When I do focus sprints, I have found that the key to productivity is taking frequent and generous breaks. Here is what works for me. 1. Since I typically do 25-minute focus sprints, I generally take 3 short breaks (5 minutes each) followed by one long break (15...

Even the most hardcore procrastinator forgets to procrastinate when a family member falls ill. They run around like crazy to provide the best possible care. What destroys their procrastination? A sense of purpose -- because they care about their family, they discover...

While talking to someone who moved from India to Europe, I learned that in Europe, if the work ends at 6 pm, you can't schedule a call at 7:30 pm -- people are fiercely protective of their time. But on the flip side, people take their time commitments seriously. E.g.,...

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 that a two-member...

Conventional wisdom states that, as an entrepreneur, I should be slogging 12-16 hours a day. Yet, on any given day, I never exceed 4-5 hours of real work. Of course, I work beyond that as well – e.g., on administrative work, emails, etc. But I don’t do long hours or...

Imagine this: Every morning, when you get up, you have to take these decisions: 1. Should I brush my teeth? 2. Should I take a shower? 3. Should I meditate or do some yoga? 4. Should I do some walking or running? Or maybe gymming? 5. Should I write a journal? Read a...

To get into and succeed in senior leadership roles, you can't just solve the problems in front of you -- you have to anticipate and solve problems even before they arise. But you can't do that if you are: 1. Perpetually busy replying to emails and messages 2. Spending...

A lot of people have gone to their graves with a ton of untapped potential. So what comes in the way of realizing that potential? It is the wisdom fountain called the 'Internet.' And our tendency to confuse consuming that wisdom with real action. We love debating,...

When I was last traveling, I downloaded the LinkedIn app since I did not want to open my laptop. And just with that one small action, my frequency of checking LinkedIn went up. On my laptop, I log out of LinkedIn when I don't want to use it but on the mobile app, I...

During one of my travels, sitting next to me was a college youngster who furiously swiped through hundreds of short format videos in a very short time -- I am surprised his thumb did not break! Of course, there is nothing wrong with some entertainment. But there is a...

During my consulting days, I once worked 16-18 hours for two weeks straight, estimating the losses that US banks would suffer in the 2008 financial crisis. This was a big project for the company since a lot of clients wanted to know this. Finally, the presentation was...

A few years ago, I was interviewing an expert physics teacher for my previous startup. And to any question I would ask, he would rattle off formulas like a machine gun. But I was not getting a sense that he really understood things. So I asked him, "Can you explain...

How do you achieve meditative focus? The answer lies with a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, which controls the level of your brain arousal or alertness. At very low levels of norepinephrine, you feel drowsy or sleepy but at very high levels, you get agitated...

I have cracked the 'immortality serum' and you can take a sip. But there is a catch -- once you drink it, you HAVE to live forever. No matter how much you love or hate your life, you will have to continue living -- no escape. People around you will grow old, and one...

A few years ago, my Indian Police Service training boss, Shri Atul Karwal, told me the story of his commando training with India's elite National Security Guards (aka black cat commandos). When he, along with another batchmate of his, reported for the training, the...