Re-Engineer Your Life

The middle-aged gentleman had a ghastly look on his face. All his efforts had come to naught. After so many years, he had nothing to show, for a life, that otherwise could have turned out better. Wrinkles were etched on his face, like lines across a map to nowhere.

He decided; Enough was Enough. The next twenty years would not look similar to the twenty years gone by. As he took in the massive collection of books in the Public Library, a hard bound leather book which seemed to have seen generations pass by, fall out. He lifted the book, and took in the life-changing information, within its yellow pages, line by line.

The message read:
1. Focus on the present moment.
2. Take yourself, and your needs, in the areas of Finance, Work, Education, Relationships and Health more seriously.
3. Do not be bothered by things, and events, that do not matter in the long run.
4. Do not seek approval from others. You have only one chance at life.
5. Do what works for you, and repeat it consistently.

For him, it was a life changing moment, the moment that would go on to change his destiny. By the fire-place in the old Victorian Bungalow, thoughts came to him initially like the trickle from a tap, to torrents of gushing water. He decided to capture the thoughts, lest they vanish from fickle memory.

The thoughts he documented on paper, went like this: "In the Soviet Union, they had 5-year plans to develop their economy, and monitor the progress made. the start date and the end date, and the year of completion.

The project will cover the five areas of life mentioned in the book. Next, you would have a file for each of the five years, for evaluation, with the start date and the end date. The year you are focussing on, that is, the 12 months starting today, would further have a progress assessment for each of the 12 months, in all the areas mentioned. At the end of 90 days, that is 4 times a year, you would enter in the file, the progress you have made every 90 days, towards your life re-engineering.

It does not stop with the above.Have a sheet of paper for each month, divided into 30 days, for each goal in the 5 areas mentioned. Restrict yourself to 1 or 2 goals at a time, in each of the 5 areas, for success. Draw rows and columns on the monthly chart, and put a tick in the boxes, if the task you have decided to do, which moves you toward your goals, has been done for the day. This would help you, in filling in your monthly achievement evaluation, later. "

The gentleman thought, for example, he would improve his finances, by having separate compartments for Savings, Investments, and Expenses, and build on them. For health, possibly, he would eat less portions, eat right, exercise more regularly, and meditate. Each activity would be recorded in his 5 year re-engineering file. Every task to be completed in the 5 years, would be documented on paper, to see the progress made, or where more attention needed to be given.

The thoughts sped through his mind so fast; the man was drained, yet satisfied. He knew, the next 5 years would not look similar to the previous 5 years.

With gratitude in his eyes, he envisioned himself enjoying the best years of his life, the wrinkles and etched on his face disappearing, to be replaced by a smooth brow, caressed by the elixir of youth.

The pen fell from his hand, and he dosed away towards a peaceful deep slumber of a 1000 years; the peace he had never before enjoyed, before he came upon that book of destiny, one fine day in a library, not so long ago.