The world is amazing!

It is really funny the way he says it, but he has a very very good point.

(Got it from here : http://sivers.org/sharing - great blog. I love his simple style! :) )

Last class..

Yesterday, I attended my last class in university without even realizing it. 

It was the Chinese oral exam. Well, that was not strictly a class, so lets see.. it was the Chinese class 2 weeks ago. (I stopped attending other classes).

And today I will be finishing my last assignment!

A close friend of mine graduated 6 months ago and left for the US to work. He was feeling.. sad I guess and emotional. The way you feel when you leave your parents to come to a foreign country. It was rather unusual of him but this was his first home away from home, and he would be leaving the place, the environment, friends... indefinitely for quite sometime. He was starting a new life. This was not an exchange. When he came back, he wouldnt be the carefree student, but a responsible worker!

Now, I am not leaving this place anytime soon, but I will definitely miss this important chapter of my life. I have been doing a course I liked, I did fairly well academically, enjoyed my courses, and learnt a LOT both inside and outside of my course. I extended my study for 1 additional semester, partly to buy some time and partly to finish my minor. And this additional semester, i decided to explore. Besides, the 2 modules I had to do to graduate, I finally decided to learn Chinese.  I also did a math module "purely for fun". Both were very satisfying and enjoyable!! On the side, I worked on my startup. Half sem through, I was working mostly and studying by the side. Towards the end, I have completely lost interest in the studying part (except the "purely for fun" math module). I am learning much more from my startup. Assignments feel like a waste of time (who cares about this code? It is not going to help anyone.. I might as well work on something more useful!). For the first time, I went to demo my project and the tutor gave me pity marks because nothing worked. For the first time, I skipped assignment submissions completely. For the first time, well I did a lot of firsts. Some of which I d rather keep to myself ;) Things that a lot of people generally do much earlier in University. 

My point is, I have withdrawn myself from university gradually. It wasnt like I spent 4 years mugging my ass off and then suddenly started working. I spent 4 years half studying, and 1 semester 1/4th studying.. and its time to jump off. It feels right. I dont want to study any longer and I feel I have had my fill!!

But even so, the protection of the uni was nice. There was this safety net that made sure you wouldnt fall too bad. Mistakes resulted in bad grades not lost money / lawsuits. You were still a student. Responsibilities were minimal. And now, in a couple of weeks, I throw that protection away to explore the big bad world all on my own :) I feel a bit scared, but also confident that I will be able to pull through.. I feel a little nostalgic but also happy to be moving on...

I dont know where this will lead - I would definitely not have predicted my current state 4 years ago - but I am sure it will be as much fun as the years that preceded it. As I see it, the process counts as much as the result! And the only thing affecting the process is my attitude! :)

Rescue time..

A friend/lifehacher introduced me to this neat little app called RescueTime. I have been using it for a month now.. it sits in the background and observes what you are doing. then your activities are categorized into -2 to 2 points. -2 being very distracting and +2 being very productive. Then it shows neat little graphs on how your spend (waste) your time every day.

My biggest learning from the exercise was how much time was wasted in email. I knew I was spending more time that I should.. but when I saw I was spending close to 4hours per day at the email, it gave me quite a shock. 

I have made emails a -1 activity since then, and my mind has responded by subconsciously classifying email as a distraction - so now there is a guilt feeling, sense of self betrayal etc. when I spend too much time on email. I dont keep a browser tab on emails all the time. I switch on 3G on my phone only when I really need it, and life is much better! :) 

Do try RescueTime! 

Geek joke! :D

Person 1: What's the integral of 1/cabin?     

Person 2: A natural log cabin.     

Person 1: No, a houseboat you forgot to add the c!

24 hours

We just had a 24 hour marathon at work, since we realized we were moving waayy to slow for a startup. 

It was 3 of us - 8pm Fri night to 8pm Saturday night. I realized immediately that for the whole thing to work, some structure was required. 

So this is what I tried.

1. We sat in such a way that all of us could see each other's laptops.. ie noone could goof off.

2. We sat outside in the open actually - no AC, but good powerpoints and internet.. sometimes it was sweaty.. but once we got into the groove, we couldnt bother about the weather. In such time, I guess it is helpful if there is a natural breeze around and it is not too cold. 

3. The prohibited list - this was critical. We made a list of things that were banned. They included email, chat, facebook, games, blogs. These were banned even during breaks. And if anyone was caught violating the ban, a starbucks treat was due (noone violated :) ).

4. 1 hour work, 10 mins sharing. This was great at creating momentum.. after a while, we got so absorbed though that we forgot about the breaks :)

5. Blog - we had a little company blog where we decded post stuff through the night.. it provided some  humour and relief..  I hit upon this only half way through.

6. We shifted places now and then (For dinner etc) to allow some stretching - it gets really tiring if one sits at the comp non stop for long periods.

7. Once we were done, we take 3 days fully off.

All in all, it was a hugely successful session! I am so full of energy 2 hours AFTER we finished the marathon. Would definitely recommend it if you feel things are moving slow in your startup/group/project. But, remember - the structure and environment are key!

To share or not to share, that is the question!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHopJHSlVo4

We have generally been told about the peer pressure factor that pushes us to achieve a goal. A lot of apps exists and a lot of productivity techniques revolve around that. Why, even my last blog post was based on making a public commitment. 

But then I think he has a point. Take for example, the last time I told someone I was going to jog 3 times a day. I did do it for a while, but after a point, I had proved half the point, and failing wasnt THAT embarassing so I stopped for whatever reason.. noone noticed, and I quietly swept it under the carpet. 

People make and break commitments around us all the time. So what is the big deal - especially if it wont hurt anyone but ourselves? [A jar sometimes helps the cause - more on that in another post ]

A couple of months back, I told MYSELF that I would sleep and wake up on time. I didnt want to publicize only break the commitment later. I have been sticking to it quite well with nothing to motivate me but a desire to set a standard for myself! People have started noticing.. and the delayed gratification has given me even more inspiration!

I guess there is a balance then - perhaps based on the circumstances, the type of goal and also the type of person you are! 

(Do watch the other videos on his channel if you are interested in doing something on your own.. he adds a very fresh perspective!)

Not being lazy

A lot of people have asked me to continue my blog. They told me it was nice. I didnt share my blog with them, nor did I speak about it in any way. It was entirely self-initiated on their part. The least I can do is to show them my appreciation!

But first, why havent I written anything for 3 months?

We all have our excuses! I list them here for your (and my) entertainment (and reflection) 

1. After Federer lost the Wimbledon, I started losing interest in life.  And when he lost the US Open after having 3 match points, life lost its meaning. :(

Nah just kidding!

2. I dont like writing. 

Well, I did write a fair number of blog posts of my own volition. I suddenly lost interest? I often write long emails.. I dont like writing essays.. but noone asked me to write long essays, so that leads to

3. Actually, I dont mind short posts, but once I start writing I go into so much detail that I lose interest at some point. 

Well then, this is an opportunity to learn a useful skill (being concise in writing), isnt it? 

4. Umm. I have nothing to write about.. <voice getting feebler>.. I didnt have time actually .. <feebler>.. wanted to.. you know...  <too feeble to comprehend>...  OK FINE! I've been lazy!

Bingo!

Conclusion:

1. Dont be lazy

2. Keep it crisp

And that's how it shall be!

Adios!