I have been thinking of this for quite some time now.

Taking a full year off. Or at the worst, 6 months! To do things I want to do. Terms and conditions being my own.. at least majorly.

I am unsure as to how feasible and practical it may be… but, the thought has become so predominant that I can no longer sweep it under the carpet.

I have been feeling a strong surge to focus away (vaguely called ennui?) from things that I usually do for just the payday and to do more of things I would love to do.. things like traveling (backpacking, trekking, cycling),  database and ETL design, photography, bird watching, writing a book, developing a new skill, meeting new people,  doing more in life!!

Or maybe freelancing in my own field (of databases, data warehousing, business intelligence, etc).

Now, why in the world would I want to do this?

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Source : Email from a friend. Author unknown.

This morning I received a fantastic mail. I loved it. I think you will too. Please read on.

Life’s little instruction booklet

1. Have a firm handshake.
2. Look people in the eye.
3. Sing in the shower.
4. Own a great stereo system.
5. Keep secrets.
6. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.
7. Always accept an outstretched hand.
8. Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
9. Whistle.
10. Avoid sarcastic remarks.
11. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.
12. Lend only those books you never care to see again.
13. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.
14. When playing games with children, let them win.
15. Give people a second chance, but not a third.
16. Be romantic.
17. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
18. Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
19. Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for your convenience, not the caller’s.
20. Be a good loser.
21. Be a good winner.
22. Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.
23. When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
24. Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.
25. Keep it simple.
26. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
27. Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.
28. Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets.
29. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the one’s you did.
30. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
31. Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.
32. Take charge of your attitude. Don’t let someone else choose it for you.
33. Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.
34. Begin each day with some of your favorite music.
35. Once in a while, take the scenic route.
36. Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, ‘Someone who thinks you’re terrific’.
37. Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.
38. Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.
39. Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.
40. Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.
41. Make someone’s day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.
42. Become someone’s hero.
43. Count your blessings.
44. Compliment the meal when you’re a guest in someone’s home.
45. Wave at the children on a school bus.
46. Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.
47. Don’t expect life to be fair.

Well, wasn’t that a wonderful list?

Why do we always ignore or overlook simple things?

Is it because we keep expecting things to be complex?

Here is a joke on the same lines.

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I am a big fan of Jim Collins. I like his book Good to great.

Today a job that I was ran took too much time to execute and I found myself in half-sleep mode. So in an attempt to shake myself up, I did some googling and landed at this site. Found it interesting. This guy had a link to a great article by Jim Collins.

It talks about what one needs to stop doing. I think this is a very vital question to ask yourself. To achieve our goal, we all focus on what has to be done. But very few care to think of what needs to be avoided. How many of us have the sincerity and guts to question our own favourite ideas (that are not working) and say “Hey, that’s not such a good idea after all; let’s unplug it and move on to something else (Jim’s quote)”.

Please read the article. (Click on the link and go to Best New Year’s resolution? A ‘stop doing’ list) Well, I have something to work on this weekend! To create a stop doing list!