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Roberto Hernandez
Roberto Hernandez

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Choose a Day and Work on What You Really Enjoy

Originally published on Medium

I usually wake up between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. However, I recently woke up at 4:30 a.m. on a certain day — and this wasn’t a random awakening. It was because I had been trapped by a thought throughout the week: What if I choose a day and worked on what I really enjoy without thinking about money or survival?

So on Friday night, I decided to do things on Saturday that I really enjoy. Doing them made me feel a special freedom and happiness on my own terms.

Yes, one of those things I enjoy is writing. I really like sharing my thoughts, knowledge, and beliefs with anyone out there. I have realized that someone behind the screen may be touched by my article and therefore give themselves important knowledge to make better decisions, be a better human, or it could push them to chase their dreams.

But let’s come back to the core of this piece. I recommend you give it a try. Choose a day, and for that whole day, forget any burdens, fears, and expectations.

I know what you will say: “My friend, that is not as easy as you say.” It is not easy for me either, but believe me, I was in the same situation as you. So put your distractions away, turn off notifications, email, TV, and anything that catches your attention and wins that race for your focus.

If you have followed my instructions, you are completely alone at this time. It’s you and no one else. I chose a Saturday. I started out by writing like a lion pursuing his prey in open land. I enjoyed every single letter of this piece, every single word, every single paragraph. I visualized you reading this article focusing on every single detail of it. I didn’t mind or keep track of the time. I was just writing like a psychopath.

The next key points describe what an ideal day is for me. They are my thoughts after doing things I really like and enjoy the most. You can do it too.

Fly With Time and Be Yourself With Your Craft

Let yourself experience flying alone to come across your real freedom. Whenever you do things that you enjoy, you will be able to visualize who you really are and everything else will fall apart.

Under this space of time, you are not worried about time. Your time-related worry will be how to take advantage of it, how to optimize it, how to be more productive and use it wisely. You are doing things while time is flying on the same airplane as you.

You are not realizing that by doing that stuff, you are mastering your craft. You are provoking side effects. You are becoming a new better version of yourself every single day. Have the courage to go further despite the odds.

Work Out

One of the amazing parts of my ideal day is working out early in the morning. I do this for at least 20 minutes. It can just be walking or running. In fact, no matter what you practice or if you combine those exercises with others, what really matters is keeping your mind and body moving forward.

As you might know, there are a bunch of benefits to working out in the morning. So I leverage these benefits to throw away all excuses or thoughts of going back to bed, sleeping a little bit more, etc.

Certainly, exercising gives us the capacity to release endorphins and fill our tank of power to face the day. It allows you to start your day in a positive and powerful mood.

Reading and Researching

The second thing I enjoy the most is reading and doing research about web development, programming, life, self-improvement, hacks, or trips. I really enjoy reading about trends and the modern approach to solving the requirements of the new world.

So after I have worked out for 20 minutes, I relax for 10 minutes, then I open my laptop and the first thing that comes to my mind is: Do I have something to read that I didn’t finish yesterday? If not, I take a look at the Medium dashboard and check out what other people I follow have published. I pick the most interesting piece and read it.

The value of this part is that I learn something new, no matter if this is a new quote, the author’s phrase, point of view, or the way they expressed themselves. Somehow, this makes me feel fulfilled or completely empty, depending on what the author is saying.

I am a really devoted fan of quick learning. What the hell is quick learning? In my own words, it means picking small pieces from what I read, see, watch, or listen to and then somehow using them. For instance, you can read a lot, but if nothing resonates with you or you don’t take note of anything, you will forget what you read later.

I have forgotten the important parts of what I’ve read. Sometimes, I can’t even remember an article’s headline. So I jot down the author’s arguments or things that make sense and add new information to my brain to improve my decision-making skills.

Coding and Writing

After reading and writing notes for almost 30 minutes, one of the most exciting things arrives: coding. Coding and writing are my closest friends. They give me the freedom I need and allow me to sharpen my programming and writing skills.

I could spend a whole day doing these things without thinking about anything else. When you do things you like, everything around you is set as an automatic pilot. Things start to get done and it seems magical, but it’s not.
Life does not quite work that way. There is a mental, spiritual, and physical dimension we need to take care of.

Compare Your Results With Normal Days

When I say compare your results, I am not saying that you should see big results after doing things you love. I am talking about your feelings, your accomplishments. How was your progress on your life goals? A normal day probably doesn’t add any meaning to your life. It’s just another wasted day.

A comparison between these days will prove that you are able to do anything as long as you do things you really love.

Conclusion

What is holding you back from doing this every single day?

There are many reasons. I have given them a name: excuses. They are what hold us back from doing all the things that we really enjoy. All those excuses and fears make our life miserable. As Carl Yung once said, “Every human life contains a potential, and if that potential is not fulfilled, then that life was wasted.”

Thanks for reading! If this story turned out to be interesting, I’d really appreciate if you share it with your friends.

Feel free to reach me on my blog and Medium

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