Personal Improvement Blog
Self-Improvement
What are you grateful for?
Sep 8th
On one of the forums in caloriecount (about.com site), there was a wonderful thread on what are you grateful for in your life. I am quite inspired by it. Here is a quick rundown of what I am thankful for in my life (not in any special order).
- My family, who are the reason for me getting up every day with joy and happiness
- Our health
- Our home
- Wonderful food
- Working in a wonderful place with wonderful people
There are many more (too many to count, in fact), but just that that I am simply alive, healthy and have something to look forward to every day is enough to make me feel so thankful.
Take some time to retrospect and count your blessings. Let us know in the comments.
Busy vs. Productive
Jul 27th
Shamelle has written a great post on distinguishing between “being productive” and “being busy” all the time.
This is a coincidence, since I was reading Seth Godin’s book (featuring his blog posts) and one thing jumped at me: “Give me nine-to-five executives who can create remarkable things and I will change the world”.
Put these two thoughts together and you will come to the conclusion that you can get a lot of things done without slogging for 15 hours a day. Honestly, I believe a strict nine-to-five job is generally not possible, especially as you move up the ladder.
Teams spread across different time zones, systems that function 24×7 and the sheer volume of decisions that need to be taken, makes it almost impossible not to have a Blackberry. Which, essentially, means, I disagree with Seth (on the nine-to-five part 
)
Back to the real question, how can you be productive and not just busy? To add to Shamelle’s advise, I have a couple of things you can do.
1. Deliverable-based Structure (as opposed to WBS)
Most of us, including myself, think of work in terms of activities and not as deliverables. For example, if I have to send out a report, my task is named as Create Report with sub tasks as organize a meeting, talk to systems group and get information etc. You can see the output of each activity is not clearly identified, with the result that the meeting happens, but there is no concrete outcome.
Instead, reword your tasks as units whose progress is measurable. In our trivial example, the sub-tasks could be Meeting minutes with commitment from the teams, raw data report from the systems group, analysis document prepared from the data etc.
2. Schedule tasks as much as possible on your calendar
This allows you to focus on things you need to get done by meeting with yourself. By allotting time to your tasks, you make sure you have made some progress on all your tasks, rather than look only at the urgent tasks.
An empty calendar can also get you pulled into meetings that don’t have much value 
.
Bonus tip: Use a Task Manager (not the Windows Task Manager). Check out my post on using TaskCoach.
4 neat things to do when you feel unproductive
Jul 16th
Have you had a day at work when you have felt/done more than one out of the following?
Image courtesy HikingArtist
- Did not look at your to-do list
- Postponed tasks without reason
- Spent an unusual time at the water cooler
- Asking strange/weird/odd questions on the internet or surfed endlessly
Then, you are bored, officially. Yes, we have all had those days when work seems uninteresting, but you cannot take a day off. What do you then? You can try one of 3 things
1. Buckle up and try to turn around an unproductive day into a productive one
2. Get back your lost focus
3. You can do these 3 things (I love lists!)
- Reconnect
- Recreate
- Rest
- Review
Reconnect
There are those “long lost” friends or close relatives you were intending to call this week to see how they are doing. Call them now. You can also take this time to network on a personal level and send out a “hi, how are you doing?” email.
Recreate
Download and play an enjoyable computer game [a flash game perhaps, so that you don't have to install it]. Don’t get carried away, though
If computer games are not your cup of tea, you could read an e-book or go to the office library, if you have one. Choose something that is light and fun, otherwise, you will start hating that too.
Rest
Take a nap, if you have a nap room (as they do in some companies, especially Japan). Or simply close your eyes for a few minutes. Taking a mental break and slowly counting to thousand might also help.
Review
This may be a good time to think about the big picture – your family, your goals in life, direction in which your life is going, satisfaction etc. Don’t combine this with point 3 though – your nap may turn into a deep sleep.
For the folks doing GTD or its variants, this may also be a good time to look at that “someday” list.
The idea is not always to “motivate” yourself to work harder – sometimes it is better to acknowledge that there will be days when you are not simply upto it.
What do you on such rainy days at office? Let us know in the comments.
Managing my Tasks
Jul 9th
I received an email today (surprise!) from a blog reader on an aspect I have never written about – managing my tasks. The question was (snipped for clarity),
“Hi
I need some software/tool to manage my tasks. I am not yet ready for frameworks like GTD, but need something that can help me in my daily work.”
I thought the best way to respond to him was to show him how I managed my tasks myself. Out of my response grew this post.
Over the past few years, I have tried many ways of keeping tracks of tasks. The ol’ paper, spreadsheets and even MS Project (that was truly overkill). Within these mediums, I invented new ways of managing my work. It didn’t work. And one day, it happened. I read the book Getting Things Done. I was excited, because the book showed me exactly what I was doing wrong. 
My mistake was a common one – I was not capturing all inputs and transferring into a written form (I don’t mean “written” literally, of course). I dutifully downloaded some GTD software, bought a moleskin and sat back for a smooth ride. Oops.
A couple of months later, I realized I was doing worse than before. Now, I left the mechanics of GTD and delved deeper into the principles and philosophy. What did I find? I had trusted my capture system, but was not really capturing all of them, I couldn’t do contexts right and more importantly for me, I was not breaking up composite tasks.
In my frustration, I threw out everything and started with paper and pen. One thing I learned is that it doesn’t scale up well. After asking around in forums and speaking to a lot of people, I decided to simplify and create my own version of GTD. A bit of planning and introspection told me that there are a few important things to keep in mind
Image courtesy Klaxon
- Break out composite tasks (or what GTD calls Projects) in as much detail as possible with separate end dates for each of the sub-tasks
- Self-appointments don’t always work, as I work with large teams and there are a lot of on-the-fly interactions (I wouldn’t take the more negative word “interruptions”)
- Use your smartphone for the really, really important tasks and personal tasks
- Use Weekly reviews consistently (Read this article from StepCase Lifehack on how to do them well)
- If you can’t note down some idea or task immediately, record it in your phone and then transcribe it. Schedule it on your phone as well with a reminder.
My biggest problem, thankfully, was finding a simple software that could handle my projects and tasks effectively. After a lot of installations and un-installations, I found TaskCoach, developed by Frank Niessink and Jerome Laheurte. It is a wonderful piece of software that, unlike many other task managers, can handle composite tasks very well [It is also free and comes with a GNU license].
TaskCoach can track effort through its built-in clock, has pop-up reminders, color coding based on completion dates, filters and other great features. You can add attachments and notes to your tasks and the most helpful point for me – I can drag Outlook items to create new tasks quickly with the email as an attachment
With this software, I have not missed any dates, although I still have to improve in the “ubiquitous capture” aspect. After the stabilization period (I have set 6 months and in month 4 now), I am planning to move on to the next level of GTD.
Resources:
- If you want to know more about GTD, get the book here or the audio series here
- If you are more of a visual person or need an image to get the big picture, here is a good one
- A simplified version of GTD that has become very popular is Zen-To-Done (ZTD) by Leo Babauta
How do you manage your work, with all the complexities of modern life? Do you use an electronic system or paper or a hybrid? Let us know in the comments.
6 quick tips to keep your career on track
Feb 27th
The recession is taking a heavy toll on us, with massive job cuts and reduced pay being reported across the world. Everyone still holding a job is feeling tense – who knows when the axe will fall on them!
It is better not to give into negative thinking, but plan and prepare for such an eventuality. Here are some quick tips to help you. These are not new, but they are exactly what I did to find a different role in my organization.
1. Network like crazy
Network with all your contacts in your entire career. Yes, your entire career.
Dig out those old emails and make a list of people with whom you have more than a passing acquaintance. Send them a “hi, how are you doing?” email. No pitching for any jobs at this point. With those who respond, have a more detailed conversation and renew old ties. Please remember, there has to be a genuine connection, otherwise you risk being labelled as a person who remembers them only in times of distress.
2. Face time with people who matter
“Out of sight is out of mind” is probably a cliche, but true nevertheless. Know who the movers and shakers in your department are and initiate closer interaction with them. Go out for lunch with them or at least the coffee machine. It is easier to recommend someone whom you see every day than someone who may be more talented, but is not seen!
3. Establish your expertise
Nothing establishes your reputation like published papers. Write a few whitepapers and send them for external publication in conferences and workshops. Become a panel discussion member or a speaker at such conferences. They can add a lot to your credentials (and your credibility in the eyes of your cutomers!)
4. Keep looking for jobs
A job in hand is better than two in the bush – to paraphrase the old saying. Don’t let this stop you from constantly looking out for another one. It may be an internal role or outside the company, but never assume your job is permanent.
5. Work like crazy
Although there is no guarantee that workalohics will not be laid off, it may make a difference when you are competing against others for jobs. A workalohic will appear passionate about giving his all to the company when it is in a tough situation. This is also the moment to forget about Work-Life Balance. Indeed, in my blog series on Work-Life Balance, I had referred to situations where you may have peak and down periods of effort. This is one of those times!
6. Reduce your Cost to Company
If you are considered costlier to the company vis a vis the benefit the company gets from you, you are in danger. This is all the more true if you are a senior person in the company. Get a feel (or an actual quote from your manager, if you can!) on what is the cost/benefit ratio for you in the company. Take steps if possible to minimize that. For example, you can reduce telephone, fuel, electricity and other “perk” costs. Proactively forego raises or the company car till the company is back to normal.
Do you have any such tips that you have used? Share it with us in the comments.
Why language skills are important to your success?
Sep 17th
And what you can do about it…
What do great leaders have in common? Charisma, passion, hard work – yes, these qualities come to mind readily, but what 
about the ability to communicate to your superiors, peers and juniors effectively? To communicate effectively, you need to have a better-than-average language skills.
After reading a book called Rules of Work, I listed some managers in my organization who were considered potential leaders and started observing them in great detail. I found that the best managers in my organization, regardless of their seniority tend to be the ones who can speak effectively and efficiently.
Are you a good with your language?
Everyday, we demonstrate our ability through our interactions with others. Emails, Phone calls, meetings, presentations, talk near the water cooler and even informal toasts provide perfect opportunities for our superiors and peers to judge us.
Take a moment and think about how you are perceived by your colleagues in your ability to communicate effectively. Are you the person they turn to for sudden presentations (and luncheon toasts!)? When you speak, do they listen closely or interrupt you frequently?
The keywords when it comes to language is “Clean and Clear”
Below are some techniques to improve your language skills and tips on using them.
The Lost art of Precis Writing
Precis Writing is a technique where you are given a long text and are expected to summarize in a defined set of words. You must be able to condense verbose text into something that is easy to understand.
Tip: Use this to improve your email-writing ability
Email is the most widely used communication tool in business today. However, this generation has not been trained to write effectively with the result that most emails are either incomplete or ramble so much as to leave the reader confused on what he is supposed to do.
Note: Email etiquette is a bigger subject, which I will not get into here. Here are some links for you to find out more on it:
http://www.sideroad.com/Career_Advice/business-email-etiquette.html
http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/dec99/pirillo1.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/636/01/
Play JAM
JAM or Just-A-Minute is a game where you have to speak for one full minute without pausing on a given topic. The original JAM is a BBC Radio game, with many rules and interpretations. For our purposes, just the “without pausing rule” is sufficient. If you are not used to this sort of quick thinking, you can spend one minute thinking and framing your speech.
Select a topic from your daily newspapers, spend a minute thinking and then use a timer to speak for one minute. If the topic is something you feel passionate about, then you will find words come easily. To add to the excitement, choose a boring subject or a single word!
Tip: Use this to become an engaging talker in informal gatherings
Note: I also find JAM to be quite entertaining for a party at home with family or close friends.
Join a Toast Masters club
Once you have some experience of speaking, join a ToastMaster club near you. In addition to plenty of opportunities for speaking, you get other many other benefits:
- Speak in front of an audience of strangers
- Listen to others and learn techniques from them
- Learn to speak the right way – with tonal changes etc
- Tip: Use this to overcome your stage fear and speak in front of an audience of people you do not know.
Learn correct grammar
I don’t mean you should spend a lot of time with grammar books learning the difference between sarcasm and satire, but you should know correct pronunciation, use proper sentences and have a decent vocabulary.
There are hundreds of courses online, but often, the cheapest source is either your own organization’s training department or the local library.
http://esl.about.com is a good online source for learning the finer points of English. While it is focussed on people with English as a 2nd Language, it has something for everyone too. There are many links to other resources (since it is on the About.com site), which may be useful.
Here is a site which shows the common mistakes made by people – http://www.learnenglish.de/mistakes/CommonMistakes.htm
Tip: Ensure you don’t make basic mistakes. It also impresses people when you can talk and write flawless grammar.
Note: Bad spelling, pronunciation and incorrect grammar can confuse and irritate many people, especially for those who do not have English as their native language. They have taken the trouble to learn it correctly and they expect you to do the same.
Use the old ways – Voice recorders, mirrors
When I was in school, I used to participate in speech and debating competitions. One technique taught by my old teachers was to record myself using a tape recorder and listen to it a few times. Natural pauses, ‘umms’ and other blanks needed to be identified and worked on. The first time I did this, I was shocked – I was using these fillers a lot!
Another good way to study your body language is to stand before a mirror or better still, ask a close friend or family member to critique you.
Tip: Use this to correct your tonal modulations, posture and hand-waving when you speak – especially when you are speaking about something passionately.
Practise, Practise, Practise
There is no substitute to the real world. Grab any opportunity to speak before an audience. Just ensure you don’t bore them with long monologues and everything will be fine. This is especially true if you are not in the “prime speaker” mode, e.g., in a party. Keeping the conversation flowing by active listening is an important skill and better left for another post.
If you are in a position to plan your presentation or speech, ensure you know every aspect of it fully, so that you don’t get rattled by any questions.
Tip: There is no tip for this
Important Note:
All your efforts will be in vain if you cannot carry them off. Confidence is the important ingredient – confidence in your thinking ability, postures and language.
Summary
Your ability to speak and write well contributes to maintaining a successful image, reduces brain clutter and makes conversing with you a pleasure.
Goals for 2008
Aug 9th
After reading JD @ Get Rich Slowly about writing down goals, I was inspired to write down my immediate goals for 2008. I have been keeping all this my head and when I sit down for a moment of rest, activities related to these just crowd in and have a party.
Writing them down should, at the very least shoo them away.
This is just a list, without any order and includes all sorts of goals. Some of them have timelines while others do not.
- Insurance on the house mortgage (Immediate)
- Read "Know How" by Ram Charan and review on Lifesays
- Take a health insurance plan for my parents (Immediate)
- Beef up emergency fund to at least 3 months
- Create a Coffee-table book using my best pictures
- Complete blog design and join a blog network
The last one needs some time, which is what I don’t have right now. But the biggest goal which is more like a continuous one is to spend quality time with my daughter.
How do you plan your goals? Or are you one of those lucky people who can juggle a hundred things in their heads?
Spending vs. Saving
Jul 17th
I saw an ad for a large, flatscreen LCD that I thought would be really wonderful. Combined with a home theatre system, I could watch movies and TV in full Dolby.
However, after that desire had cooled down a bit, I did a bit of thinking. Why did I want it? The honest answer was about having the TV as a showpiece in the house. In other words, it was more of a lifestyle statement rather than really needing it. That train of thought led me to question my beliefs.
What, truly, is "Quality of Life"? If I buy that TV and "feel good", do I have a better Quality of Life? Or, if I put that money away for investment, am I depriving myself?
The most common response would be "Strike a balance." But the million dollar question is "what is that balance?". Where do I draw the line?
This is part of the "save now, be happy later" vs "be happy now, who knows how long you will live" debate. No easy answers, but I suspect each of us need to find that balance ourselves and I am almost sure that you cannot copy someone else in this.
I am seeking that balance. If you already a Zen Master, please guide me. If you are a fellow pilgrim, join me.
Colored Glasses – How perception alters behavior
Jun 23rd
You are right. This is a blog on self-improvement, not psychology. I’ll give you a little background so you will be able to understand the context for this post.
I was working in a small group that was part of a larger one. Even before I entered this smaller group, I was constantly told on how certain individuals were not ‘good’, they were selfish and used you to achieve their goals and then discarded you. This intensified when I joined.
I was infected. Being one of the core members of the team, I had to interact with these people and my impressions started affecting my relationship, even though they never did anything wrong to me. I was defending others whom I thought were fellow victims. I went to the extent of blaming others for my non-growth. I was allowing other people’s experiences and impressions to cloud my own!
Years of reading self-improvement books did not give me the mental clarity to see through this. It needed a good friend of mine, who was tired of my ranting, to bring me to my senses. I cannot forget that moment, when he looked into my eyes and gently said, "Hey, Don’t make your friends’ enemies your own!" It magically cleansed me of the poison that was spreading through my mental system. I felt exhilarated and then understood what people meant when they talked of the "Aha" moment.
I then used this insight in other areas of my life and then discovered that I held to some beliefs strongly without any experience of my own, just because someone whom I trusted and respected said so. That was my weakness – anyone whom I respected I automatically assumed them to be right always. Thanks to my friend, I understood that each person builds his/her own equation with others and unlike mathematics, one person’s equation may not be the same as his or her own. Removing such negativity from your inner being will release negative energy that saps you from achieving the most out of your life.
Examine your perceptions of the people you really dislike or really like. Are they based on your own experiences and facts? You may sometimes be surprised at the answer. If you have any such experiences, we would be glad to hear it.
Live well.