Welcome to the UpLife Studio Mission Statement, a space where we strive for an Upgraded Lifestyle by Empowering Personal Growth.
I’m Voicu Mihnea Simandan, a Beijing-based Romanian education entrepreneur and psychology teacher, taking the plunge down that rabbit hole in search of an Upgraded Lifestyle through the practice of Positive Psychology.
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WHAT IS UpLife – UPGRADED LIFESTYLE?
The concept of the UpLife Studio started in 2016 with the publication of my “10-Step Guide to an Upgraded Lifestyle,” an e-book which is available as a free download here.
In this book I encouraged readers to do 3 things that will upgrade their lifestyle:
1) follow their passion
2) stay healthy
3) make online profit.
Two years later, in 2018, I realized that achieving an Upgraded Lifestyle, or the UpLife, is actually a combination of several factors, including:
– continuous self-education
– embracing technological change
– maximizing the power of new media, and
– a down-to-earth understanding of lifestyle.
The UpLife Studio is a space where you can follow my journey of self-empowerment to empower your own personal growth. As the title suggests, this space is a “studio” – a workshop, a workroom, a workspace, an atelier – where we will learn together from positive psychologist, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, coaches (the list can go on an on…) the life skills and practices that will empower our personal growth.
We now live in an amazing fast-paced world that is changing the way we live, work, and interact with others. Now, more than ever, we must understand the importance of changing and adapting to the new realities of life by using all the technology we have at hand and applying the power of new media in such a way that it benefits and enhances our quality of life.
I think it’s important that, in this podcast thesis statement article, I lay down my thesis and my understanding of what an upgraded lifestyle is and how I hope to empower you (and myself) to continue on your (and my) journey of personal growth.
It all starts with my e-book “10-Step Guide to an Upgraded Lifestyle” where I identify the 10 areas that you need to work on in ordered achieve personal growth.
These 10 areas are:
1. Set Clear Goals
2. Health Fitness Sport
3. Create an Online Profit
4. Invest in Yourself
5. Travel More
6. Learn a Foreign Language
7. Make Time for Yourself and
Your Family
8. Choose a Hobby
9. Read More
10. Rest
Below I will go over these points, but I will not repeat what I wrote in my e-book. I encourage you do download it and read it in your own time.
So, let’s go over the 10 areas, one by one.
1. SET CLEAR GOALS
The first thing I recommend you do is “Set Clear Goals.” Make them visual too!
I can’t stress any more how important it is to have your life goals clear in your head. Actually, not only in your head, but you should also post them somewhere visible in your home or at your office.
Visually reminding yourself of your goals is a way of reinforcing your determination to achieve them!
So, don’t hesitate to have your short-term goal on a post-it note on the fridge. Add your medium-term goal on the inside door of your wardrobe. Hang your long-term goal on your bedroom mirror.
In this way you’ll always be reminded, you’ll always remember what your purpose in life is – where you want to go, and what you want to achieve.
Once you’ve written down your goals and after you’ve displayed them in your immediate environment, you’ve already taken a big step towards achieving them.
You need to be reminded of your goals daily!
This way, the reason why you’re taking all the steps, making all the sacrifices, and putting in the time, will be very clear to you and you’ll stop at nothing to achieve your dreams.
2. HEALTH FITNESS SPORT
Now that you have your goals in sight, keep track of your physical and mental health. The second area you need to focus on is “Health Fitness Sports”.
The crux of the matter here is choice. After all, there’s nothing anyone can do for you unless you yourself chose to do so.
You can’t outsource the health of your body to a virtual assistant and you can’t just buy a book, read it in one sitting, and hope your muscles will tone up. Far from that.
To get to the gym, or to the park, or to your own backyard garden to exercise, you must stand up from your comfy chair in front of your TV or computer and start sweating it out. Basically, as Nike’s famous motto goes, “Just Do It!”
If you haven’t exercised in a while, it’ll be tough. But, check this out. It’ll certainly make you feel better: even for those who stay active, who play sports and go to the gym regularly, whenever they are on a long break from their usual exercise routine, it’s so hard to get back into the game!
Why is that?
Because we all like the pleasure and comfort of our home, we all love a day when we do nothing at all, we all like to indulge. But when you do it on a daily basis for weeks and weeks, then it’ll get more and more difficult to return to your healthy habits.
So, make the conscious effort to stick to your gym plan once or twice a week and don’t cancel on your buddies who you play your favourite sport with every week! Choose to be there.
You’ll be surprised how half the effort is accomplished by just showing up. From that point on, all you have to do is dedicate 30 more minutes to exercising or a bit less than an hour to playing a game which you actually enjoy playing.
Choose to live a healthy, active, and vigorous lifestyle. It is the foundation of an Upgraded Lifestyle!
3. MAKE ONLINE PROFIT
Let’s talk about money now. The third point I’m trying to get across to you is the importance of “Creating an Online Profit.”
Making money online is like a dream for most people who wish to achieve financial independence and “escape” from their 8-to-4 jobs. To a very large extent, it is an unrealistic dream to think that you can quit your daily job right now and start an online business which will become, in just a few months, a passive income.
Although it would be nice if it were that easy… But the truth of the matter is that it takes another full time job to create such a profitable system.
Many so-called online gurus sell get-rich-quick schemes, but 99.99% of those who try these online programs fail.
So, what can you do? Is there really no way of making a profit online?
Actually, the question we should ask is this: “Is there a way to start making money online?” To this question, my answer is a definite “YES.”
My “10-Step Guide to an Upgraded Lifestyle” doesn’t promise overnight riches and online success, but it does shows a way of creating an additional online income which, in time, can become a passive income.
Will you be able to quit your day job and live the digital nomad or the online mogul lifestyle? Most likely not right away, but if you stick to your plans, then in a few years, you might just get there!
But you will never get to that point (even if it’s in the far future) if you don’t start now!
So, you need to decide on your own niche, set up your blog, or a YouTube channel, or a podcast, and start creating content.
Don’t wait until next week, don’t wait until you finish reading another how-to book. Don’t wait! You must take action now.
I assure you that setting a personal blog/vlog/podcast up-and-running is not so complicated nor too expensive, but I know fully well that getting it noticed by readers (and especially by Google) will take some time and a lot of effort. So you must take action right away.
4. INVEST IN YOURSELF
One of my strongest beliefs is that you can never stop learning. So, the fourth point you need to consider is that of “Investing in Yourself.”
There’s something I’m never stingy with: my future.
Just think about it.
There’s no better stocks or more profitable company to invest your money in than yourself. We can never stop growing. Let me repeat that again: “We can never stop growing!”
The moment we stop growing, the moment we decide not to invest in our own development, we’re not only stagnating but actually moving backwards. This is not some pep talk or self-improvement line. It’s actually proven by science.
The neurons in our brain connect with one another to form new connections. The brain learns by modifying certain connections in response to feedback and, as a result, specific skills develop. However, in order to get to this endpoint, there must be loads and loads of inputs in the form of lessons, practice, workshops, master classes, and time spent with people with similar passions and interests.
The outputs would be your personal insights into the skills you’re trained in.
So, you should think about the skills you need to brush on, in order to achieve an upgraded lifestyle. If you are having difficulties with your gym exercises, then follow one of the many excellent YouTube personal fitness channels out there. If you have difficulties in customizing your blog, then find an online course that fits your needs.
We must constantly keep growing and investing in ourselves. Invest into your future!
I do it too. All the time. And I don’t mind paying. On the contrary, I feel that it is money well spent.
How about you? What are your learning goals? What skills do you want to bring to the next level? And more importantly: What are you actually doing about achieving it?
5. TRAVEL MORE
At number five I encourage you to simply “Travel More.”
If tomorrow some distant relative would leave me a huge inheritance, I would pack my bags and travel the world. I would take my laptop and my camera with me to write and make videos about what I experience and would also read books to my heart’s content. That would be a perfect life for me.
But, hey. I do that every year, multiple times! And I don’t have any inheritance to pay for it. On the contrary, I have an 8-to-4 job! So, how is that possible? It’s quite simple.
You don’t need thousands of dollars to travel. You don’t have to quit your day job and sell everything in order to experience the world around you!
We’ve now got budget airlines, Airbnb, and all the information you need to know about budgeting your travel at just a few clicks of a mouse button. If you really want to travel, then it can be done within your own budget. All you need to do is prioritize and plan.
But don’t fall in the trap of “I must travel abroad”. By definition, travelling means “to go from one place to another, as by car, train, plane, or ship, or even by simply walking.”
A day trip could involve you taking the local train to the countryside. A weekend trip might be a homestay in a nearby resort town. That is travelling too!
I do like going on long two-month trips abroad, but there’s nothing more relaxing and invigorating than a short “escape trip” to a nearby province in your own country. I live in Beijing, so escaping the noise, pollution, and madness of such a huge cosmopolitan capital city, even if for just one night and two days, could be a more relaxing experience than a short trip abroad to visit another country.
We all wish to learn more about other cultures, but in the process, we forget that there’s so much to learn about our own culture. Don’t miss the opportunities of travelling locally. Maybe the greatest travel experience is still waiting for you at only a two-hour train ride away from your own hometown.
6. LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
The sixth recommendation I have is to “Learn a Foreign Language”.
As a schoolboy and then a teenager, I studied with an English tutor for as long as I can remember. Learning English (a foreign language, as my native language is Romanian) was considered by my parents to be one of the most important skills they could equip me with. They were right!
Because of their forward-thinking, I am now using the foreign language they wanted me to learn in my day job, in my online business, on my YouTube channel, on this podcast, in my travels… The list can go on and on, but I guess you’ve got the point.
Learning a foreign language can be so beneficial to your station and situation in life that I can literally find no reason why you wouldn’t want to learn one!
We’re not talking here about becoming a translator of literary works from Arabic, Japanese or Mandarin (three of the hardest languages in the world to learn as a non-native speaker – although there’s nothing wrong with that). We’re talking about becoming conversational.
As I mentioned in my e-book “10-Step Guide to an Upgraded Lifestyle”, one of my greatest satisfactions is when I can communicate with someone from a different culture in a language other than English.
So, make the effort and commitment to learn a new language. It can be a language from the same family of languages as your native tongue (which will help you a lot with vocabulary retention) or it can be the language of your favourite country.
In this day and age, learning a foreign language has become one of the easiest skills to master. All you have to do is either look around or go online. The resources are just immense.
(In the case of Romanian being your language of choice, head over to my YouTube channel Romanain Hub where you can learn Romanian with me!)
7. MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF & YOUR FAMILY
The seventh area you need to work on is: “Making Time For Yourself and Your Family”
In our drive to become successful we often forget that we’re not alone in this adventure and endeavour. No-one is an island working from the seclusion of their computer. Actually, the more connected we are, the more successful we’re bound to be.
Studies have shown that people with a successful family life tend to feel a greater sense of accomplishment in their professional life as well. Why, you might wonder? Because they know they’re not alone, because they know that, at the end of the day, there will be someone there to say “Welcome home.”
But so often, we’re blinded by our need to succeed at all costs. And, sadly, many times, the first people to bear the brunt of our success are the ones who are the closest to us.
So, what can you do about it?
The classic compartmentalization technique works perfectly well in this situation.
In psychology, compartmentalization is a coping strategy that helps our mind to cope with internal conflicts simultaneously.
In this specific case, the two conflicts are these: Should I finish my work or spend time with my family?
A dangerous way to answer this questions would be: Let me finish with my work first, get my project going, make tons of money, and then I’ll have all the time and financial security to dedicate my time to my family.
Don’t do it that way!
Why? For obvious reasons! It might take you months and even years to get the project going smoothly and even more years to become financially stable. Your family can’t wait that long. Do not ignore them along your path to reaching success.
Try to use compartmentalization instead. Isolate and focus on one specific issue separately. Set a fixed time when you’re to work on your projects and stick by it. After all, there’s always a tomorrow to do more.
Bottom line, when it’s time to work, concentrate all your energy on getting the job done in the time you’ve allocated for that specific task. Once the set time’s up, move on to your next task.
This might turn out to be your most important task in your journey to an upgraded lifestyle: spending quality time with your own family!
8. CHOOSE A HOBBY
My ninth advice to you is to “Choose a Hobby”.
Staying focused on your projects and the several tasks you have to complete in order to make these projects successful is no small deal. The risk of burnout – both physical and mental – is a dire reality and many people fail in their goals just because they have either mentally collapsed or they have become physically sick.
There is a reason why my “10-Step Guide to an Upgraded Lifestyle” starts with goal setting and then, in Chapter 2, stresses the importance of health, fitness, and sports.
But how about your mental health?
Obviously, it starts at home where you strive to create a long-lasting connection with your spouse/partner, children, and/or immediate family. This will not only bring happiness in your life, it will also do miracles on stabilizing your mental health.
But, at the same time, you will also feel like taking time for yourself only and engaging in an activity that gives you both pleasure and mental relaxation.
So, why not chose a hobby to serve this purpose?
Think back to your hobbies as a child, maybe you’d like to revive one of them?
For example, I used to make kites with my grandfather and then fly them together with my brother in my local neighbourhood. It was so much fun, especially when we had good wind and we were able to launch the kite from the balcony on the fourth floor of my grandparents’ apartment. Making the kite was fun, but getting a strong wind and flying the kite to tens of meters up above the apartment building was just pure excitement.
(These days we have drones and laws on when and where we can and can’t fly them…)
So, this week, think about reviving your old hobby. If it’s not practical or you’ve “passed that age”, then choose a new one.
Take the time once a week to “fool around” with your hobby and mentally unwind. Recharge your batteries. You need it and deserve it.
9. READ MORE
At number nine I simply encourage you to “Read More”.
If I could stop doing all the things that I have to do in order to make a living, I would just travel and read. Probably I would get tired of travelling too (there’s that fatigue that settles in after a very long journey), but I could never get tired of reading.
Books have been, are, and will forever be a major part of my life. I build personal libraries everywhere I go and I’m a fan of both the traditional paper books and e-books. If it has words on it, then bring it on. I want it!
The point I am making here is that I believe you MUST acquire the habit of reading daily.
Whatever you read is entirely up to you. It can be in your field of interest, it can be an easy adventure novel, it can be a Nobel Prize winner writer, or it can be a non-fiction book on how submarines work. As long as you read anything, you’re already on the winning side.
Here are just five benefits of reading (I could probably come up with 50 or 500, but I believe you’ll get the point with this simple summary):
1. Reading improves your concentration.
2. Reading skyrockets your imagination.
3. Reading reduces stress.
4. Reading boosts your memory.
5. Reading has an entertainment value.
So, do you want to be better at concentrating on your projects? Do you want to be more creative? Do you want to be less stressed? Do you want to remember more? Do you want to have fun in life?
Then READ! Every day.
Make it a habit to start or end the day with a book in your hands. You don’t have to read for hours. Even just one or two pages will do. Then, you’ll see, when you have more time at your disposal, you’ll want to pick up that book. Do you know the exciting feeling of: “I wanna know what happened next…”?
10. REST
Lastly, at number ten, “Rest”
The best recipe to a healthy lifestyle is keeping an active mind, a strong body, and taking enough rest.
Not sleeping enough can be life threatening, with research showing that it increases the risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. So, make sure you sleep your full 6-7 hours a night!
However, not being able to rest the mind, can lead to similarly serious health issues. Our brains too, not only our bodies, need to disconnect.
There must be a time when we reflect beyond our day-to-day tasks and struggles.
A time is needed when we look beyond the nitty-gritty duties of running our own projects, of meeting deadlines, of achieving financial success.
If you truly want to upgrade your lifestyle, then you need more than just an active mind, a strong body, and enough rest. You will need to contemplate on what your place on earth is; what your full potential as a human being is; what actually lies beyond the physical world around us.
Spend your day of rest considering how you can become more than what you are. Can it be done through a process of self-actualization, your belief in God, or your embrace of spirituality?
Whatever it is, choose to withdraw yourself from your usual routine at least once a week and consider pondering on the “larger picture.”
What that picture is, rests entirely with you to decide.
Some people go to church. Others go to the temple. Others go to meditation retreats. Others might simply stay at home and choose to have a day completely free of worries.
Remember, an upgraded lifestyle means a combination of several factors:
physical health + mental health + business routine + spiritual health = upgraded lifestyle
If one factor is missing from this equation, then the balance will tip. For example, you’re rich, but unhealthy. You’re healthy, but financially unstable. You’ve reached fame, but you’re going mad. You’ve found God, but you live in the gutter.
Nobody wants to be in any of these situations.
We all want a balanced life. An Upgraded Lifestyle.
