Everybody has an ultra-energetic and chirpy friend in their circle. You know, the ones who are always up for adventures. Late-night long drives, they’re in. An impromptu trip, you can count on them. Tasting a newly opened eatery, they’d be happy to be your date. Bungee jumping, yes. Tik-Tok plank challenge, yes. Volunteering to throw a last-minute surprise party, heck yes!

I’ve never understood such people. I mean where do they get their energy from? I may be an adult, but it feels that a 1000-year-old person resides within me. *Grins*

To be honest, I’ve always been a little jealous of these zealous people (See what I did there?). Here are most of us – struggling to get up in the morning, feeling like a sloth all day while they’re out there – grabbing fresh produce from the farmer’s market or enjoying brunches and catching up with old friends.

But, honestly, we must take a minute to appreciate these friends of ours. Not only do keep the group vibrant but we can count on them to always be around the corner to jump in and save the day!

This realization dawned on me one fine morning in 2020 – you know, the Year of the Great Lockdown. My college friend Jake gave me a call and asked me to join a zoom call. Although I didn’t want to, he insisted and added that “It would be fun!”

Little did I know, I was in for a surprise?

Jake had reached out to not just me but to the 3 other friends from our college group. We spent the entire hour catching up on our lives, reminiscing old times, and laughing at our bellies and old faces.

It was super fun.

And super nice.

I really felt that Jake went out of his way to make us all feel better during that bleak period and this is why he deserved a special thank-you note.

So, I decided to do what I do best – talk about how to remain energized throughout the day and continue for one month and then up to a year. I am going to use Jake’s life as the benchmark. Here are my top tips to have an energy-filled 2021!

Simple living and high thinking!

Simplicity is the new currency.

Jake is an accountant with a law firm. He has a wife, Leslie, and two lovely kids. He owns a modest house and two cars – one his and the other, his wife’s. Apart from this, Jake doesn’t believe in owning much. He and his family lead a simple yet rich life.

Every weekend you can find them in the backyard, cooking outdoors with their kids splashing about in the kiddie pool. Often you can find neighbors chit-chatting over the fence. Other times you will see them volunteering to take all the kids in the block for soccer practice. Sometimes they would go on quick, short, family trips. Before the kids, Jake and Leslie saved money to travel abroad every year.

You know where I'm going with this.

Jake might not own a yacht or a costly condo but he is happy. He doesn’t feel the need to run after money and waste his precious years or endanger his relationships. Jake and Leslie know what they want and they’re taking baby steps to realize their goals – and this lack of unnecessary burden to earn more and buy more leaves room for more energy and vitality.

This brings me to my next tip,

A step in time saves nine!

Here are a few lines that I love and try my best to abide by.

Stop waiting for Friday.

For summer,

For someone to fall in love with you, for life.

Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for it And make the most of the moment you are in now.

I don’t know who said these wonderful lines, but they inspire me every time I read them.

When Jake was in college, he always had this vision. He wanted a quiet life with a house, a car, some savings, and a great family. As you can see, he has already achieved all of this and that too at just 41! Jake wasn’t born into a rich family, nor did he inherit wealth from a rich relative.

How was he able to do all of this?

By taking one step at a time!

That’s right.

A baby doesn’t get up one day and start sprinting. It learns to stand up first, then walk, and then finally run. Similarly, don’t expect to wake up one day and be brimming with excitement. You have to develop an attitude to welcome new things (or people) in your life. Slowly and steadily, you will be able to look forward to new experiences and would want to share them with others around you. But only with those who help you become better every day.

This brings me to my last point,

Creating and following your own rules!

Many of us have the herd mentality – you know, blindly following others and their rules. We forget that every one of us has a unique identity and what works for one person might not work for others.

Take a look at Jake, he refused to become a part of the rat race for money, position, and power. He chose contentment and experiences instead. I’m not advising you to go ahead and sell everything you own. I’m just asking you to find the thing that excites you the most and then create boundaries and rules that will assist you in achieving them.

When you lead your life by these three rules, you will see that the need to please others, the greed for money, and the unnecessary stress you’ve been carrying for so long, just disappears. Like they say, keep calm and party on!

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