Your to-do list should provide you comfort instead of filling you with dread. Find out some key list do’s and don’ts whether Apps or manual lists work well. This is the final part in the Time Management lessons / Productivity Hacks series. We created a Master list in Part 1, categorized the list in Part 2, pruned … Read more
Why do we indulge in behaviors that aren’t in our best interests? What are the signs of self-sabotage? How do we stop self-sabotage and why does it matter? Captain Cautious A few mornings ago, I woke up, determined to get an 8-mile run in before work. I was about 4 miles in when I got … Read more
Having a great to-do list is only useful if you can make progress by checking off items on your list. Here are 11 rules on how to schedule tasks on your list. The whole point of making a to-do list is to let you focus on task-doing rather than task-planning. The former gets you results … Read more
If you stop learning, you start dying. Learning something new is key not just for growth, but for survival. Let’s learn why. When was the last time you truly learnt learned something new? My Commonwealth upbringing keeps wanting to use the term ‘learnt’ but my location-based spell-check software (in California) keeps correcting it to ‘learned‘. … Read more
This is Part 3 in the Time Management lessons / Productivity Hacks series. Part 1 discussed the importance that Lists play in Time Management and how to get started with the Master List. In Part 2, we discussed how to analyze the list by asking the question ‘What kinds of tasks are on the Master … Read more
I closed the 3 rings for Activity, Exercise, and Movement on my Apple Watch for 200 consecutive days. This essay contains the 11 lessons on Grit I learned through the process. Mihajlo Pupin I stumbled upon this story by accident but I’m so glad I did. It’s about a scientist named Mihajlo Pupin (1858–1935). Pupin … Read more
Part 1 of this series emphasized the importance of Lists in the planning process and how to build a ‘Master list’. In this post, I’ll try to explain how to break this list down into categories to ultimately determine ‘What tasks belong on your to-do list’. There are 4 simple, yet profound questions that you … Read more
Task lists, Action lists, Gratitude lists, To-do lists, To don’t lists – this list is endless (pun intended). Regardless of whether you love or loathe Lists, the power of lists in helping you achieve goals in life cannot be overstated. In jest, I have made some not-so-complimentary references to how lists rule my life, in … Read more
This is the first post in my new ‘Productivity Hacks Series – Things I wish someone had told me a decade ago’. Hindsight is 20-20. There are many things I wish my younger self knew. For instance, I wish someone had told me about the myths and truths about Multitasking. “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live … Read more
If you are someone with a Type A personality or if you have to deal with a family member, coworker or friend with a Type A personality, then this post may be of interest to you. Lessons from furniture About 50 years ago, Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, two cardiologists in the Bay Area, bucked … Read more
In the age of information overload and distorted truths, it has become ever so important to know what to believe. This is why a little skepticism is good for you. In the 16th century, when tobacco was first introduced in England, it was seen as a reliable prophylactic against the plague. Kids were encouraged to … Read more
Today, I’d like to discuss one of my favorite leisure pursuits – Worrying. And how to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Emma Morano and the Redwoods Pop quiz: Who is Emma Morano and what’s her claim to fame? No googling allowed. Scientist Sports person Political leader Actor All of the above None of the above … Read more
Jumping to Conclusions Those who know me personally or from my running stories, know that I like to run. But the sport at which I truly excel is Jumping. Jumping to conclusions, that is. Here’s an example. Morning Run It was early in the morning. I was on Mile 3 of my tempo run. That’s … Read more
Ever pondered the question: If you could have dinner with a historical figure, who would it be? I have. The answer: I have not one person in mind but a LIST. Oh yeah, another List. (For my fascination with lists please see some of my other posts –Overthinking, One more thing). Today, from that list, … Read more
This post is about avoiding overthinking through mindfulness meditation. Whoa! Deep. I believe this practice has the power to be life changing. So, bear with me. As I sat down to write this, here is what I have discovered in the last 5 minutes: The framed photo that’s hanging on my wall is crooked. From … Read more
How the Pandemic has transformed my FOMO to JOMO
I like lists. I have always made them as far back as I remember. Pompous as it sounds, I even have a master list of all my lists. By logic, this should have resulted in my becoming a very accomplished individual. But here’s the clarification: I like making lists. It’s quite debatable how often I … Read more
In Part 1, we discussed how to identify our timewasting kryptonite(s) using time logs. I know I suggested starting small. The longer you keep time logs, though, you’ll get a truer and more realistic picture of how you spend your time. Using just a one-week sample may not be truly indicative of your patterns. Also, … Read more
I have an exercise for you. This will take about 5-10 minutes. When you’re ready, take a piece of paper and create a 2-column table like the one below. On the left mark, 2-hour of chunks of time. Your exercise is to fill in activities you did during those times on a weekday this past … Read more
The first quarter of 2020 is almost done. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to complete a month-long streak of closing all 3 rings every day on my Apple Watch Activity tracker. For those not familiar with the concept, this involves a “Stand” goal (at least some movement every hour) for 12 hours a … Read more