In the first part of the series on getting organised, we learned how we need a place for everything and that everything should be in its place. Today, we learn about another common problem that comes in the way of staying organised, i.e. pile up. Things or activities keep piling up. Due to overwhelm, we let them pile up and do not deal with them. By the time we decide to do something about the pile, we have a huge backlog. Here’s how to systematically deal with pile ups or better yet, not let things pile up in the first place. Continue reading Get organised: Part 2: Cut through pile-up
Harikrishna Natrajan
Harikrishna Natrajan worked for a decade in the software industry, really enjoying the field throughout his job career. A software developer with proficiency in multiple programming languages, he chose startups as his destinations and worked in a lot of applications (such as WiFi networks and Android car dashboards) before they became popular in the retail market. Thus he enjoyed being ahead of the curve. His commitment to work on open source solutions led him to explore a lot of options and get work done without being tied up by the whims of a single corporation.
With his love for travel, he found freedom and leaves scarce while working in jobs. With the full support of Priya, his wife, he quit his last job in the November of 2015 and entered the world of software freelancing full time, after trying it as a side gig for 3 months. Priya soon quit her job too as the two of them planned an ambitious, life-changing year-long self-planned trip around India.
Nowadays, he enjoys life with his wife, who also quit her job, and both are always on the lookout for experimenting with self-planned travels, ideas for entrepreneurship and passive income and how to get better at life. He writes about his learning experiences on this blog.
Here are Harikrishna Natrajan's blog posts.
Get organised: Part 1: Identity your spaces
This post starts a series of posts that teach you how to stay organised. The first of the posts talks about the different types of spaces around you, each playing a type of role for organisation. Sounds jargonistic. But let this post explain. Continue reading Get organised: Part 1: Identity your spaces
Book summary: Now Habit by Neil Fiore
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Title: The Now Habit |
| Author: Neil Fiore | |
| Publisher: Penguin | |
| ISBN-10: 1585425524 | |
| ISBN-13: 978-1585425525 | |
| Buy from: Amazon.in | Amazon.com |
Continue reading Book summary: Now Habit by Neil Fiore
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Rewarding yourself immediately: The ONE surefire way to keep your habits
Is instant gratification evil? Does working on long term goals need sacrifices such that you need to give up something fun today for a better future? Is working on long term goals a drudgery, which appears boring and monotonous?
The answer to all three questions is NO. You can build a good habit and make it fun and instantly gratifying. In fact, that is the ONLY way to keep up that habit long term. Let’s read on to learn more. Continue reading Rewarding yourself immediately: The ONE surefire way to keep your habits
Choose your words, frame your situation
It is often said that there are no good or bad events, just events. Whether it is a good event or a bad one is decided by the emotion that we attach to it. Sure, some events are frustrating and some are saddening. But they are only so if you decide to let them get to you.
Nothing lets you stew in your negative emotion than the words you choose to describe a situation. The human brain can quickly attach emotions to words from spoken / written language. The words you use to phrase a situation can directly or invisibly affect your emotions. The words you choose can either empower you to take control or leave you writhing in pain, self-pity and helplessness.
Here’s how you can choose your words carefully and frame your situation accordingly.
Book Summary: Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar
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Title: The Art of Choosing |
| Author: Sheena Iyengar | |
| Publisher: Twelve | |
| ISBN-10: 0446504114 | |
| ISBN-13: 978-0446504119 | |
| Buy on: Amazon.in | Amazon.com |
Continue reading Book Summary: Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar
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Coming up: An experiment with veganism
Priya (my wife) and I have read several articles on veganism. Both of us are vegetarians. Our diet is made of whole grains, grain flour, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables. In addition, we also consume milk thrice a day and use milk-based products such as curd and ghee in ample quantities.
The range of articles on veganism goes from absolute fanaticism to hateful criticism. It is difficult to determine solely based on polarised opinions whether veganism is really life-changing in a positive way or just a fad. So we have decided to embark on a one month experiment in the December of 2019. If things work wonderfully during the experiment, like it has for hundreds of thousands of vegans, our new year resolution will be to turn vegans long term. Otherwise we will pretend that the month-long experiment never happened! Continue reading Coming up: An experiment with veganism
Book Summary: Deep Work by Cal Newport
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Title: Deep Work |
| Author: Cal Newport | |
| Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group | |
| ISBN-10: 9780349413686 | |
| ISBN-13: 978-0349413686 | |
| Buy on: Amazon.in | Amazon.com |
Introduction
In a generation that is constantly distracted by several inputs, either from too many electronic devices or by the constant interruptions of a an open plan work space, Cal Newport is a contrarian emphasising that several hours of work where you are uninterrupted by devices or humans is essential if you want to perform ground-breaking work. In his book Deep Work, he classifies all important work that requires total focus and utmost concentration as deep work or the type of work in which you need to work hard and dive deep down into the depths of your brain or body to find focus and achieve your goals. All other work which keep you busy, but have no significant change in your life, say checking emails, chatting with your colleagues over work and commuting as shallow work. Continue reading Book Summary: Deep Work by Cal Newport
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5 thought-changing books you should read this year
Priya and I read several non-fiction books every year. Usually our yearly tally is 20 books each. We also summarise most of the books we read. You can read them in the Book Summaries section.
In this post, we have picked 5 books that are our favourites. Reading these books have replaced some cliched and flawed thoughts about talent, personal finance, productivity, psychology and concentration. Continue reading 5 thought-changing books you should read this year
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Treat your brain like a two-year old child to beat procrastination
You have heard productivity gurus often say that in order to go to the gym the next morning, you have to lay out the clothes near your bed at night, or perhaps even sleep in them. This sounds like excellent advice. But despite that friction-busting move, here’s what happens in the morning.
Alarm clock: RRRRiiiinngggg!
You: Okay, let’s go to the gym.
Your brain: Whiiiiiiiiine…. I want to sleep. The bed is comfortable. I am not getting up.
Continue reading Treat your brain like a two-year old child to beat procrastination