Fill your cup. There is no dearth of things to consume in the world, especially on the internet. There are posts, reels, Netflix documentaries, YouTube videos and what not. You can spend hours, if not days, watching stuff and you won't even scratch the surface. The challenge, though, is that most
Forward motion. Forward motion requires intention. To take a step in the right direction, no matter how small it is. A lot of distractions stand in the way. Most technology businesses are designed to do that. To make a profit from our time, energy and attention. Forward motion can become a habit.
Games without agency. Once you roll the dice, you have little agency over what the outcome's gonna be. However, you can get stuck, vying for a particular outcome, especially when you can't do much to affect it. That's a trap. And it takes your attention away from
Rushing the recovery. If your MacBook stops working and it would take 14 days to repair it, would you rush them and be happy with one that works only 80% of the time? Same with your car. You wouldn't want to rush its service and end up driving something that'
Go or no-go? Is the decision in front of you a go or no-go decision? Do you have a choice? If yes, decide without worrying about the how and when. Figure out if you can choose to not go ahead. Only once it's a go, work on the the logistics, the
Misaligned strategy. You are dependent on or engaging with systems that don't lead to where you seek to go. They create the illusion that you are in-charge and you are buying into the illusion. You are playing games you are not aware of or have little agency over. The games
Good decision, bad outcome. Let's say it looks like it's gonna rain. You decide to take your umbrella with you. And it doesn't end up raining. Did you make a bad decision? Should you not have carried the umbrella? Well, in this case, you might ask, "It
What's pulling you? There are tasks, events, people who you push yourself to go to. You convince, cajole, persuade yourself that it matters and that you can't skip. And in most cases, you come back saying "Never again". But what are the things that pull you? That you can&
Without The Beatles. "Yesterday" is one of my favorite songs from The Beatles. It's beautiful. I don't know how to feel that emotion better if that song isn't there. Four men got together in the 1960s, that's more than 55 years ago now.
Parts and whole. We all have parts. Some good ones. Some, we might feel, not so good ones. Some parts of us are afraid to be vulnerable. They might show up at times. But go back soon enough. Some parts try to protect us. They try their best. It's just that
Something worth looking forward to. Yes, there are challenges, and troubles along the way. Yes, there are distractions too. But the thing that keeps us going is something worth looking forward to. It might be a goal or an achievement. But, more importantly, it's the people who make our life worth living. Here&
Seen and heard. That's what we need mostly. To feel seen and heard. And that's what's rare. What we can do is to show up in a way to make others feel seen and heard. And when we do it, we will realise that we feel seen
Doing one thing really well. That's the key to great products and services. Focus on doing one thing really well. If you can't say clearly what that one thing is, you probably don't have one. Great books do the same. Atomic Habits is about... habits. This is Strategy teaches.
Without the asset. Assets make our lives better. They keep providing value over time. But mostly they become invisible. They can be tangible like a vehicle or an effective tool, but the most valuable assets are relationships and trust. And the people with whom we build them. Would you realise if the asset
False agency. People who go to casinos to win think they are making choices, but most of their choices have been designed by default by the setup. Same goes with social media apps, streaming apps and food companies. The most dangerous games are the ones where we feel we have agency but
What I wish I knew earlier. Some books and concepts I wish I knew earlier. And I am grateful that I do now. The Art of Possibility & The Pathways to Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander & Ben Zander - These books teach us how to engage with possibility, how to move away from a fixed
No floor under the feet. My swimming coach took me to the deep end of the pool today. There was no floor under my feet, at least where I can stand and breathe. It was scary. What I realized is that having the floor under my feet was actually stopping me from learning how to
Asking for help. Asking for help is a generous act. Even though it might not feel like one in the moment. It creates connection and possibility. It allows the other person to show up and do something meaningful. It strengthens and compounds the relationship. We live in a culture where trying to do
Making space for emotions. The world asks us to control our emotions, to not be emotional, to be a professional. But being a professional doesn't mean suppressing our emotions. It means making space for them, ample space, for all the parts. This takes hard work, especially in a culture that fights us
People who care. Sometimes they show their care in ways we can see. Most times they do it in ways we don't even realise. The people who care make things better, they make everything better. It's worth overcoming the resistance and letting them know they matter.
Swimming goggles. My old swimming goggles were tedious. Water would go into them. Their fit was always off. It was a hassle. Luckily for me, they broke. And I had to buy a new pair. And when I swam with the new pair, I forgot about the googles altogether. I could simply
Rule number 6. An Excerpt From The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander & Ben Zander: Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him:
Getting beyond anxiety. Sharing few notes from Martha Beck that you might find helpful: * You are not in trouble. * You are meant to be at peace. * Anything that causes psychological suffering is an illusion. It's not the truth. It's anxiety. * There's something right with you. (in contrast
Really really... Martha Beck shared these two questions in her course based on the book Beyond Anxiety. When thinking of something you are procrastinating on, ask two questions: 1. Do I really really want to do this? 2. Do I really really have to do this? If the answer to both questions
Unoptimise. Optimisation can kill the magic. The magic of Starbucks was that you could go there and work without worrying about how long you sit. The magic of Apple was that they would take risks and make products that would delight you. With optimisation strategies, the magic is gone. What about
