personal-growth – One Point Ahead

Something to look forward to

November 8, 2025December 7, 20251 Point Contributor

Why we need something to look forward to:

Beyond regular duties of life, achieving goals, we need something that we truly enjoy just for the sake of doing it. We have talked about simplifying life to a North Star Goal – a guiding principle that helps us navigate our life challenges and stay focused. We all have many priorities to juggle for in the life. Yet, even with this clarity, life can feel overwhelming. Our minds constantly seek happiness: sometimes through success at work, sometimes through harmony at home. But what happens when neither is going as planned? How do we keep going when life doesn’t cooperate with our expectations? The answer lies in finding something that nourishes us from within — something that keeps us grounded and joyful, no matter the external circumstances.

How to convince your mind to do it: Identifying what we like is an important step. But it is not enough. The harder part is allowing ourselves to spend time on it — without guilt. For example, you know that at work you need more engagement and at home, you have tasks to be done. In such a situation, how do you convince yourself to spend time on your interest? For me, it’s not easy. I may end up doing work first. To convince myself to spend time on an interest or hobby, I try relating it directly to my work productivity. For example, we are convinced that time spent on physical fitness is not a waste of time as it provides us with energy to do what we want to do in a day. Similarly, we need mental “fitness” time that generates happy hormones so that we can stay motivated to continue living the life we imagined.

How to find what we like: I think we need to find our interest where we feel joy of doing it for the sake of doing it. Some examples of such interest could be reading books, writing articles, curiosity about finances, spiritual seeking inclination, or anything that seems effortless. To find out a task you enjoy, I think the simpler way is to ask yourself:

If you have enough money for your retirement and other family needs, what would you like to do in your free time?
What is a task in that you lose the track of time? In other words, what is the task in that you forget that you are the doer?

Or, try other creative ways to find out what you like. Help me learn what you came up with.

When to do to it in the week: Once we are convinced to spend time on our identified activities, we need to find time to do it. It won’t be easy. Mind may tempt us to skip it for the day or the week. To find time, we have to ruthlessly prioritize. For example:

Daily meditation is equally important as daily physical fitness. Allocate time for it everyday as if it’s an essential sleep routine.
Plan for a half day on a weekend in a way that doesn’t impact family or other commitments. It could be Saturday mornings or Sunday evenings.

Once you identify it, stick to it as we stick to an important work meeting.

Summary: We briefly discussed the value of spending time on a hobby, how to find out what we like, and when to do it in the week. Looking forward to the next steps of implementing it.

Simplifying Life to a North Star Goal

October 4, 2025December 7, 20251 Point Contributor

Why we need to simplify life: In the current situation, we have chaos everywhere. There is so much information, so many philosophies, so many distractions, and so much uncertainties about all areas of life like relationship, finances, and politics. In such a difficult time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and get distracted from the mainstream and essence of life. That’s why it’s more important than ever, to simplify life to live meaningfully.

What are common distractors: In my article, how to simplify life, I have written some basic steps to avoid common distractors. The biggest influencer is the worldwide accessible open social media. In addition to it, human ego makes things more complicated.

What is simplest checkpoint to avoid distractions: The simplest thing I an think of is to scan your decisions from the lens of ego-check. For example:

Do I want to get that pair of jeans to show off or do I want it because I like the band, the comfort, and durability of it?
Do I want to become a famous writer who has maximum number of instagram followers or do I want to write because I like writing and I want to help people with my thoughts?

How to create a simple structure to follow: Bringing clarity to life is as important as oxygen. We need a vision for our life, to structure the life in a simpler & a purpose driven way. I had other thoughts about simplifying life further and relating it with Maslow’s law and seven spiritual centers of the body. Here is how I related my earlier defined areas to Maslow’s law and seven spiritual centers:

Maslow’s Law of needs	Seven centers	My areas of life
Physiological Safety Social	Root Sacral Heart	Foundation (Fitness, Finance, Family)
Esteem	Solar Plexus Throat Third Eye	Forward (Skills, Learning, Achievements)
Self Actualization	Crown	Freedom (Autonomy, spiritual liberation)

Explanation of life goals:

Foundation: I realized that my basic goals of fitness, finance, and family (including friends and society) are related to a basic foundational needs to live life.
Forward: Forward is a name given to efforts we do, to build our self esteem. I like the word Forward as it has a push for an action to look forward to. We can also call it taking actions or doing karma for anything in life. For example, look forward to:
- Learning to continuously build skills to achieve goals and enjoy.
- Advancements & Achievements by expressing (doing) in areas like leadership, writing, technical, and other as per our profession and interest.
Freedom: It is about transcending the journey and becoming free. It can’t be achieved unless we have a strong foundation and strong self-esteem.

What is a north star goal: We need a north star goal in a word so that we’re not lost into multiple goals. I found it very satisfying and simple to come up with one word, to describe my life. For me, that one word is, Freedom. For me, it means freedom from foundational things like: freedom from diseases; freedom by saving for retirement and other life needs; freedom from family needs by transcending to the world as one family; and finally, freedom from my mind or desires.

What’s next: I’d like to explore what stops us from taking actions to live life we imagine. Stay tuned to read more on it.

References:

Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/
OnePointAhead, https://onepointahead.com/

Finding Clarity and Taking Action in Life

August 31, 2025December 7, 20251 Point Contributor

Before discussing actions, let’s explore why clarity is essential. Without it, the mind wanders, creating restlessness, confusion, and frustration. When we know where we are going and how far we’ve come, the journey feels more like a known road—easier to navigate than an unknown one.

To bring clarity, defining a personal vision is crucial. Achieving this vision requires understanding both your inner journey and outer journey.

It seems that everyone wants to be their best, yet something often stops us from acting. Even after defining a vision, areas, and goals, obstacles remain. For example, I define my vision in one word: Integration. My inner growth focuses on meditation, while outer growth is guided by steps in Fitness, Family, and Finance. Yet, what keeps us from taking action?

Common Obstacles:

Lack of Self-Trust: Not trusting our ability to achieve goals can paralyze action. Trust develops through action, and even small wins help build confidence.
Lack of Hope and Disinterest: Hopelessness or apathy can block motivation. Not seeing a bright future or lacking interest in growth can feed laziness or inaction.
Unhappiness: General dissatisfaction in life can contribute to disinterest.
Missing Knowledge or Mentors: Not knowing how to navigate a path or lacking guidance can make progress difficult.

How to Navigate Negative Emotions:

Overcoming these challenges is not easy. It requires courage to slowly build interest and motivation. Some strategies include:

Find a Bigger Cause: Acting for society or a higher purpose can create meaning.
Acknowledge Negative Emotions: Recognize what is holding you back.
Take Small Actions: Focus on manageable steps. For example, instead of mastering an entire subject, start with one topic.
Celebrate Every Win: Recognize progress, no matter how small.
Enjoy the Process: Do tasks for the sake of doing them, with interest and self-expression. Detach from results—the outcome often follows naturally.

Recommended Books to Build Hope and Faith:

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Clarity combined with consistent small actions allows us to overcome hesitation and move steadily toward our goals.

Why You Need a Vision for Life

August 15, 2025December 7, 20251 Point Contributor

A vision is like a compass—it points you toward your true north and keeps you from drifting aimlessly. Without it, we risk wandering through life unsure of where we are headed or why we are moving at all.

A strong vision comes from two things:

Philosophy – You can adopt an existing philosophy or craft your own based on what you deeply believe.
Guidance – Mentors, teachers, and role models can illuminate the path and keep you aligned when life’s challenges appear.

Steps to Define and Implement Your Life Vision

1. Define the Key Areas of Your Life

Identify the major areas where you want to grow and make progress:

Inner Growth & Purpose: Understanding yourself, living in alignment with your values, and pursuing personal development.
Fitness: Health and vitality to live fully and pursue other goals.
Family & Relationships: Supporting loved ones and building strong, meaningful connections.
Finance: Achieving stability and freedom to live life on your terms.
Fun & Hobbies: Keeping life joyful, creative, and balanced.

2. Set Lifetime Goals in Each Area

Think about what you want to achieve before your life’s journey ends:

Inner Growth & Purpose: Live with clarity, peace, and meaning—through reflection, learning, and personal growth.
Fitness: Maintain lifelong strength, flexibility, and vitality.
Family & Relationships: Be a source of love, support, and encouragement.
Finance: Achieve complete financial freedom by age 60.
Fun & Hobbies: Write, travel, or pursue passions that bring joy.

3. Define Your Life in One Word

Condense your entire life’s vision into a single word or theme—it acts as a daily reminder and decision-making filter.

Examples:

Liberation: Freeing yourself from all limitations, step by step.
Freedom: Maximizing autonomy and choice in life.
Growth: Committing to continuous improvement in all areas.
Service: Making life about helping and uplifting others.
Joy or Happiness: Centering life on inner peace and positivity.
Balance: Creating harmony between work, relationships, health, and personal growth so no area is neglected.

4. Break Your Vision into Time-Based Goals

Your vision becomes real when you turn it into a clear, measurable roadmap:

20-Year Goals: Define the ultimate achievements in each life area.
Example: Financial freedom, strong health, deep personal growth, strong family bonds, mastery of your craft.
5-Year Goals: Break down the 20-year vision into medium-term milestones.
Example: Save $500K, publish a book, complete a personal growth course, visit 10 countries, strengthen friendships.
1-Year Goals: Decide what you must achieve this year to get closer to your 5-year targets.
Example: Save $25K, practice daily reflection or journaling, finish an online course, host family gatherings, learn basic guitar.
Weekly Goals: Plan weekly actions that move you toward your annual goals.
Example: Exercise 5 days, write 1,000 words, have two meaningful conversations, cook a new dish, attend a workshop.
Daily Goal: Start each day with a single high-impact priority.
Example: Reflect for 15 minutes, complete your workout, send a thoughtful message to a friend, or work on your passion project.

Life Vision Worksheet

Step 1 – Define Life Areas

Inner Growth & Purpose: __________________________________
Fitness: __________________________________
Family & Relationships: __________________________________
Finance: __________________________________
Fun/Hobbies: __________________________________

Step 2 – Lifetime Goals

Inner Growth & Purpose: __________________________________
Fitness: __________________________________
Family & Relationships: __________________________________
Finance: __________________________________
Fun/Hobbies: __________________________________

Step 3 – One Word for My Life: ______________________________

Step 4 – Time-Based Goals

Time Frame	Inner Growth & Purpose	Fitness	Family & Relationships	Finance	Fun & Hobbies
20 Years
5 Years
1 Year
1 Week
1 Day

Final Thought

When you align today’s actions with your lifetime vision, you bridge the gap between dreams and reality. Whether your path is rooted in personal growth, creativity, relationships, or learning, a vision isn’t just a motivational statement—it’s a living map guiding every step you take toward your best possible life.

How to Simplify Your Life: Key Steps

February 25, 2023December 8, 20251 Point Contributor3 Comments

We live in a well-connected world where life changes faster than ever. Every day, life becomes more complex, with increasing expectations at work, in personal life, and in society. Many of us also want more results, happiness, and productivity. We want to achieve more in the limited 24 hours we have each day.

At work, there is a constant need to learn and execute. For example, if you’re a computer programmer, you must continuously improve your development skills. The same applies to any role in technology. As we advance in our careers, we are expected to acquire higher-level skills, such as understanding the company’s overall technical architecture. Technologies evolve rapidly, while businesses continuously innovate to remain competitive.

In personal life, we face expectations from family, friends, and society. For instance, as a parent of a 3-year-old, you may want to spend quality time with your child. If you cannot, you might feel guilty. Similarly, societal expectations—like participating in social causes—can add pressure. Beyond external demands, many of us hold high standards for ourselves. We want to be productive and increase our self-worth.

So how can we manage life with so many expectations, needs, and desires? A first step is to define your focus areas, goals, actions, and learn to avoid distractions.

Define Your Focus Areas

Decide what truly matters to live a wholehearted life. Start by listing everything you want to do. Over time, group them into broader focus areas that cover all aspects of life. Clear focus areas help you prioritize and say no to things that don’t align with your core goals.

Examples of focus areas:

Inner Growth: This defines who you are, what you want to do in life, and how you will do it. It involves understanding your personal mission, vision, and values. For instance, if your core value is service, your goal is to contribute to others and add value to their lives. Think of Inner Growth as the base of a tripod — the foundation supporting everything else.
Fitness: Includes physical health, mental well-being, and a balanced diet. Without fitness, you cannot fully engage in your desired activities. Fitness is the first leg of the tripod.
Family & Friends: Support from and to loved ones. Humans are social beings, and having a support system is essential. This forms the second leg of the tripod.
Finance: Planning for financial needs is critical. Money is a means to live purposefully, not an end itself. In the tripod analogy, this is the third leg. Financial planning involves leveraging your skills to contribute meaningfully while securing your future.

Blend Focus Areas When Possible

Whenever you can, blend focus areas for a more integrated life. For example, if your Inner Growth emphasizes service, try to serve through work, family, and fitness.

Example: If you have a family business teaching yoga, you can:

Spend quality time together as a family (Family)
Contribute to society by teaching yoga (Inner Growth / Community)
Earn a meaningful living (Finance)
Stay fit while practicing yoga (Fitness)

Define Goals

Once focus areas are defined, set goals for each: lifetime, 5-year, 1-year, 1-month, 1-week, and daily goals.

Example for Finance:

Lifetime: Estimate total financial needs, including retirement, kids’ education, vacations, and housing.
5-Year: Identify upcoming expenses and plan how to earn and save to meet them. Adjust strategies if necessary.
1-Year: Break the 5-year roadmap into actionable yearly targets.
1-Month / 1-Week / 1-Day: Plan specific actions to achieve short-term and long-term goals.

Plan Actions with a Schedule

Translate goals into actionable steps and schedule them.

Example weekly allocation for focus areas:

Inner Growth: 15 minutes of meditation daily, plus reflection throughout the day. On weekends, dedicate more time to Inner Growth activities such as reading, visiting meaningful places, or self-discovery exercises.
Fitness: 30 minutes daily, following weekly CDC guidelines — 150 minutes of moderate activity plus 2 days of muscle strengthening.
Family & Friends: 2 hours daily with family, weekly calls or visits with extended family and friends.
Finance / Work: Focused work time, skill improvement, and relationship-building.

Plan for Unplanned and Ad-Hoc Needs

Life is unpredictable. Reserve a few hours weekly for unplanned tasks. For ad-hoc or exceptional tasks (like a week-long course), accept that you cannot “find” extra time in a regular week. Adjust your schedule, take time off, or delegate other responsibilities to accommodate it.

Avoid Distractions

Desires and external demands can pull you away from focus. Ask yourself:

Does this align with my focus areas and goals?
Does it help me live according to my mission, vision, and core values?

Examples:

Money / Wealth: Focus on earning what you need, not chasing excess for ego.
Fame / Recognition: Focus on contribution rather than social media validation.
Respect / Influence: Focus on creating an environment of mutual respect rather than personal prestige.

Learn to say no to tasks or demands that do not align with your focus areas. Understanding your mind, body, and ego can help manage distractions, comparisons, and wandering thoughts.

What’s Next

Simplifying life is a skill that takes time and practice. Clarity allows you to plan tasks that are achievable within your limited lifetime. Decide what’s important, act deliberately, reflect on your journey, and seek feedback from others. Inner Growth, combined with planning, reflection, and continuous self-discovery, helps you live a more intentional, productive, and fulfilling life.