Things have been going very well lately as far as building my mind and body while still being able to allocate time for the important people in my life. If I had to pinpoint the three most important principles I've integrated into my lifestyle, it would be the following:
We are what we repeatedly do
Aristotle famously asserted this, and I couldn't agree more. I've written down the three biggest things that I want to be in my life—a skilled engineer, a professional powerlifter, and a personable friend—and adjusted my actions accordingly to make these things possible. I'm happy to say that most of these actions—whether it's eating well, working out, being selfless, or solving problems—are becoming habitual.
Don't settle
Settling is something that's very easy to slip into and therefore is very common. If I'm honest with myself, there have certainly been times when I've settled (we all have). Sure, I may have still been satisfied but I knew deep down that I was sapping my potential.
But, lately, I've been giving everything 100% of my effort no matter how small. The person I'm talking to receives 100% of my attention (no more cell phones), every rep in the gym receives my maximum capability, and every line of code is fully reasoned out. In general, I have not been content unless I know that I tried my best or received what I deserved. And it has been very fulfilling to say the least.
Focus on the present
Although the past is gone and the future is an illusion, many of us spend a lot of time stressing over the two. I've worked hard to fix this and, through meditation and mindfulness, I've trained my mind to always (okay, 99% of the time) focus on the present no matter how mundane my surrounding is. Even if I'm staring at a chair, I will study its design and ask myself: how can it be improved? why is it designed like that and not like this? Focusing on the present like this has not only essentially depleted all of my unnecessary stress, but it has also maximized the amount of fun from a seemingly boring activity.
And I think that's the biggest key: thoroughly enjoying the grind, whether it's a mathematical proof or an excruciating rep in the gym, versus suffering through the grind in hopes of receiving an elusive reward that is nothing but a mirage in the future. Focusing on the present has ultimately helped me probe deeper into whatever I'm working on which has made everything much more interesting.