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‘Focus Dens’ in Offices for Deep Work
Whenever I worked out of a client site at McKinsey, I used to look for a closed room where I could close the door and work with complete focus. I may sound like a misanthrope but I promise you -- but it was worth it. 😃 I once took over a project...
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Iterate
When I was writing my MBA application essays for US B-Schools, I found myself in a fix. Throughout school and college, I hadn’t written even one...
Maximize productivity in a world of distractions
All you have is 30,000 hours. That’s it. Today, there is a new 'gold' in town -- no, it is not bitcoin. It is not oil. That is what Instagram,...
Learn to respect, not to fear
One day during a finance class of Prof David Wessels at Wharton, suddenly, the classroom door flew open and a hefty guy entered with a cardboard box...
Change your beliefs
Two decades ago, I was sitting with a good friend and college senior who had recently relocated to Trivandrum after a PhD in the US. He was talking...
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90% of the battle
I don’t need the motivation to run 10km — I need just enough to put on my running shoes. 90% of the battle is getting started. Yet, sometimes, even putting on the shoes feels hard. Here is my favorite hack, but before that, we need to know some...
Mothers
Growing up, when I was facing my life’s first major exam (IITJEE), I was virtually biting my nails. I would often ponder, “What if I don’t make it? Would I have any future?” We were not an affluent family. Nobody in our family had been to college...
Recognize excellence beyond academic
My de-facto co-founder at HabitStrong, Nisha Salim, is brilliant but often runs into a problem -- she does not have a degree from any tier-1 college. She has been way better than any pedigreed folks we have hired from IIT/IIM etc., but investors...
Small steps for lasting change
When starting my MBA at Wharton, I kept telling myself, “Don’t ruin it again. This is the last chance.” Earlier, I had ruined my 4 years at IIT -- bunking classes, always falling behind, cramming before exams to barely get a passing grade. But this...