Category: Everything else

Going to be a great week

Did you ask why?
(even if you didn’t, I’m going to ramble on anyway. Fringe benefits of being a blogger.. haha)
Here’s why. The preparation has been immaculate. A good weekend that meant having fun, spending time socially on Saturday followed by focus on some important priorities, planning the week early thanks to the big challenge, clearing away lots of minutia, sending some thinking through things that need to be done.
Other challenge items were switching off from work for 24 hours and making a ‘stop doing’ list. :)
Also, just getting little things ready for tomorrow morning so I won’t have to labor always make a big difference. (Akin to parking the car such that we can just drive straight out!). And I guess, most importantly, having finished early, I am all set for a nice movie to relax and get into bed early for my 5AM routine!
Big week coming up. But thanks to the prep, I’m optimistic it will be a good big week.
And so, I’m hoping you are spending some time this weekend to ensure the week starting tomorrow (yes, it IS monday tomorrow for the ones in denial :)) will be a great one!
All the best. Stay inspired. And have a great week!

On Structure and Creativity

Simplicity, as a concept, is ever so powerful. Just ask the players of Manchester United who got ripped apart yesterday by Barcelona’s consistent ‘simple’ passing game.

Inspired by that, for today’s learning, I am going to leave you with a very simple idea.

Let’s take a minute to study the picture below. It is one of a regular road. And we, of course, use the road to take us from place to place.
Now, there is of course that line right in the middle of the road that separates vehicles traveling in opposite directions.

What would travel (and life) be, without that line?

Can you picture the kind of chaos the absence of this simple line would cause?

There is a myth that structure kills creativity.

What is often forgotten that without structure, there would be no creativity. It would be like a painting without a canvas with no defined boundaries. Or an endless football match (with no creative last minute goals!).

Structure, in our lives, gives us the room to experiment and be creative. It is the simple routines (eat, sleep, play) in our lives that enable us to free up vital space in heads so we can be creative in what we do..

Always the simple things – Learning from Barcelona

I watched devastated as Barcelona football club ripped Manchester United apart in the Champions league final. And funnily enough, all they did was pass the ball. Simple. Fundamental. Used to devastating effect.
We have 5 simple principles for life –
1. Sleep 8 hours
2. Eat good food at regular intervals
3. Drink lots of water
4. Read, have interesting conversations – stimulate the brain
5. Exercise regularly
How many of us manage it?
Our happiness in life is determined by our attitude. And the best way to keep our attitude up is by doing these simple things..
If we ever plan to be the equivalent of Barcelona, we have GOT to nail the simple things.
—
Fair play to Barcelona – Best Team in the World.. with the Best Player in the World.

But United will be back.. it’s only a matter of time. :)

The Joy of a Blip

Blips are generally not very welcome. They break momentum, they come up unexpected and can generally be a pain as they, more often than not, tend to mess up plans. And of course, stumbling and falling is not necessarily a fun experience..
Not when you have a learning blog though. A blip is a wonderful current learning opportunity waiting to be shared, where I am concerned. Over the years, I have developed a 60-100 ideas long blog-roll (i.e. ideas waiting to be blogged about) but there’s nothing like a current blip to learn from.
Anyway, the blip was in my new attempt at a 5AM routine. I was at the end of my tether after a 16 hour 14+ hour workday yesterday (literally at the end of the tether – grumpy, irritable etc) and I had my Mom here on a short trip. Big decision – do I go to sleep? or stay awake and break the routine? There’s no way I could do both.
It went back to a question about values and I chose Family and Health over Integrity (I was breaking a commitment to myself, after all!). And ended up taking lots of rest. And as if it was a sign, I received the following forward from Mom today (Source: Philosopher’s Notes) –

Re-Commitment

It’s easy to commit to something—whether it’s losing weight, no longer yelling at the kids (or spouse or colleagues or all of the above), creating that business, writing the screenplay, whatever.

It’s an entirely different thing to actually honor that commitment—especially when you’re all up in your stuff and you don’t feel like it and that whiny little gremlin in your head has taken over the airwaves. (Hate when that happens.)

To actually rock it?

Step 1: Commitment.

Step 2: Re-commitment.

Step 3: Re-commitment.

Step 4: Re-commitment.

Step 5: You get the idea.

How ’bout you? Need to re-commit to something?’

—

Apt. Time to recommit and take a shot on Monday!

How to be a less annoying person

Let’s face it. We all are annoying – in our own sweet way. Those who are close to us, bear the brunt of our annoying little tendencies. (especially those who live with us)
I, for one, have many many annoying traits – one example: I would go CRAZY if I didn’t have a table to work out of (and I did drive my house mates crazy about this issue – just ask them, they are probably scarred)
Now, I was annoyed the other day by some behavior. So, I felt that this requires a bit of a change in perspective. As a result, along with updating my ‘Bucket List‘, I also made my annoyance list.
Step 1 to being a less annoying person: Make your annoyance list.
My 10 top annoyances are (whether people are concerned) –
1. When I am not given space to do my stuff (No, don’t stick too close for too long. I can bite! :))
2. When I am constantly being warned about obstacles/other cars when I drive!
3. When I feel patronized (especially, hierarchically)
4. When I am made to feel ‘uncool’ (let’s face it.. we all like to be cool, by our own definitions atleast)
5. When I am constantly reminded of the things I cannot do (this one is universal, I guess)
6. When someone around me HAS to prove that they, and only they, had the ultimate experience!
7. When I am left out of a conversation or group..
8. When someone stops my telling a story excitedly to point out something I do wrong (I do this a LOT!)
9. When someone influences others by doing it behind my back (this drives me crazy)
10. When someone doesn’t return my ‘hi’ or ‘hug’ with equal enthusiasm.
Step 2 to being a less annoying person: Stop doing the above!
If I have to be true to myself, I am guilty of 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10. And I think the first step would be to stop doing the things that annoy me before I expect others not to do them to me.
So, here goes..

The Room with a View

He fought hard for that room with a view.

All his life.

Every day was filled with sweat and toil.

He wanted to be the king of the building. He wanted the room with the view.

And finally the day came.

‘President’ – said the plaque outside.

He had finally done it. Youngest ever.

He could allow himself time to rejoice.

He was the king of the building. He had the room with the view.

‘What next’ – he wondered to himself as he tasted his success.

And then he looked outside and gasped.

So many buildings. So many rooms with a view..

He sat dejected.

‘What was the point of all power and position?’ he thought.

‘I am but a speck!’ – he cried out in agony.

And then he glanced up and saw a quote his predecessor had hung on the wall

‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are’

He went back to work, in the room with a view.