And instead of coming up with flimsy and meaningless plans and resolutions for the new year, what I decided to do was assess and determine what I consider and view to be the most basic and essential in terms of all the habits and interests and hobbies that I have developed and discovered over the course of time. So what I did was jot down the first 25 habits and interests and hobbies that came to my mind, and I ordered all of them and listed them from most basic and essential at the top to the least basic and essential at the bottom. And of course, this is all my perception and opinion. Nevertheless, here’s the list:
- Food (Five most basic and essential)
- Sleep (Five most basic and essential)
- Coffee (Five most basic and essential)
- Tea (Five most basic and essential)
- Chiropractor (Five most basic and essential)
- Hot Baths
- Massages
- Brothels
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Shisha
- Alcohol
- Sweets
- Reading
- Writing
- Philosophy
- Music
- Poetry
- Beaches
- Hotels
- Fashion
- News and Television
- Long Walks
- Travel
- Casinos
And I learned a lot about myself when I did this. I realized how so much has changed in terms of my priorities and interests over the course of years. For instance, much less than a decade ago, chiropractor was not even on the radar, and now it is in the top five. I realized I was never big on exercise either, and I’m still not big on it. I also realized how hotels and travel have hit rock bottom on the list, despite the fact that hotels and travel were so big when I was a student and immediately after my student years. The less repressed your mind is, the less important travel becomes. Also, I used to be big on fashion for a short period of time in my twenties, but now, fashion has dropped to the doldrums. Appearance doesn’t matter as much as we assume, and it becomes less and less important as we grow older. But of course, food and sleep are the top two. Relaxation and leisure is the name of the game. I also assumed music and poetry would break into the top ten, but they didn’t. News and television, despite the consumption of it, are very low on the list. And it’s because I keep the television and phone off as much as possible in order to preserve my sanity and mental well-being. But overall, physical and mental health and well-being with a focus on relaxation and leisure became the priority over the adrenaline and dopamine rush as well as the rat race and work. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am now in my late thirties and approaching my forties, and I am no longer in my teens and twenties, even though I have long been stuck in the past.
Adam A. Azim 