Intensity: Key to discovering your passion

One of the most important things in life is finding out what you love to do. All the greatest achievers have emphasized this fact of finding what you love and finding what you are passionate about. Its the only way to do some great work.

Lucky are the ones, who find it out much early in their life what they loved to do. Many of us are not so lucky. Many get molded in to do regular boring things in life. These are also the people who did not have courage or conviction to explore and find out what they were passionate about. The wind just carried them along.

That does not mean they were not good at what they did. With hard work they achieve initial success in the area where wind has carried them and they have built some status quo. This is a dangerous start. There on life takes a disastrous path of maintaining that status quo. This path might provide some level of worldly success but not an inner happiness and fulfillment. It leads to a dead end where an eternal boredom sets in eventually. Mediocrity and counting days to pay becomes routine. If you are stuck in such loop its time to break that dark circle and come out.

What one needs to do find out what is his or her passion?

Ones passion is in the deepest part of oneself covered with several layers of delusions. All those delusions need to be burned away to let the passion emerge. First step is getting ready to meet your passion. It requires you to overcome the fear of failure. Courage to let go of status quo of whatever that has been achieved. To let go of the baggage of so-called success which is nothing but dead weight riding on your shoulders and tiring you down every moment.

Key to realizing your passion is intensity.

Whatever you are doing, wherever you are doing, just start doing it with very high intensity, Intensity of highest order possible. Its only this intensity that has capacity to burn down the layers of delusions hiding your passion from you.

This intensity will do two things, either produce positive peaks or negative peaks.  These resonance peaks will guide you towards your passion.

Positive Resonance: Peaks in results and achievements

There are some chances that what you are already doing or part of what you are doing is what you are passionate about without even knowing about it.

If you are not doing it with intensity then peak in results will not show up. When you start doing it with the full intensity, it increases the odds of peak in the results and achievements. This would be positive resonance due to alignment to your natural talents. Thus leading to your achievements recognized and encouraged leading to further growth. Thus taking you closer to your destiny.

For example a person who has body cut out for swimming in the field of armature swimming. When such person puts in the intensity in his swimming area the results will start speaking very quickly.

Negative Resonance: Burnout and quitting

Now, what you are doing is not something you are passionate about but somehow you are able to hold it up. You are able to produce some mediocre results. This is leading to dilemma of whether it's something you should pursue or quit.

Doing intensely something, which you are not good at or dislike will lead to lot of friction and heat. If you can keep at it, in spite of all the heat it will lead to you to totally burning out. This burn out will signal clearly that you are not cut out for it. It will force you to quit what you are doing. Failing fast is a good sign when you are on your journey to discovering your passion. It will force you to move on and find something where you belong.

Even if one cannot quit, it will become at least clear that this is not the path to passion. Thus instead of fooling oneself that things will become clear in future, one can start planning to going towards the right path.

Danger of low intensity: Regret

The biggest risk of low intensity at what you are doing is loss of precious time and not going anywhere. The time that’s lost is never ever going to come back. Often if one keeps at it, the delay can practically lead to path of no return.

Low intensity is very dangerous. Neither it will lead to positive resonance nor burn out forcing you to switch the path. Low intensity at something you don’t like or good at will lead to slow erosion of your mojo. This slow erosion will eventually lead to hollowness inside. This hollowness will haunt you and take you to route of deep regrets.

Conclusion

So even if you don’t know what is it that you want or doubtful of what you are doing, just keep one thing in mind. Do it with highest intensity. Have faith it will produce peaks that will give visibility to guide you in the right direction.

Optimizing Stress and Anxiety

Do you suffer from high levels of stress and anxiety? Or are you in denial about it?

Do you wonder if stress and anxiety is real or is it just mental or combination of both?

Any way, I am not going to suggest you some medication or yoga. I will not give you a magic solution that will make it go away. What I do promise is a way to reduce it, to level that’s optimum by cutting the excess.  Lets engage in set of dialogues. Idea is to think through as you read this and see if it aligns with your own experiences.

What are we fundamentally doing?

We are in constant struggle to change the reality of life.

Reality of life is, its uncontrollable, uncertain and evolving or changing continuously. Nature, which is big symbol of life, has all these characteristics.  As a mankind, we are in a continuous struggle to make it look exactly opposite. We want it to be controllable, certain and constant. We are in continuous struggle to adapt the nature to suit us.  Do you agree?

How System shields us from reality?

How many us living in the comfort of modern world have consciously experienced this reality of nature first hand? Rewind your life.  What comes to your mind? For many it might be, memories of school days. As soon as our memories of schooling starts we remember a system that is perfected. Get up early, school bus arrives, there are classes on different subjects, come back home do your homework go back to bed. Repeat the same till weekend. On weekend do some extra homework and play with friends. Close the year or semester with rituals of exam, where we broadly get results matching our efforts.  We think this is life. We get shielded from many realities of life. If you are lucky (or unlucky) you score the campus interview after graduation and get in to a job. Settle in to a similar rhythm again. One might feel this is all good but if this has been your story of life then you are set for one hell of ride later.

What happens when reality of life starts unfolding?

Life bites you, in one-way or another. It’s inevitable as we continue to live and expand our world. Like the way we would look for full entrainment from movie experience, life experience would be incomplete if you aren’t bitten by it yet. When it starts biting you start experiencing the reality of life.

It could as simple experience as getting stuck in traffic jam while you have important meeting or your unstable Internet connection during conference call. You realize there is very little control you have over it. You realize the efforts and results don’t match any more, there is an uncertainty. Many relations, you took it for granted are no longer the same. They are evolving and changing all the time. There are no teachers who always thought in your best interest and inspired you to achieve more. Instead there is a harsh world that would bite you if you don’t achieve and puts the hurdles when you are on you are on your way to achieve.

No, this is not to demotivate. This is to make you realize there is a lot of pain and discomfort in the struggle of life. The comfort we are experiencing today is a result of pain and discomfort, endured by many others.  This pain and discomfort coupled with uncontrolled, uncertain and evolving nature of life can make one experience feeling of stress and anxiety.

Can we overcome stress and anxiety?

Please note the pain is real. Discomfort is real. This is real because the reality of life is uncontrolled, uncertain and evolving. It’s we who want it other way. That’s going to take effort. That effort will require one to endure the pain and discomfort. The level of pain and discomfort will be proportional to level of shift we want from reality, with no guarantees of it happening in spite of all efforts.

So, what is solution? Is there a way to get rid of stress and anxiety completely? It can only become zero, if you would accept the reality as it is and stop making any efforts to change it. That would be like, accepting the darkness and not making any attempt to find the light. Would that be good? Just continuing to live in darkness even when you don’t like darkness? I don’t know but you have a choice.

How to optimize the level of stress and anxiety?

Any practically meaningful life would need certain shifts from reality. It would take effort. That effort will be filled with pain and discomfort. Now what can be reduced is our resistance to that pain and discomfort. Our natural choice would be to have no pain and no discomfort. So whenever we see that we need to endure the pain & discomfort it can fill you with stress and anxiety. Now this stress and anxiety will just make enduring the pain and discomfort more difficult than what is needed to change the reality.

So when you realize what is reality, when you choose to make an attempt to change it, stop worrying about the pain and discomfort that’s there in part of the effort. It’s a good pain and discomfort. Endure it.

Now you may say, I am fine with pain and discomfort. Can you at least guarantee results for my efforts? Well friend go back to basics. Reality is uncertain, uncontrolled and evolving. There aren’t any guarantees. So, Buckle up.

Again, this would not make stress and anxiety go away but it will keep it to level that is really required. It reduces excess stress and anxiety in two parts. First reducing stress and anxiety for enduring the good pain and discomfort. Second reducing stress and anxiety of results not matching our efforts.

Beyond this it takes certain level of experience to understand where reality cannot be changed. There is no point in picking those battles. Those battles are going to be loosing battles and would only lead to increased level of stress and anxiety. It’s also important to pick the right battles for investing your energy and understanding the minimum level of effort involved in it.

Accepting and enduring the good pain and discomfort is first step towards reduction in stress and anxiety. Realize the reality and focus on efforts while enduring the good pain and discomfort. I know, easier said than done, but at least let’s start!

Leader vs Expert

Often we hear of career choices of technical or managerial roles.

Which one should you choose?

I would say be a "Leader".

What leaders do?

Leaders find and help in achieving a meaningful purpose.

Is it necessary for leader to be expert of area before he can start leading in that area?

Not necessarily. What drives leaders is purpose. Leaders work with other leaders to get the necessary information or expertise. Wherever there is gap in information or expertise, leaders will go out and chase it themselves. Even when they chase expertise, what matters and drives them is purpose and not mere building expertise.

Can an expert in area become a leader naturally?

He can, if one wishes for but its not natural. It can happen only when he starts focusing on the broader purpose to be achieved and not merely on expertise in a area of interest. He would need to take interest in many more areas beyond what interested him intrinsically to succeed as a leader.

Who is more important - Expert or Leader?

It takes a combo to succeed but its leader who scores over the expert. A leader with the strong drive towards purpose can become expert himself, if he sees the need. Leaders connect the expertise of an expert to purpose. Without that mere expertise may not be of much use.

Just building expertise in popular area might seem like low risk but in long run it is high risk. Most of the types of expertise becomes commodity eventually. Work on leading to purpose, not merely focusing on building expertise. Even if it means just leading yourself to a purpose.

Be a Leader not mere expert !

3 Easy Steps to Communicating Accumlated Negative Emotions

There are two types. Ones who are able to communicate any negative emotions or anger immediately and others who tend to accumulate. Everyone has different level of tolerance. It's debatable as to which one is better. Some habits are hard to give up.

If you are accumulating type you absorb lot of things you don't like and don't convey immediately. You think, Its not good idea to keep cribbing. It builds up the baggage. There on a very trivial scenario at some point breaks you down. Other person involved might see it as overreaction. Its not. It has built up over period of time.

On such trigger occasion control your emotions. Dont spoil the relations that you have built for long time and never burn down the bridges of the communication. Most of issues can be sorted out. If you are of the accumulating type read the 3 simple steps of how to communicate them when it goes beyond your tolerance point. 

[1] Notice: Communicate your negative emotion in written communication 

It's important to start the initial communication in the written form after final trigger. This allows other 

party to think about it and prepare for the discussion. Its something similar to government  organizations sending notice prior to action. Allow the other person to prepare. Communicate clearly each of the major instances which had upset you and what was your expectations. 

[2] Discussion: Bring it now to Face to Face over a table

Agree, written communications cannot convey all the emotions. But just emotions of triggering moment can be very destructive. So if you were to take up the discussion at the trigger point you would startle the other party. It might seem like overreaction and might put other person in defensive position. It would not lead to resolution of the issues. Instead it can blow out of proportions.

If you do it after the notice,  other person is prepared with arguments and his side of the story. So it becomes relatively easy to express your  negative emotions more constructively. It also has likelihood of closure on the resolution.

[3] Agreement: Close the resolution and move on

After its closed, write it down and pass it to other party to convey what was agreed. This ensures that it gives the fair chance to other person to correct something if there were any mis-interpretations.

After this step move on. Genuinely clear yourself off and continue to build your relationships further.

5 Task Management tips to Minimize Fire Fighting

Last moment blasts in unexpected areas and working late to extinguish the fire in those areas, is probably not a new experience for many. Its so popular that some take pride in being called as a fire fighters. Bottom line is people get hurt during fire fighting and quality of products suffers.

Its a challenge to completely prevent it but it can be reduced. There are multiple aspects that needs to be worked on to prevent it. One of them is doing the right tasks management.  Following are 5 tips to manage the task lists to ensure fire fighting can be minimized.

[1] Tasks list & Priorities

First step is to have the tasks lists. If you don't have a proper task tracking system you are at very high risk and more prone to get in to fire fighting situations. So establish one first. Let me tell you,  Its very easy to create one. Its more like saying, It easy to quit smoking, I have done it many times. Challenge is to keep it alive. By alive, I mean keeping it current. There are loads of tools out there that can help you manage the tasks lists. Most of them are good. 

All cribbing about them is really failure to  religiously believe in them and putting effort to manage the task lists. It does take effort. Its extremely important to keep the task lists classified, actionable and assigned to right owners. Remember ABC of good tasks management, inspired from movie glengarry glen ross, is "Always be Closing". 

Before picking the tasks for execution understanding the priorities is a key. After you have the prioritized list ready in your hand watch out for the following. 

Tasks that must be done for core functionality are generally well defined and will normally be done in time. Well defined tasks generally do not contribute to fire fighting situations. Following are some of the types of tasks need a special attention. If not watched out, can lead to fire fighting situations. 

[2] Ambiguous tasks

Tasks that have high level of ambiguity needs to be kept under radar all the time. Keep working on these to get to next level of clarity. Ambiguous tasks have ability to topple all your plans. These are like black holes. Can suck everything in them. Leaving them unaddressed for long is a big risk. Sometimes it can mean whatever other things done around it may become useless or may need significant rework. Deal with the ambiguity and take it to clarity. If you have delegated it, you must also act as catalyst to accelerate the process of getting to clarity. 

[3] Stinky tasks

Someone's got to do the dirty job. Don't just keep procrastinating these. If it means getting into manhole then do. If you don't do it in time, its going to flood and make things more messy. Its normal that if you have delegated such tasks you need to put in little extra work with the stakeholders to make these happen. Stinky tasks are not always bad. Some times while digging in the manhole you may discover the  hidden treasure and it may turn out to be an opportunity in disguise. Bottom line is irrespective of whether it turns to treasure or dump it should be dealt with in time. 

[4] Weed in core task lists

Even the core tasks that are well defined and generally get done may not happen in time, if weed is not trimmed. Like weed in any fertile land, even in the well defined tasks, have a weeds growth. Weeds grow because of additional requirements discovered, change in requirements, implementation issues, tasks switching hands are some to quote. Sometimes these weeds may mask the primary task itself. Watch out for them and clean them up periodically. Cut the weed tasks and keep the core tasks list focused on the real primary tasks. 

[5] Strategic tasks

These tasks do not provide immediate benefit. These are like sharpening the axe before cutting the trees. Effectively it won't give you immediate productivity but in the longer run you might benefit exponentially. So do pay attention to strategic tasks. Take some risk or hit to get some of such potential benefit tasks done. Balance between the priority and potential. These tasks have to identified and have to be executed among the priority tasks. 

5 Mind Hacks for Cracking a Winning Solution

Process of finding right solution to a problem is like reaching trans through meditation. You need to focus on body, breath and mind  step by step to reach the trans. Its not easy. At every step there are distractions. So are distractions in the process of finding solutions. You cannot resist them. They are natural. You can only observe them and understand them. Its only that understanding that sets you free.

Here are 5 hacks to train your mind to deliver winning solutions. Its mostly thought out with software development background but it does not contain anything very specific about software like architecture, design or programming language etc Its meant to be set of generic principles.  

[1] Problem x Space (Present): Immerse yourself and get intimate with problem  

Can you Feel the breath? Breath of the problem and problem only. 

After you hear word problem, its tough to resist the word solution flashing in your mind. They are like twins. I know its hard to resist both. 

Wait..Hold that thought right there. Thinking about both at same time is like having both of your girlfriends visiting your house at same time !!

That says it all. While you are thinking about problem, focus only on problem. Build the intimacy with the problem to understand it completely. Its very natural to have thoughts about solutions come running while you are thinking of problem in your mind. Make a conscious effort to not let them in. Block them.

Why? What happens if I let thoughts about solutions come in during the process of problem understanding?

Lets say you have only understood part of the problem and you also start multi-task thinking about the solutions as well. The solutions you are thinking can by themselves have some implementation level problems.  Now you have risk of mixing the core problem with implementation issues of the solutions. This can misguide you as to what is the definition of the primary problem. This can potentially leave you with incorrect understanding of the problem.  Don't let the solution space bias your understanding of the problem space.

Also do not worry about how this problem could evolve. Future is imaginative. Its like imagining the trajectory. The accuracy of the predicted trajectory improves if you locate the starting coordinates accurately. Just stay in the moment and understand the problem at this moment.  Just that. 

Remember: The simplicity of solution is directly proportional to the intimacy with the problem. 

[2] Problem x Time (Future):Imagine it over the Lifecycle

Now that you have understood the problem at moment correctly, Don't just fall for looks at the moment. 

Imagine how your problem will be evolve over the entire lifecycle. At different phases the problem will evolve and morph itself into something  different. It may not become totally different but slight variation. Try to visualize and understand it. This helps you to identify those small tweaks and those little additional features that can make a big difference in usability of solution. It also helps to future proof your solution.

Imagine simple TODO list tracking problem for a management team. Lets say you are expected to solve tracking problem by showing total tasks and total completed tasks for a project.  Lets visualize how the definition of this problem could change over a period of time. 

At the the beginning of the project, leaders are interested to look at the total count of tasks at project level to get sense of overall effort needed. But after intermediate milestones are defined, Leaders are interested in knowing how is project doing on next milestone rather than complete project level details. Now the todo tracking solution should be capable of showing total tasks and completed tasks for a complete project or per milestone to be effective over project life cycle.  Problem definition has changed slightly over a period of time. Modification in original solution to support such requirement is simple tweak, if its thought out upfront.

Remember: Imagining problem over its lifecycle allows your solution to stand strong through the test of time. 

[3] Solution space: Enumerate Theoretically and Execute Practically

After the problem has been completely and clearly understood in space x time, enumerate all the possible solutions. While thinking about solutions do not worry about the priorities, resources, how to implement it, what has been precedence etc. These are secondary parameters. First, just focus on defining solutions with all its possibilities for primary problem without writing anything off.

After you have enumerated all the possibilities, start thinking about secondary parameters during the selection of the solution.  Now bring in priority, resources, precedence, process or any other secondary parameter that you care about in the play and select the solution that is practical for execution. This allows you to make a very informed choice. Right solution gets selected. It also allows you to switch to different solution easily in future if any of the secondary parameters change. 

Remember: Never allow premature rejection of possible solutions based on the secondary parameters.

[4] Solution review: A round in Boxing ring  

Now that you have a solution, How do you check if your solution is ready for implementation? Take it for a round in the boxing ring. 

For any completely and clearly thought out solution, It must be possible to communicate it to any one in 10 minutes. May not be all parts of the solution, at least the core theme or the core essence of solution should be communicable in 10 minutes.

Even if you are not expected to review  your solution with anyone, force yourself to do that. It forces you to organize your thoughts. It brings out any weak links. It makes sure the solution is coherent. It allows you and your team members to question it. It allows any weakness to surface and hence get addressed. Also make effort to focus on anything that you are not comfortable during debates. Expose its weakness. Let it take some blows especially in the weak spots.  

Remember: Do Not hide weakness in solution. Let it take some blows early to stand stronger in finals to win it.

[5] Solution implementation: Balance ease of Developer vs User

 Both developer and user are people. Both are real humans. Have empathy for both.

"Build highly user friendly solutions" has been pounded in to our head. While I am not denying that but its worth noting that there are people on both sides. You cannot totally ignore the people who are building the solution under given time and resource constraints. If you tax developers unreasonably to build a highly user friendly solution they are going to do a poor job out of it. Thus its good for no one. 

Once you internalize the fact that there are people on both the sides you will surely be able to  balance it. Initially it may seem counter intuitive. But you have to trust in it and make sure you balance it. Attempt win-win for both the user and developer. It's possible. 

Remember: You take care of your developers and your developers will take care of your users.  

All of it might sound like lot of work, potential "Paralysis by Analysis". I hear you. You are right it might sound like it. Come on, think yourself. If that's reality of the problem why run away from it. You can make conscious decision to do it over a period of time. That's fine. But do not hide it under the rug and forget about it. If you do  that, it's anyway going to pop out. It will pop out when you least want it. When that happens you can't blame it on Murphy's laws. He will say, I have already told you so. 

Doing anything worthwhile is going to take time. Prioritize but do it well. 

The structures were austere and simple, until one looked at them and realized what work, what complexity of method, what tension of thought had achieved the simplicity. - Ayn Rand - Fountainhead

5 Tips to Stay Sane in Knowledge Industry

In general society thinks, Knowledge industry workers job is best. They are earning and enjoying so much. While I completely don't deny it but it has its own challenges. These guys face their own problems. With the sedentary lifestyle and excessive relying on their mind to deliver everyday they face tremendous stress. These guys carry their work everywhere and find it hard to relax. Although software industry might look very soft for outsiders but inside its real hard nut.

One needs to give some serious thought to stay competitive & sane in this industry over a sustained duration of time. There is no one single list for everyone.  Everyone has to work out their own list of practical N items to do everyday. Following list is reminder to figure out one for yourself and give some ideas to get started.

Lets jump in to the list:

[1]  Exercise 10 minutes
Exercise as simple as walk for 10 minutes in morning can keep you alert and positive for the full day. It clears up your mind. Its totally understandable that taking out 10 minutes in highly packed morning times could be a challenge. No, I am not going to ask you to get up early by 10 minutes. If you can afford buy a Treadmill and do your brushing of teeth on treadmill. It will make sure that your teeths are getting enough attention as well as your body.

[2] Yoga 10 minutes
One might ask why is yoga needed ? Exercise such as walk will not be able to provide benefit to all the parts of body. Yoga focuses on each each part of the body and allows you to focus on it. Especially this is important for all the joints of the body. With long drives, long hours of typing and stiff  posture will make your feets, palm, neck and shoulders looking forward for some focused movements to relax them. There are good number of simple yoga techniques to relax these parts of body. Overload your morning tea session with the yoga. Along with sipping your favourite morning beverage do some simple  yoga posture. A very simple yoga called PavanMuktasana can be incorporated as everyday lifestyle.

[3] Prayers 10 minutes
We all know if anything needs to be run well there needs to some active person managing it. So assuming that this complicated world is running all by itself is biggest lie we can tell ourselves. We need to understand we cannot control everything. We believe it or not there is higher level being running this world. More we connect with that higher level power the more harmony we can experience in our life. It will take off the loads in all areas where you cannot absolutely do anything. So pray to whatever form  you believe in for 10 minutes everyday. It will eventually connect you to yourself.

[4] Inspire 10 minutes

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.
- Zig Ziglar.

So to keep your morale up do something inspiring everyday or if you cannot, read something inspirational. With the growth in social media its very easy to find the type of content that inspires you daily. Use them wisely. Use the mediums like Twitter and Linkedin well. Follow some right set of people to keep finding something inspirational. Don't just stop at finding the insight, share it with others as well. It extends the joy and allows you also do more firmer commitment to apply and try those insights in your own life as well. Improve together.

[5] Reflect 10 minutes
This is tough one. Its most important. Start off with very simple way of just reliving the day by just recalling all the things that you could remember at the end of the day. Slowly you will start identifying what thoughts need more focus and what to filter. Slowly you will able to connect these to your longer term goals and see if you are going towards achieving them. Its difficult to control the mind from just wandering away. Its practice. The more you practice the more you will be able to do it well and benefit.

One more...
[6] Reality 10 minutes
Being part of knowledge industry good part of our day, we stay in virtual world created by our mind. Even most of the work we produce gets confined in some form thats not clearly visible. A civil engineer can showcase the building he has been working on but for many software engineers they cannot directly showcase what they are working on. This sometimes can lead to self doubts about the skills we possess and what we can produce. Periodically engage in something physical and concrete. Do some regular errands very consciously well or pursue some hobby that produces results that can be easily perceived. Get in touch with reality periodically, come out of your virtual world. Stop and smell the roses.

I call this sum of 60 minutes a "Golden hour". I hope that this inspires you to think about your golden hour to stay sane. I wish you that you find what you are looking for. Do share your thoughts and lists.