Son: I scored 6 out of 10 on my Chemistry test.

Me: Why? — 1

Son: I did not know the right answers.

Me: Why? — 2

Son: The options were confusing.

Me: Why? — 3

Son: I had revised only once for the test.

Me: Why? — 4

Son: I did not begin preparing in advance and was busy working on the other assignments.

Me: Why? — 5

Son: I did not plan my time for different activities.

Counter-measure

• Create a timetable.
• Plan and initiate preparation in advance for known items.
• Leave gaps for unplanned events or issues.

The Why-Why technique by the founder of Toyota — Sakichi Toyoda is useful to identify the root cause of problems and eliminate it.

You must have heard of emergency funds.

It is recommended that 6–9 months of salary should be set aside.

You might need it in case you lose your job.

Or to start something of your own.

But the emergency fund has other benefits too.

What if there is a medical emergency or expenditure out of the blue?

You might need a new car urgently or face a short-term cash flow crunch.

Do you have an emergency fund?

If not, begin saving today.

Do the math.

Estimate how much you need to save as a safety net.

Figure out how much you can save every month.

Park in a separate account that gives a higher interest rate.

It is never too late.

Let me know how it goes 6 months from now.

Pilots run through a checklist before they fly an airplane. The ground maintenance staff does a detailed inspection of the aircraft to confirm it is air-worthy.

Preventive maintenance and routine checks help avoid major breakdowns. Saves a lot of time and money, and improves productivity.

You probably have the habit of periodically checking your bank statement.

Some of you might have plants or pets and check on them daily. Smothering them with love.

What about your own body?

How often do you mindfully check in with yourself?

Rarely?

Your body can do with some tender love and care.

Here’s what you can do.

1. Simply conduct a quick 5-minute self-assessment daily
2. Speak to friends, seek feedback on yourself
3. Find an accountability partner to check on one another

At times when you crash at night, you realize that nothing worthwhile was completed that day. And you are still feeling drained.

This usually happens when you go about your day without any plan. You miss out on critical things.

Why you must get your priorities right to remain productive and energized?

Reason #1 — You will be doing things that are important to avoid a crisis later.

You are not Superman. You can only do so much.

Meaningful work.

Reason #2 — Since you will be clearing the high-priority stuff off your plate, you will have lower stress.

Less clutter → less stress → lower mental fatigue.

Stay Energized.

Reason #3 — You will feel calmer, work faster, and be able to do more.

Remain Productive.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Never spend your money before you have earned it.”

Debt of any kind is a burden especially monetary debt.

It can ruin families and the next generations’ future.

Unless to buy a house or pay for college both of which are investments, why do you go into debt?

Reason #1

You have screwed priorities. You have put your wants and desires ahead of your needs.

To do

Delay Gratification.

Reason #2

You have not developed a habit of saving.

This happens either because of the environment or culture. Asians have a habit of living frugally or paying for their stuff in cash whenever possible.

To do

Start saving. The earlier the better.

I am sharing a simple one.

Ankur Warikoo’s 50:30:20 idea.

The other day I was listening to a podcast while cooking dinner. “Is Having Children Worth It?” by Stephen Dubnar and Angela Duckworth. The topic intrigued me.

At the end of the podcast, I was left thinking would I have been happier without a child.

Maybe. I will never know.

What I Know

I was not pressured into having a child to appease incessantly pestering relatives. We had our child because we wanted to.

After a lot of introspection, I realized that our child is not the sole purpose of our lives but one of the purposes. He is not the reason for my existence but the driving force to be better, to try harder in all aspects of life.

And he is the reason I never give up.

I have learned some of the best life lessons and self-development insights in my Hindi poetry classes. The Doha form of poetry has left a lasting imprint.

My favorite Doha on procrastination is by Saint Kabir Das.

Kaal kare so aaj kar aaj kare so ab |

Pal me parlay hoyegi bahuri karega kab ||

The poet suggests that a compelling task must be completed forthwith and not delayed. What if disaster strikes?

My father was intending to write his will for a year. And then suddenly one day he passed away intestate. The family had to go through a ton of legal paperwork to get things in order.

The beauty of a Doha is the economy of words, yet a depth of message and meaning in two simple verses.