My 50 Random Cheat Codes for Life

Sruthi Hariprasad
8 hours ago
10 min read

Discipline to do things that make this moment better- While being absolutely involved without physical, emotional or mental holdbacks is my ONLY RULE for life. - Sru🔥

The quote I mentioned above needs some explanation. As much as we recognize actions taken of some sort as 'doing' in our existence, there's a continuous activity in our mental and emotional states with or without our conscious involvement. There are instances and situations that require our visible action- Pouring water for someone else's glass, helping someone clean up etc, whereas other situations that requires no physical action- Like being at a meditative space, listening to music, watching someone talk, etc. Hence, the action doesn't mean just physical actions, but involvement in cognitive, and emotional levels. Focus for me is on one thing at hand which may or may not require my physically acting upon something, and making it better than what it currently is. This doesn't mean things and events need improvement, but being at a state where I am being absolutely there for a better outcome of that moment. So whether it is in a group setting or being by my own, I try to keep it as better as possible. This doesn't mean I try to keep peace at the sake of someone's opinion or emotions ignored, but addressing to eventually make it better. Keeping a moment where I am by myself better involves mental and emotional scapes whereas there are situations where it can't get any better, so I put myself completely to be immersed in that 'ideal space'.

Before we do anything mentioned above, not having mental or emotional holdbacks is an important consideration as we navigate through events and people. We might consciously or unconsciously have these blocks when we come across an individual or an event that not fully accepting of. The first and foremost thing to do before trying to make anything better is to keep ourselves receptive on all levels. The absolute clarity in our intellectual capability, emotional states, and physically resilient as much as possible would make us navigate just about anything that comes our way. Anything we try to accomplish outside of ourselves would require that we're not being a hurdle to ourselves or for what we want to accomplish.

So, the only formula I have for life is to be physically, mentally, and emotionally available for the moment so as to see things as they are without the static from these faculties. And with the clarity of perception, work towards the betterment of that moment to the best of abilities and resources.

With that prelude, I want to touch upon a few things that I do, think, or feel makes my life a bit easier than without. Here's the list of 50 cheat codes I have gathered as I skimmed to find the tangible results of things that I do regularly. It is an extremely random list, (Like many of my other lists) maybe starting with physical cheat codes, going into more of lifestyle and emotional well being; and to everyone asking me how I operate the way I operate, here's the post!

Always eat less than the last bite that you. Just about 80% full, maybe 85% with that small piece of dessert you crave toward the end of the meal.
Getting almost all of the micronutrients, and some phytonutrients through a smoothie for family is a magic I swear by. I give an oatmeal that incorporates all of the healthy seeds, and a few nuts and honey to my 4 year old so I am satisfied that at least one meal is relatively nutrient rich.
Do a Hatha Yoga practice to enhance the connective tissues in the joints. Gym is a great way to work on muscles but the flexibility is acquired by Hatha Yoga Practices. At least start with Surya Kriya or Yogasanas offered by Isha School of Hatha Yoga.
Intermittent fasting with only 2 meals a day does help me keep my weight and digestive processes in check.
Eating 3-4 hours before bed helps with quality sleep, better digestion and bowel movements. Keeping the dinner lite also helps in this pursuit.
Steering completely clear of meat and meat products, all kind of intoxicants, and animal milk help me big time keeping my energy levels up and my spiritual practices getting stronger.
Not eating white rice, plain flour, and anything fried (Air fry included), hence consuming fibrous, complex carbs, large amounts of plant based proteins, phytonutrients through at a good mix of steamed and wok roasted vegetables, and eating fruits instead of desserts keep me fuller for longer and hence ending up consume less of processed foods to snack upon.
The gut microbiome pushes us to consume on what we have consumed over the period, so we determine what we crave. Putting the right food into us would keep us away from sugar and salt cravings that seems to be satiated only by processed foods.
Naturally waking up earlier than we need to can help in several ways than just giving you more time.
Having a planned downtime activity keeps me away from the TV and social media. I keep my audiobook ready to go anywhere, anytime, since I always have my cellphone on me, and I don't step out on my own without the headphones, so I can continue to listen as I stand in the waiting line or listen as I drive.
Every single decision we make in any given day drains our will power reserve. Starting from should I wake up now, what am I wearing today, should I wash my hair till what am I eating for after dinner dessert, do I need a fan etc, every single decision take up a portion of the set amount of decision making will power reserve. So, automating areas of life that can be systemized can leave you with a lot more reserve to make better decisions on important tasks that come up during the day.
Continuing with the previous point, have lesser decisions to make every single day. This can be done if you have an established routine that can't be negotiated out of. Gym workout sessions scheduled for the mornings, having a routine/calendar to go by for simple chores like hair wash day, meetings day etc, laying out the next day clothes with the left over reserve from prev night, having one dessert for a week, meal planning so there's no decision making involved around food etc can immensely help in enhancing the overall productivity of your day.
Maintain a large family calendar/ Personal calendar depending upon your lifestyle- Shared calendar between people in the house/family, and maybe one personal calendar that keep you operating on an ongoing project or hobby or anything you've taken up in your life can keep you from being derailed from the organized living you aim to accomplish.
Make 2 running lists in the kitchen- One for the items you've run out of in the household, and one for the food produce in the house. I also keep one more for the meal prep ideas every week.
Being a big fan of lists, I have another list of books I have read in this blog and I regularly update as required. This serves 2 purposes, 1 to keep tabs of books I have read and 2 to keep me from stagnation- Knowing I have the list and to keep it going is an inherent motivation to not give up on reading.
Having a set time for family, child, and for connecting with nature blocked ensures that I stay connected while having no last minute cancellations.
Dental check up/cleaning pre-booked for the upcoming visit keep me from slacking on it. Religiously getting annual physical done is another thing to keep my ignorance about what goes on within me in check.
Make vision board as a ritual after Christmas before the New Year's eve, so you have a grand scheme bird's eye view of where you want to go in the next 365 days.
If you can genuinely praise someone, do not hold back.
Do not leave a room to a different one or outdoors empty handed. There's always something that needs to be replaced or required to where you go.
Staying organized is not one evening and done, but an ongoing task- This can be routinized too. More on this in a separate post.
Aiming for and following through excellence, even 1% better from the previous encounter or involvement can create mountains of difference over a period. This applies to professional, family, and personal lives.
Always carry a water bottle with you. Do not constantly sip on it- We don't need constant ingestion, just like we don't want constant excretion. But, drink more as you recognize the need for it.
Set up a Deep Work Duration with a DND everyday. This block of 1.5 or 2 hour intervals or more if you can afford is exclusively a distraction free deep work time for projects you've taken up- Personal or professional. This requires just 3 things- No distraction of any sort people or animals/ or their instagram accounts- strictly no social media, No bending the timeline to shorten the DWD, and a project you're working on to make some serious progress- Art, writing a book, creating a code, business plan, etc., deep work can happen only when the shallow work is removed.
Take up 1 book of spiritual significance- Bible, Lao Tzu, Dalai Lama, Bhagvat Gita, even Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, etc and read a verse or a page every morning, and reflect on it and ways to implement the same in your journal.
Write the night entries on a journal I call Reflections- Where you reflect upon that day's actions- physical manifestations of it, the emotional, and cognitive reactions and responses. Alongside, write at least 5 things you think were helpful in going through that day- a mini gratitude list.
Learn a breath work that regulates your breath, blood cleansing, and overall health. Just the right kind of breathing can be a key to deeper dimensions of life. The difference that breathing right makes in my life is miraculous. I religiously practice a few programs offered at Isha Yoga Center. This is my gateway to Spirituality.
Set up your life's priorities- It has to be for 3 sections- Professional branching out as Learning, and experience, Social which goes into Family, friends, and community, and Personal, the last one further branches into physical, intellectual, and aspirational. It should not be more than 3 for each sections, and further expand upon each of them for the action items. This can be tied to making your vision board as discussed earlier. More on vision board here.
The kitchen tool I constantly make use of is Wok- even for sauteeing vegetables with some oil and water. It cooks just enough to make it palatable, while taking less oil to make it happen. So, if you're not a fan of steamed vegetables, use wok to stir-fry according to your taste preferences.
Incorporating the habits for the child to be independent from a very young age has worked out so well for me. Sleep training, baby led weaning (except for the mess), independent playtime, etc pushes her to explore her daily chores independently with minimal requirement of our help- Like for potty, wearing clothes and shoes, games, eating etc. This way, we're not exhausted when it's time for us to spend quality time with her.
Automate monthly payments, and revisit to see the usefulness of that service/product that you contribute to every month.
Decision making is an integral part of our lives and doing it efficiently can reduce half of our mental load. While most of us decide based on 'Any-Benefit Approach' as defined by Cal Newport in his book Deep Work where we buy or do something because it has a benefit of acquiring something or not missing out; however, considering an opportunity cost to that decision is of key importance since the net benefit of that decision would probably be a worse spot than where we first started.
It takes less than a few seconds to form an opinion and finding ways to prove that opinion- about an event or a person. That's an amalgamation of mental and emotional accumulation and not engaging in such formations is essential to steer away from acting from a place of resistance or deviation in the kind of action we take up to make it better.
It is easy to get entangled into the social media and the 'breaking news' channels. Doing the net benefit approach to having any social media indulgence, and knowing the news with an overall titles and then digging deep into it if it pertains to your professional field or personal interest helps from entering the rabbit hole of click baits.
Knowing that not everything in the world, and the events in your life need your opinion or 2 cents. You can still live without having an opinion about people. In fact you can live ever so wonderfully without opinions.
Will and determination are like muscles that build as your exercise them. So, say no to distractions and focus on what you seriously want to accomplish in this short life of yours. And repeat that the next day!
Write a love letter to your loved ones- With a pretty paper and pen- an old fashioned way. Either hand it over to them or mail it to them!
Dance for that peppy song you used to make stylish steps of, in your mind everytime you listen to that beat.
Do not walk bare hands to any place- friends, family gathering, meeting, office etc. Always have something to give- motivation, positive vibes, compliments, corrections and enhancements, flowers, treats, coffee, etc.,
At any given time, have a project you work on- personal or professional enhancements, so your free time isn't idle but ideal.
Read. Read a whole lot of books- There's layers and layers of things we do not know, and there's. a whole universe of things we do not know that we do not know.
Share your joy with people, but keep your anger to yourself in a quiet room. The world doesn't need another dose of your anger reactions as you poison yourself. No interactions or reactions when you're emotional can save a lot of relationships and time.
Grow a lot of plants indoors, and outdoors if you can. Greenery and life enhances the quality of our breath and hence our lives in many ways! Start small in terms of responsibility haha!
Controlling negative thoughts is an impossible task. But adding in a whole lot of ensuring and positive mental activity can dilute the negative radio in our brain.
Peace is the baseline for our lives. Our inner peace can radiate wherever we go. We can build joy from that place.
Whatever your choices are, your baseline of peace should come first, if your choice spoils that, then there's something fundamentally wrong in your methods for choosing.
Just like you clean your physical spaces- desk, kitchen, etc, just like you clean your physical self- body, hair, nails etc, work on building routines and methods to clean your mind, and emotions. Declutter regularly- the ideas and thoughts in your mind that serves no purpose. Put them on a paper, a mental declutter on a journal regularly, and if overwhelming a brain dump on a calm afternoon can organize the way you think and feel.
Have a 'me time' every week and do what you absolutely enjoy. Without regrets. If that brings about misery to your body or mind or emotions, rethink your choice, but otherwise, indulge yourself into that completely.
There's a few non-negotiable for me, the one most important is my spiritual practices that I do everyday- Hatha Yoga, Kriyas, and a meditation practice. Define your non-negotiable that you know enhances the quality of your life inside and out.
Watch sunrise, sunset once a week, go to a beach or a lake, or a mountain- somewhere you can tangibly see the nature at a much larger magnitude. This brings you to a point of grounded and humble self, so you can break from the incessant mental monologue and be in a sense of surrender to the magnificence of Creation, and hence the Creator!