10 Tips to remain productive: Don’t miss the final one

No interest in work anymore. Utterly lazy. No motivation to continue at all! Have you felt this way? If yes, you are in the right place. Here are a few tips to help you remain productive for long. 

Note: You can’t become productive overnight. You must be willing to persevere no matter how demotivating your work is.

1. Be reasonable: when you make your to-do list, you must be pretty reasonable. If you ask yourself to climb Mount Everest tonight, you know you cannot. Be kind to yourself.

2. Challenge yourself: When setting your targets for the day, do not underestimate yourself. Give yourself some challenging level of work. If you don’t, you are making yourself lazy.

3. Divide larger tasks into smaller bits: When you have a complex task, go step by step. Evaluate yourself by the steps you complete- not by the completion of the entire task. It’s like eating. You can’t eat a burger at one go. You need to take small bites and enjoy every bit if you want to get good results.

4. Focus: When you are doing a simple task, focus on that task. Do not overthink about your progress. Do not worry about the overall task. In short, be in the moment. That is the shortcut to happiness.

5. Schedule your time: If you know you are productive in the mornings, give yourself the most challenging tasks in the morning. This way, you are optimizing your productivity.

6. Note your ways: It is a good habit to note down how you react to stress and pressure. You can refer to your notes the next time you face stress, and ask yourself not to fall prey to illusions. This will help you to remain productive and focused.

7. Give yourself some time, some love: Nobody can work all the time. When the clock strikes the end, STOP working and leave your desk. You need to relax. Your body requires rest. Your mind requires recreation. Your family needs you. You need to love yourself.

8. Screen time: When you are away from your desk, are you on your phone or TV? That’s not effective. Screen time should not invade your personal space. Use your phone’s timers to limit your screen time to say, 60 minutes a day (that may be a lot for you).

9. Organize yourself: This is important. You need to plan your time. Set some days off of your work. Go for a ride. Have a romantic dinner. Rest.

10. Self-appreciation: Every weekend, appreciate yourself for the forbearance, dedication and hard work you put in to your work and family. If you feel you have not been efficient, challenge yourself.

In short, you need to be kind to yourself. Productivity comes when your body and mind are at peace. If you don’t relax, you can’t be productive. Have fulfilling relationships. Eat well, rest well and sleep well. Things will fall in place.

Desk Exercises for WFH

Feel tired and exhausted from working at your desk everyday at home? Well, there is a solution. You can practice these exercises which can strengthen your body while sitting at your desk. These are designed specifically for you if you have a 9-5 desk job which became 9-midnight due to WFH!

Here are our best suggestions. 

• Neck-Stretch - First, rotate your neck from side to side, forward and backward. Then, look left and right. Take care not to roll your neck, which is not good for the joints in the neck.Voila- your neck is no more stiff!
  
• Wrist-Roll- Roll your wrists clockwise and counterclockwise every once in a while. This increases flexibility and increases blood circulation.
• Ankle-Roll: Roll your ankles clockwise and conterclockwise evey once in a while to increase blood circulation and flexibility. 
• Shoulder-Roll: Roll your shoulders clockwise and counterclockwise every once in a while.
• Compress-Release: Tighten and release your abdominal muscles. You need to hold for a few seconds and then release. 
• Chest out: Hold your fists, push your elbows to your chair's back rest, and stretch your chest outwards. Hold your breath for 2-5 seconds and release. Repeat a few times. This increases blood circulation.
• Face crunch: Make the ugliest face you can by tightening every muscle on your face. Let your face vibrate and shake with tension. Hold for a few seconds and release. 
  
• Compress-Release: Tighten and release your buttocks as tightly as possible Hold and then release.
• Extend 'em: Hold your hands up and stretch them as far as possible while holding your breath and tightening as many muscles as possible on your body.
• Foot Raises:Raise your feet one by one a few inches from the ground and slowly set them back on the floor. Your thighs and hip must feel the stretch. Repeat a few times.
• Look out: If you are lucky to have a window by your desk, and you happen to have green foliage outside, do look out every half an hour. It will relax your eyes, and increase concentration.
• Drink up: Every 15-20 minutes, take a sip or two from your water bottle. Notice that tea/coffee wouldn't work. You need to hydrate yourself. You might need to go to the loo a few extra times, but that's better than a headache by evening, right?
• Straighten your back: Awareness is the key here. Straighten your back everytime you become aware that your back is not straight. Right, it may take some time, but you will get it right.
  

5 Reasons Why I Love 'The Expanse'

The Expanse is a serialized science fiction video series based on a novel series of the same name, authored by James S. A. Corey. The show was initially produced by Alcon Entertainment for TV. After three seasons, they canceled the show. Due to popular demand, Amazon Prime Studios picked up the series and produced a fourth season. The entire series is available on Amazon Prime. Here are 5 reasons why I love the series.

1. It is realistic

Unlike other science fiction series, this show is realistic. It doesn't create a reality that is entirely out of our sensibility. The planets, interplanetary travel, etc. are portrayed as is predicted/expected by scientific realities.

2. It has real physics involved.

The Expanse uses real physical laws in its story and graphics. For example, people of the belt are taller and leaner because they live in lower gravity than earth. Another example is how they show zero gravity and generation of artificial gravity.

3. It has real human elements, not entirely super-heroism.

Though there is exaggeration to an extent, The Expanse does not go over the board and place super-heroic acts in the series. The characters have real emotions and have real human errors and weaknesses, which make The Expanse a true reflection of human lives, well- in a sci-fi sense.

4. It reflects human political struggles

The Expanse may be set in the future, but the way the Earth, Mars and Belt fights over available resources, the way politicians and gun-people interact wielding power and missiles reflects the way we humans fight. In a way, The Expanse shows us how we may destroy our Earth not so far in the future.

5. Its story is believable.

Watching The Expanse, knowing that it is set in the future does not make it an unbelievable experience. The Iron Man may be unbelievable because it is set in today's world, and we know it is not true to our experience. But The Expanse is set in the future, and it is possible that our future is going to be like that. In a way then, The Expanse is trying to show us or trying to form our future.

The Expanse is a wonderful experience. If you haven't watched, please do. The first episode is a free gift to you even if you don't have Amazon Prime subscription. Just use this link: https://www.amazon.com/The-Expanse-Season-1/dp/B018BZ3SCM

How is meditation useful if you are already a happy person?

When you decide to begin a journey, the only stumbling block before you is the question 'when'. If you decide to begin  your journey the moment you decide about the journey, you have achieved half of what you deserve. The other half comes to you if you have the determination to persevere in your journey. Every journey has a beginning. Beginnings are important because they set the mood, the course and the end of the journey. That is why they say, 'well begun is half done'.

Source

When I was part of the Society of Jesus, I used to meditate everyday. It was part of the discipline of the Society. Spirituality was personal responsibility, but discipline was external till you were considered an adult in spirituality. So I meditated when the bell rang. After I left the Society to live as an ordinary human being in the society, I realized that meditations need not start when a bell rang. After a while, I stopped meditating altogether. I found that life was fruitful and happy if one concentrated in one's daily routine with dedication. I was happy to work, happy to earn, happy to spend what I earned, happy to save some wealth, happy to love, happy to share. I was happy. I didn't need to meditate to be happy.

Life went on happily like this for about ten years. Just the other day, I got to think about the meaning of life. As always, I gave prime importance to happiness. I was and am happy. I have a family, I have love, I have decent savings, I live a decent life, I earn respect, and I have material possessions to live happily. But, when I thought about the depth of that happiness, I found that my happiness could be deeper, fuller and stronger. I found that I could do better if I knew myself better. I realized that I needed to get in touch with my own self in a better manner.

Source

How do I do that? The best way is to sit quietly with closed eyes thinking nothing. By meditating.

So I got back to meditation. Yesterday, when I meditated after a long time, I used some peaceful music to support my concentration. Also, I made sure that I didn't pray. Prayer is useless when there is no conviction of its usefulness. So I sat down, listened to music and concentrated on my breathing. It was wonderful. After 15 minutes when the music stopped, I felt relaxed and reset. I knew then that I would meditate again.

Family: A spring of peace

The end of my teenage wasn’t the easiest. It should have been good, because I scored well in my school, was a ‘good boy’ in general, and knew how to do many things like plumbing, electrical work and cooking. But, the end of my teenage wasn’t the easiest.

Image from here

When I was in high school, the family was caught in a terrible financial crunch. It did not happen all on a sudden. The incidents that led to the crunch began many, many years ago. In 1989, my grandfather passed away after a prolonged period of illness and hospitalization. My mother single handedly managed grandfather’s illness, grandmother’s routine, home, her husband’s and four children’s office and studies, and the rubber and coconut plantation. When grandfather was at home, she had to give him her full attention, and take care of grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease. When grandfather was in the hospital, she had to run between the hospital and home, which were 23 kilometers apart. Only few buses plied that route, and she had to take two buses to reach the hospital or back. To this day, I don’t know how she managed. She must be given Nobel peace prize for keeping the family together.

After my grandfather’s death, grandmother’s disease intensified. She needed full attention till she passed away in 1991. Like grandfather, she was also hospitalized for a long time. By the time she passed away, my mother was worn out by taking care of everyone. We all supported and helped, but she was the one who bore the most. Even though he had 8 siblings, my father single handedly managed the expenses of treatment and hospitalization of both my grandparents. He educated all his four children, bought them books, magazines and other periodicals without letting us worry about finances. We lived an austere life, but his meager salary couldn’t bear all the expenses. By 1995, we were a half-broke family. We had loaned money from different sources to manage our expenses. And around that time, my eldest sister’s marriage took place. That had a heavy impact on our finances.

We stopped buying most vegetables and anything that looked like a luxury. We managed with tapioca, jack-fruits, mangoes, and leaves from our property. During these times, we cooked papaya in different forms- gravy and dry- not to feel that we were starving. My mother fed us and went hungry on many days, even after we insisted she shouldn’t do it. For years, we did not buy new clothes unless there were no spare. We tried hard to hold on to happiness in our lives.

By 1998, we completely ran out of resources. Debtors began to threaten us. There were police cases related to a bank transaction my father performed. People told us that he was cheated by one of our relatives. But till his death, he did not speak ill of anyone to us or to anybody else. He had to voluntarily retire from his job. All our income came to a sudden end. Though we had rich relatives, we had no one to turn to. Everyone thought that this situation came upon us because we lived an extravagant life. Some relatives explicitly told us that they ‘could’ help us to get out of debt, but they wouldn’t, since our problems are our problems alone! That hurt us more than the financial neck-break. So we decided to sell our house and property. Buyers knew our plight, and offered much less than the market value. Therefore, we sold everything. We bought and moved to a tiny, half-built house.

Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash

It was bad on all of us. My mother who managed 2 acres of land and a big house had to limit herself to a small house and a 10 scents plot. Our financial problems were not completely over. My father was arrested because a debtor presented a signed cheque much before we could deposit cash in the bank. Some friends and neighbours helped us get bail and settle the case out of court. That was when we realized that friends, neighbours and even strangers were more helpful than blood relatives.

My father began working for a self-help group to support the family. Two of us brothers were in college, and my younger sister was in school. With limited resources, we lived happily, sharing whatever we had. As a family, we realized that peace and joy are much more valuable than material possessions. We lost everything because we gave it to and for others who did not bother to reciprocate. It looks foolish to be such permanent-givers. People called you losers. But the same people who called you losers would come back to you after they realized your value as a human being.

Those who had deserted us are now friends again. Some did it because they felt bad for themselves. But I would like to call that ‘remorse’. After my father’s death, some began fondly remembering him for the good things he did for them in secret. No one knew about his deeds but the benefactor and beneficiary. He did not hold grudge against anyone when he had to stand alone. So as his family, we do not hold grudge against anyone either. We are who we are, and they are who they are. It is not in our hands to amend anyone’s ways, except ours. So, life goes on. Peacefully.

The Importance of Being Punctual

Introduction

What do you think is the primary reason for success in your job? For me, it is punctuality. Being punctual is the key to being successful at any job.

Imagine you have a doctor's appointment at 9 am on a Monday. You got up late and reached the doctor's office at 10 am. Will the doctor wait for you? Will you be able to consult? Will your ailment be cured? I guess not. Just by being not punctual, you lose your opportunity to gain health.  Now, who lost an opportunity? You. The doctor probably did not lose anything. It is you who lost the opportunity. Just as in this example, lack of punctuality can do serious damage to your career.

What kind of damage will it do? Let us see.

1. Lose Trust

By not being punctual, you lose the trust of your colleagues and superiors. If you are regularly not on time, your colleagues and superiors stop believing in your capacity to fulfil professional tasks since you don't even take the trouble to be punctual. Because you cannot be trusted, you will not be considered the right candidate for most of the jobs. This is how losing trust may do serious damage to your career.

2. Lose opportunity

By not being punctual, you may lose the opportunities that are otherwise available for your professional growth. If your superiors and colleagues do not trust you, it is highly probable that they won't entrust you with any serious task. That means, you lose plenty of opportunities to excel, prove your mettle and become a better professional. This is how you lose opportunities by not being punctual.

3. Lose Time

By not being punctual, you lose a lot of time. You get up late, you sleep late, you reach office late, you do your work late... What happens is that you lose your discipline and end up as a lazy person. Where does all the extra time go? It goes waste. By reaching your office late, you lose precious time to do some useful work. By getting up late, you lose useful morning time. By sleeping late, you lose precious sleep. In short, by being out of time schedule, you lose a lot of time.

4. Lose Growth

By not being punctual you lose your growth as a professional, as a person and as a member of your social circles. Nobody really wants to be friends with a lazy person who does not respect others' time. No office would value a person who does not meet deadlines. No friend will want to spend time with a person who does not respect their time. They will all try to push you away, and not be associated with you. This way, by being disrespectful of others' time, you lose the growth which should have been yours otherwise.

Now, let us look at the advantages of being punctual.

1. Social Recognition

By being punctual, you will be respected by the members of your social circles, your family, your office and your neighbourhood. Don't you think a punctual person will be highly valued in comparison with a person who is not? By being punctual, you will be respected by your friends and relatives. Your relatives will love a punctual you more than a lazy one!

2. Self-Discipline

By being punctual, you grow in discipline. You will learn to sleep on time, get up on time, have bath on time, eat on time, do things on time, and be on time everywhere. This will bring unforeseen benefits into your life. Your personal life will improve. Your relationships with friends and family will improve. Your professional relationships will improve. A disciplined person would be valued much better than an undisciplined one.

3. Self-Appraisal

When you are a punctual person, you will value yourself much better. This has multiple advantages. Your self-esteem will grow. You will see yourself as a better person and will help you become as a better person. In other words, when you are a punctual person, you will have a better image of yourself. This in turn will work like a charm and improve your life.

Conclusion

As we saw in the words above, punctuality has the potential to improve your life in multiple ways. Your professional life is the largest beneficiary of being punctual. In addition, your personal life, relationships and even your self-esteem will improve as a result of being punctual. So the tagline is, "Be Punctual".