What makes a fulfilling day?

What makes a fulfilling day? It's a happy problem to think about, especially now when I'm moving at a slower beat. You know, some days are just more fulfilling than the rest because you finish the day, lying on the bed just before you sleep, thinking that you've accomplished quite a few stuff. You feel warm and snugly and think that if life is like this all the time, it would be great.



I thought about what could be a fulfilling day for me. Here's what I thought:


1. Having a great outing with good company. this can really make me jump for joy. A great outing would be those that time seems to fly by and before you know it, it's time to go off. I had many many great outings with the folks in the cbox and it'll always be etched in my memory. I remember fondly those 'roasted pig' outings at Beng Hiang especially, haha!



2. Good food. Good food is amazingly morale boosting. I remember when I was having a very hectic 5 classes day, having a good meal at the end of it all makes me feel satisfied and utterly contented. Maybe that's why a good outing always involve food because dinning together is such an important way to get close together. When I'm alone, I just feed - usually the $2.50 economical 'lice' that is stomach filling but not really satisfying. But if you eat too much, then you've got to exercise off that extra weight, so you've got to have some....



3. Exercise. It can be a slow jog or some weights or even a leisurely walk at night, soaking in the quietness and solitude that the night offers. I've been starting up on some exercise program recently and it's making me more alert when I'm awake and more sleepy when I'm tired. Which brings me to the next point...



4. A good night sleep. Or an afternoon, but preferably both. Having a restful night is one of the best thing that defines the day because you'll wake up feeling so refreshed and alert and ready to take on the day's challenges. On the flip side, if you can't sleep well, no matter how great the day's program is going to be, you'll probably won't enjoy it as much. Sleep is important. Having proper sleep discipline is what I wanted to do in the future. I believe it's important to one's long term health as well.

5. Do some work, preferably those that can earn you some money. Maybe it's just me, but a fulfilling day is one in which I can earn some income. Blogging is one way to get it...it's perfect - I get to write what's on my mind and crystallise it in words (it's very very therapeutic to me) and I get paid. Paid peanuts of course, but still, every little bit helps. My main work offers much more financial income but having too much of it is not efficient. Honestly, it's just self-driven slavery. But the point stays, having some income producing work makes a fulfilling day. Key word is actually 'some'. My work always make me feel happier and much more satisfied. Perhaps that's why I'm not feeling so good these days...my endorphin producing work is lessening...



6. Read. After getting myself a kindle dx, I've been reading like a 18 year old boy thrown into a palace full of scantily clad harem girls. Maybe it's more like a salivating alien spotting a group of marines because I'm devouring books like crazy. The fulfilling kind of reading is not to speed read, but to immerse yourself into the book so deeply then the next moment you look up from the book, one hour had passed. If I didn't do anything else, at least this is something that I do consistently every night before I go to bed. Almost without fail. It's almost a luxury to be able to read half a day without the normal interruptions that life often throws at you.



7. Watching some tv, series, youtube or movies. This is to be taken in light moderation, because I don't like to spend too much time watching tv. But a good show can leave in me a very reflective mood and gets me thinking about lots of stuff. I think reading and watching are the two best way to feed yourself mental food to grow as a person. If you find that you are still the same person 10 years ago, then you've not been reflecting a lot. Watching a great show is like looking at a piece of art - it suddenly hits you that this and that can actually be connected in such a way and the possibilities will just leave you thinking about more stuff. Recently I'm watching battlestar galactica....as far as I grok, it's the best sci-fi ever.



I think if out of this 7, I can hit 3 each day, that would be a very joyous day already. Time is the great equalizer of all, because everyone will have 24 hours no matter who you are. How are you going to spend your 24 hours so that if you will live a life as fulfilling as it possible can, and without regrets? I leave you to that thought.