Hyperlinking in the forties

After the forties have rolled-in, life has changed in subtle ways. There is always this feeling of being at the mid-point of one’s life, knowing that four decades have flown past, and there is much to be done. However, goal-setting has become more realistic, and one is generally more comfortable in one’s skin. 

Having said this, there is another side to this whole ‘forties’ story. And, much to my alarm it seems to only get worse. For want of a better term, I call it the ‘hyperlinking syndrome’. With teenagers and tweens at home, and multiple activities to coordinate, it is no surprise! 

Courtesy – can stock photo

This syndrome has nothing to do with either the Internet or technology. Let me explain.

So, for example, I go to the bedroom to pick up some clothes. Before I reach the cupboard, my eyes fall on some books that have been left there by my daughter. My brain hyperlinks to this new task. I shake my head and take the books to be put away. As I turn around, I find a towel lying on the floor. Hyperlink again. I pick up the towel, and have the books in the other hand. I head to the laundry room. While there, I realize that the washing machine has finished washing. Hyperlink. I take the clothes out to dry. Hyperlink. I need to water the plants. Hyperlink. I need coffee. I make myself a cup. Hyperlink. I make a list of grocery items that I need to buy. Hyperlink. I look for a pen. Hyperlink. I get distracted by messages on my phone.

It is only much later that I realize that I never took the clothes from the cupboard, and that my daughter’s books are still in the laundry area. This is how it is now.  

Hyperlinks are really cool in the tech-world, but when one’s brain hyperlinks to unrelated tasks, it is not so cool.
Writing down to-do lists doesn’t seem to help any! What I need is a voice instructor that orders and supervises me to finish every task that I take up, before I rush to do another task. 

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The ‘goal maniac’

There are two days every year, when I am infused with a sense of purpose; when I visualize my life’s ‘big’ plan, and look deep into the future, dreaming with a faraway look in my eyes. The said two days are New Year’s eve and the eve of my birthday, wherein I look back and ahead.

These two days are scary in some respects in that some hidden ‘goal maniac’ takes control of mind and makes me write down stuff about my long term, medium term, short term and very short term plans.

For example, the goal maniac writes down things like run the half-marathon or read 10 classics or go on ‘crazy-diet abc’…you get the drift right?

Courtesy – http://www.canstockphoto.com

And somehow when these two days pass, the resolve lasts for about a month or less, and the sense of not having done anything is quite demotivating.

Take for example some of these ‘low carb’ diets (for the record, I love rice, really, really love it).

I start the diet and things cruise along smoothly. Two days into the diet, I already feel less flabby, more energetic and more determined to continue.

Slowly…the routine takes root. I am so…able to manage this.  Then the ‘tongue’ slowly works its magic. It craves rice. It keeps sending messages to my brain…come on, just one meal, increase the portion size of carbs, come on.

The mind weakens, ‘the goal maniac’ is away on holiday, and slowly but surely the tongue reigns supreme.

There is another scenario where the diet is progressing well. Everything in moderation, and in those agonizing few hours between late afternoon and dinner, the craving starts for junk food. I have a set of glass jars with an assortment of nuts, savouries and biscuits for the kids. I eye them. Should I, should I not? Maybe just one. Maybe just two…maybe more.

Where is the resolve, what happens to the ‘goal maniac’? 

Have to wait for New Year’s eve to have a one to one conversation with this person – to tell her not to enthuse me with grandiose plans, but to help me set small goals, achievable ones, to tell myself that consistency and patience have their rewards!

The Book

We are already into the month of June. The first half of 2016 seems to have flown past. Where did those 180 odd days vanish?

You may wonder why I’m rambling on thus. This is because, earlier today, I found The Book. 

The Book?

Yes, The Book.

The Book is a small palm sized notebook, with creamy white pages, and a lovely quotation on its front cover.

      Courtesy – http://www.migoals.com

I acquired The Book in the last week of 2015, with great ideas and ideals.

Drawing inspiration from a movie, I named it The Book of Possibilities, aka The Book.

The Book would catapult me into 2016 with clear-cut goals;  long term, medium term and short term plans clearly stated and defined.

It would be my partner, and inject me with bursts of optimism and energy, when I went off track. It would be so many things. The Book, my book.

However, before I inscribed my 365 day future on the creamy white pages, I vowed to myself that I would only ever put down things that I would surely endeavour to accomplish – with this book, I would walk the talk.

No making larger than life plans (read lose 15 kg in a year, or workout everyday, or don’t shop etc).

The diaries from years before had been filled with my plans, big plans…that remained trapped in the pages of those diaries, never having seen the light of day.

So for 2016, I picked up a small, compact book, The Book. No fancy big diaries for me.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, The Book surfaced this afternoon, when I rummaged through my papers for a document that I needed.

I sighed. The Book’s empty pages stared blankly at me.

I have not quite decided on what I want to accomplish. Hmmmm….we have another 180 days to go…