Growing up I spent most of my summers in India.
India is more than another country.
It is truly another world.
A juxtaposition of traditional and modern life, it’s colorful, bleary, loud, polluted, extremely impoverished, and exceedingly wealthy.
I’d leave my American world and be transported to my Indian world the moment I’d step foot on the overstuffed Pan Am 747.
As soon as the plane doors opened in Delhi, the pungent smell of cooking fires, incense, sweat, and heat would overtake our senses.
I was always amazed by how the airport and streets would be bustling even at our 2:00 a.m. arrival.
From the comforts of our steaming hot showers and air-conditioned homes, we’d shift to heating bath water with a geyser, filled up in a bucket to pour on our bodies, cups by cup, and daily power outages in the 120-degree heat.
At night time, I would lay in bed uncomfortably until I couldn’t hold my pee in any longer and tiptoe my way to the bathroom, in fear that a stealthy lizard patrolling the walls and ceilings would spot an American and jump on my neck for a closer look.
Every moment of every day in India is sensory overload, from the masses of people gushing from all directions to the malnourished cows and stray dogs meandering through the roads.
There is one thing that stands out more than anything, and I’ve heard this from countless friends, tourists, and family that visit The Motherland.
It’s the traffic. It. Is. Like. Nothing. Else.
Imagine endless rivers of cars intersecting in every way possible. Now, times that by ten.
Now, throw in bicycles, three-wheelers, carts, scooters, and hordes of people and you’ll probably still be underestimating the level of chaos by about…hmmm…80 percent.
To us foreigners used to our massive grid systems and coordinated traffic light matrices, there appears to be no system at all, but in reality, in India, everyone gets where they need to be, even amidst the chaos.
The truth is, we all have some level of chaos in our lives, and we, too, get to our destination at some point.
Whether it’s work, a promotion, school, vacations…we’ll figure out a way to make it happen.
To get by.
To get to the places we need to go.
Does it need to be under such nerve-racking, overwhelming, and painfully slow circumstances?
Wouldn’t it be fun to enjoy a less turbulent ride?
We spend so much of our lives in chaos and confusion.
Figuring it out while we go along, flying by the seat of our pants.
Whether it’s stressing over what to make for dinner at 5 o’clock…
…or deciding what to wear when you’re already running late…
…or evaluating how to analyze monthly projections when you have a hundred other things going on.
Yes, I get that you can live that way.
That ultimately, you will figure out how to get a meal in your belly or your kids to school.
But without a good system, is it worth all the added stress and overwhelm?
I think not.
Stress adds up in your life big time.
It affects your body, thoughts, relationships, clarity, feelings, and behavior.
It contributes to weight gain, sleepless nights, low performance, and generally cranky conversations.
It contributes to health problems, anxiety, depression, feeling overwhelmed, and a lack of motivation and focus.
Now that I’ve brought this conversation to a low point, let’s talk about how to uplift yourself out of anxiety and into that serene well-oiled machine you’ve always wondered how “other people” have.
If I had to choose one determinant to bolster ANY results, it would beee…
Drumroll please…
…Strengthening systems and processes.
Not the sexy and glamorous pill you were hoping for?
I’m sorry. But it’s the truth.
By focusing on process improvement, all your other goals will be achieved…
It’s time to get the right things done WITHOUT the chaos.
Xo,
Mridu
The above is an excerpt from my new Amazon bestseller book: Accomplish It: 7 Simple Strategies To Get The Right Things Done And Achieve Your Goals. Grab one today (if you haven’t already!) and learn more about how to feel less stressed and have more joy.
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