Sarah Tan – Personal Development

Do you know why employees at Google get to swim, play basketball, work out at the gym or play any other games while they are still at work? The swimming pool and basketball court is actually inside the Google Complex. Do you know why you are always feeling tired and bored of life? It all boils down to a simple maxim: exercise brings about a radiant life.

If you are already exercising, you are on track to lead a great life. If not, you can always get started. There are ten rituals expounded in The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. These ten rituals, which include reading, meditating, listening to music, speaking and so on, are some simple tasks that promise to transform your life. One of them is to exercise.

Exercise helps to train your body, and when you body is fit, you are able to train your mind too. It helps you to feel refresh and rejuvenated, instead of tired and lousy. At the same time, when people exercise, it helps them to focus better. They can become more creative. Because of exercising and of course other reasons, the Google employees are constantly creating new things and improving on their present products.

While not all of us are in tip top condition now, some form of exercise is definitely necessary. I’m glad to say I have an exercise plan which I am committed to, and this took me quite some time before it really took off. I am certainly very glad that I am now very eager to exercise. In the beginning, I accompanied my mother to yoga classes. As I had learnt ballet when I was young, it was quite easy for me to learn the poses. Unfortunately, I was unable to continue with it due to time and location. Classes were held in town, and I usually could not afford the time to go down.

However, I had a target last year and that was to look good for my ROM, I started working out in the gym at my workplace. With a clear focus in mind, I felt my pants were not as tight as before and I was glad with the results.

After discovering that exercise actually helped me feel refreshed and happier, I decided to search for a proper gym. At the same time, I felt that I wanted to mix yoga and pilates with cardio-exercises. A convenient location was extremely important. I found one that was midway between my workplace and my home, so I could work into my schedule to go to the gym at least 3 times a week.

It has been almost six months since I had started with my gym, and I’m glad to say I have managed to work this into my routine. It has become a habit to go to the gym, and I am glad that I am able to stick with this.

Therefore, if you wish to bring positive change to your life, start with some simple exercises. You do not need to jog if you hate it. Yoga is beneficial and depending on your fitness level, there are many types of yoga that you can consider that caters to your needs. When you have become fitter, you can start to explore other types of exercises, just to make your exercise regime more varied and interesting.

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In The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destinyby Robin S. Sharma, it talks about the Magic Rule of 21. You apply this rule when you want to have a new habit.

It is very tough to get rid of old habits because old habits die hard. However, what we can do is to have a new habit that has so much energy that the old one will go away. This is when you replace your bad habit.

In order for this to work, you need to apply the rule. You need to spend 21 days in a row to permanently have a new habit. You need to make it like a ritual, doing it at the same time, same day and same place.

For example, I have a major problem with tidy desks, so my bad habit of allowing my desk to become messy should be kicked. I want to break this habit by having a new habit, which is to tidy my desk daily, so that things will not pile up and go missing. I will have more space on my table and I will feel happier with a neat table.

However, as I have not applied this Magic Rule of 21, my table is constantly in a mess. Perhaps I have unwittingly applied the Magic Rule of 21 by putting things on my desk everyday, and leaving my things there without putting into drawers or acting on them.

Hence, to get this to work, I shall spend 5 minutes every day, early in the morning when I get to work, to tidy my table. I shall put away all books, and stack the papers properly. Things that need to be filed should be filed. My pens should go back to the same containers I had taken them out from.

By the end of 21 days, it should become a routine for me to start my day, and I will not have to waste huge amount of time on finding papers.

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Schnauzers and other dogs are extremely cute when they are young. I used to stand outside pet shops and look at the puppies inside, knowing my mother would never let me bring home one. Besides, my parents grew up in families where dogs cost nothing free and not considered pets, but rather as guard dogs.

I took the video at a friend’s place. The dog did not belong to her, but her friends. This dog was extremely cute, but it had a habit of messing with my shoes. In addition, since they let him roam around the garden and house, I had to be careful not to let the dog escape whenever I leave the house.

The owners were young, and they did not know how to manage the dog. As the dog grew bigger, it became bolder. It would also try to make its way into the house, and even go up the stairs. It destroyed things in the house. It kept licking and disturbing visitors. Without dog training, the dog did not obey their commands and the young owners ended up screaming at it.

After a few months, I realised the dog was gone. I did not ask my friend immediately. One day, I asked her and she told me that it had been very naughty, so they sold it. I was somewhat upset, but I think it was for the better because they did not know how to take great care of it and control it.

Somehow, it makes me think about us human beings. We have many talents, and we start out good. However, without proper guidance, we are left to our own devices and we cannot help the way we behave. By the time people realise that and scream at us, our habits are too ingrained to be changed.

The great thing is we are able to take things into our hands. We should be able to realise we can change and improve ourselves. We can start by reading up on things we could improve on, and if necessary, get others to help remind us. If possible, get mentors or teachers who are willing to help. To paraphrase a line from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. This is something I totally agree with. So, change your mindset before you get kicked out of the picture, just like that schnauzer.

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