. Pause long enough to reflect on where you’ve been and do a reality check on whether you’ve squandered much of your precious time already. Even those who have secured enviable positions of power and wealth admit that their decision to run on the 21^st century treadmill has come with real costs, both in their relationships and lost cherished moments that can never be replaced.

This doesn’t have to be you. It’s never too late to get off that treadmill, choose your preferred pathway and fulfil your dreams. Time equals Life, so when you master your time, you master your life!  The key is to establish clear goals that matter most to you and your loved ones, align your priorities around these goals, and then pursue them, while taking time to enjoy your life and remain true to yourself and to those who love you.