Break It Down!!!

I have a party at my place tomorrow evening. I have to arrange for music, food, drinks, seating arrangements... so many things. On top of it, my friends want me to cook some of my specialities for the party. I have no idea how I'm going to do so many things by tomorrow evening.
The very thought of so much work makes me shudder.
Now, I can either be caught in this thinking process, or I can start working on it.
I break down the entire activity into smaller manageable bits.
First of all, I go to the neighbours and request if I could borrow their chairs for the next evening. There, one job done.
Then I call up my sister and ask for her music collection and player.
I sit down for 5 minutes and list the food I'll cook and all the required ingredients.
I run down to the neighbourhood shop and pick up the ingredients, place an order for drinks for the next evening. (I ask delivery in the morning itself so that it gives me enough buffer time)
On the way back from the shop, I pick up the music collection and player from my sister's place.
Its already evening by the time I reach home, I quickly test the music and the player I borrowed. Thankfully it works. If it hadn't, I would have copied the whole thing to my Iphone and played it through the docking station.
Too lazy to do any more serious work, I want to watch that 7 pm movie, so I just take all the vegetables and ingredients and start cutting and arranging them as I watch the TV. (Cutting veggies while watching TV can seriously reduce the cutting speed)
Before I know, its 10 and time to sleep. (after keeping the ingredients in fridge)
Next day (Party day), I get up by 7.30 and make a quick round of trips to neighbours collecting the chairs. The drinks haven't come yet.
I get into the kitchen and start cooking. Thankfully, the cutting I did last night helped save some time.
Its 12.30 noon and I'm already done with the cooking. Now I have to just put things in the oven 10 minutes before the party starts.
Drinks still haven't come.
I run down to the shop and he has got only 75% of the stock I ordered.
I pick it up and pick another dozen bottles of squash and some soda (for some instant Gulshan style inventions)

And at 3.30 pm, here I am ready for action without any stress inspite of some issues with the drinks.

Something that looked so frightening yesterday morning is already in good shape and before time just because I was able to handle one bit at a time.

The party is just an example. So many times we come across issues in office and at work which look simply huge in the beginning, but by breaking them down in smaller activities and delegating some of them, monitoring them regularly, keeping track of time we can make life much less stressful.

Whether its planning a trip, cooking a meal or planning a multi million dollar client project, the steps are pretty much the same.
Break it down, spread it into smaller time bound milestones, delegate what you can, periodically monitor, target to be ready with atleast 20% time to spare. This gives you a project level buffer.

Read the above story again and you will see that I have done each of these activities.

A lot of people think that I'm over simplifying things, but it has always worked for me.

All I need to do is to Break It Down...

Cost of my peace?

I lose my peace if the lid of my lunch box is missing early in the morning...
I lose my peace if someone took my chair in my absence and didn't place it back...
I lose my peace if there's too much salt in food...
I lose my peace if someone on my team doesn't do the job well...
I lose my peace if my boss piles up tons of work on me...
I lose my peace when people don't keep the time they promise...
I lose my peace when you don't listen to me at once...
I lose my peace when you don't understand what I'm trying to explain...
I lose my peace when the person in front of me is driving too slow...

Looks like I'm able to lose my peace at the smallest thing which doesn't go my way. You say a wrong word, do something, not do something, do any of the above and you have taken away my peace.
Looks like I've reduced the value of my own peace and anybody and anything can take it away from me.

This is not just my story but the story of every one of us reading this blog, everyone of us out there who is in search of peace...

I never understand how people spend their entire life in search of peace? How can you find peace when you were the source of peace and you gave it away for small small things around you...

What I understand now is that I have to start placing more value on my peace... I can't afford to lose it at every small thing...

My Peace should be in my control... Right now, I have no words of wisdom, or the secret, or the ultimate answer on how we can be owners of our peace.
What I know is that I am the source of my peace, there is no searching for peace and no matter what, I have to value my peace more than any other thing in this world.

Again, this sharing is not about me but about every single person who reads this blog... Its upto you to decide the value of your peace and entirely upto you to decide what to trade it for...

For no reason...

When I was a kid, there was a small homeopathy clinic near my house. This was a free clinic and one Dr. Joshi used to come there to treat people free of cost. Even I took his medication a few times. Some of those sundays, I would go and help him at his work. I liked seeing him at work...
I had become his assistant of sorts, I would help him arrange all the medicines alphabetically and by power, help him with other small small clinic related activities. Over a period of time, I even started remembering the symptoms and the medicines he would suggest for them.
He would come there Sunday after Sunday and help others... For no reason. And I would go there to assist him... For no reason...
Back then I was maybe 12 years or less, I never tried to think why he would want to spend a Sunday working for others without anything in return... Today, if you ask me why I helped him, I still don't know the answer. Maybe it was for no reason.
Last night I answered a question on one of those online forums. The question was on Excel and apparently my answer saved a lot of time for that person. I got a mail later telling how my solution had helped him and how happy that person was. You might ask me why do I have to sit and help someone online, a total stranger who will never meet me. I can think of only one answer - For no reason...
Other day when I was coming back from a jog, I don't know what I thought, I just bought a pack of chocolates and gave it to the traffic cop... said to him that he was doing awesome job and I understand its not easy standing in sun all day long... He smiled at me, took the chocolate and asked "Why?", I said - For no reason.
We live in a time and age where people are busy running the rat race. Any additional knowledge is kept as a top secret so that nobody gets ahead of us. Yet there are a few characters in my office who will share anything new that they learn, without any hesitation... - For no reason...

We find it so easy to hurt someone, so easy to be bad and so easy to be mean for no reason. If someone passes by us on the road at high speed... we think - he's going to meet an accident someday...
Why can't we be good to someone for no reason???
While walking on the road, just buy a bread and milk and give it to a poor kid... For no reason...
One day just drive down to your grandparents' place and give them a hug... For no reason...
Just keep your loved one's head on your lap and run your hand through the hair... For no reason...
One of those days, just sit in that place of prayer... For no reason...

Sometimes be good... For no reason...

Grandma!!!

Have you ever experienced holding those age worn hands, being guided by them walking down the road?
Do you remember looking into those spectacled eyes when you were just about a couple of feet tall?
That fresh smell early in the morning when you hugged her?
That snugly feeling like hugging a large soft teddy bear?
Remember when you wanted that new toy, all you had to do was point at it? not ask mom, not ask dad... just point at it...
Remember how you would come out of the school, eyes searching for her and you would find her waiting there for you... every day...
How she would rescue you when mom is torturing you with the homework...
That box beside her bed which would sometimes have cookies, sometimes dryfruits and sometimes chocolates...
That distinctive fragrance when she would open her cupboard...
How she would sit up all night when you had fever...

Yes, right now, as I write, I'm reliving all those memories which my grandmother has given me.

I grew up in a time and age when we used to stay with the grand parents. Every morning she would walk me to school. Afternoon, I would see her waiting at the school gates. Afternoons, after lunch, I would watch "Dekh Bhai Dekh" with her. Every evening, I would sit by her side when she lit the evening lamps. She initiated me into reading scriptures at a very early age.
Every evening I would sit pressing her legs with my little hands, the only problem was that I would press the legs for 1 minute and watch tv for another 5 minutes.
After I had finished my homework, we would sit and play Ludo for hours at a stretch.
My entire childhood was sprinkled with stories, morals and good things which she taught me without me even realising it.
When I was a teenager, I had my share of fights with her, still I would find her staying awake waiting for me no matter how late I got at work.

Now, my office start time matches with a few schools too. Every morning I see kids being dropped by either a driver, or by a nanny, or by a dad who is rushing to work. Where is that hug before school, hug after school, hug when you fall, hug when you are hurt, hug for pretty much everything???
I see kids spending their evenings with Ben 10 and Xbox.
Rushing from school to tuitions to dance classes.
Parents stay in metro cities for work and grand parents back in home town, just getting a quarterly glimpse of their grand children.
The kids today think their grand parents are boring.

I lost my grandma at the age of 20. That day, a part of me became orphan. Although I have absolutely unconditional love of my mom and dad, there's still a void which I know is filled only with memories now.
Those 20 years of my life were the most memorable. Each of the memories is crystal clear in my head. I'm just grateful that I was fortunate to experience all those good things.

I couldn't help but think of my grandmother today, it would have been her birthday today. I remember how she would bake a cake for me every birthday. And, it used to be a ceremony when she baked, meticulously measuring each ingredient to get it perfect.
I really wish each and every child could go through those beautiful moments with grandparents... everyday...
One needs to be blessed to have grand parents, and even more blessed and grateful if one gets to live with his grandparents.

My Annual Appraisal!!!

Yep... that's right... Today was my yearly performance appraisal.

I got spoiled today, went out for a movie, had junk food for Breakfast, Chinese for lunch, 3 large Sprites, more cold drinks.

I started my day with 3 different types of cakes and right from the beginning of the day, I was showered with tons and tons of love, gifts, greetings... today was the day I became a part of this world...

Its only in the last half hour that I actually sat down and digested how amazing a day I had. Obviously, the question came... Have I earned this day?

Every year this day reminds me of how many people care for me and the question comes - Have I cared for that many and more?

Every year this day reminds me of how much the world added to me and the question comes - How much have I added to the world?

Every year this day asks me - Have I done enough justice with what abilities were given to me???

These are typically the questions we face in an appraisal with the boss asking us the questions. But, aren't these questions what we can ask ourselves every once in a while?

Thankfully, I seem to have the answers... I think I have cared for those who care for me... atleast that if not more...
I think I have added a bit more to this world than what I have taken from it...
I think I have lived up to my abilities...
I think I have made a difference in a few more lives...

The overall verdict of this year's appraisal - "Met Expectations. Can do better. Have more aggressive goals and keep working towards meeting those goals"

I think my yearly appraisal with myself went well today if not great...

Thanks to all those who have contributed to my lifetime... I assure you that I'll live upto your expectations and more...

Plan Backwards...

No matter how much you plan, how much you start on time, how much you try... you still end up late...
Project late... appointment late... meeting late... report submission late...
No matter what you do... still end up late...
Is that your problem too?

The best thing about my first mentor was that he had started moulding me even before he employed me. When I went in for my first interview with him, after the initial questions about me and my family, he didn't ask anything about my accounts knowledge, my grades, nothing. Instead, he asked a very different question. This is how the conversation went:
Boss - Do you know how far is the railway station from here?
Gulshan - About 5 km from here
Boss - If you have to come from Railway station to here, how long will it take?
Gulshan - About 10 minutes (this is more than 10 years back when traffic was not as bad as today)
Boss - Do you know how many signals are there in between?
Gulshan - About 6 traffic signals on the way.
Boss - Assuming each signal is a 2 minute signal, and assuming you have to stop at only 3 of the signals, you will end up losing 6 minutes just waiting at the signals... How will you make the entire distance in the remaining 4 minutes?
Gulshan - I think I want to revise it to 15 minutes.
Boss - That's better. By the way, I forgot to mention... There are 2 movie theatres on the way. Whenever a show gets over, it creates a bit of a traffic jam, do you think you want to consider that?
Gulshan - (By now I was getting a hang of it) I think I'll add 5 minutes for each traffic jam. That makes it 25 minutes. Frankly, I haven't traveled on this road much, so I think I will be safe if I add another 10 minutes as a safety. Bringing the total time estimate to 35 minutes.
Boss - That looks more practical.

Most of the time, problem happens when we start planning. We always plan forwards. Whether it is a wedding, a project, a report preparation or just a trip to the airport... For anything we do, our typical planning style is - we will start by this time, it will take so long, we should be done by this time... simple...
We always start at the starting point and move towards the goal.

What my boss taught me that day was the importance of planning backwards. Through the years I worked with him, I learnt a very effective planning approach which has almost always worked for me.

The most important part of any activity is the goal, the end objective. The second most important part is the time when the goal should be achieved. Everything else is just on the way... just work in process.
So, I always start from the goal and the target time.
If I have to be submit a 100 page report by the end of this week, I will break it down into logical bits... either chapter wise, topic wise, or just plain no. of pages. If I have to submit the report by Friday evening, I'll ensure that my report is ready on Thursday evening. This gives me a full day of safety to provide for contingencies. Now, I'll break the whole report into 4 parts and make sure that I complete one part each day. This takes care of my consistency. This will prevent any last minute rush and keep the stress distributed over the period.
The most important part is that I review at the end of every day to make sure of the progress.
A PLAN WITHOUT PERIODIC REVIEW IS JUST AN ILLUSION.

I'm probably not the best planner in the world, but it has always worked for me. It just might for you too. So here's what I would share with anyone who plans things:

1. Identify the goal
2. Identify the time by which the goal has to be achieved.
3. Break down the entire process into smaller manageable phases. Typically such phases should not exceed 6-8. Example - different stages of a project, or different topics of a report.
4. Define the time by which each phase should be completed.
5. Based on the completion time and the duration of each phase, fix a start time for each phase. (this is an important stage, a phase can be completed only and only if it is started on time)
6. By now, you should have a list of different phases, their start times and end times. This is your control point.
7. Now, break down each phase into daily / weekly schedule.
8. Delegate and monitor based on the daily / weekly schedule and regularly check with the overall phase status.
9. Create a reporting / feedback mechanism so you don't have to follow up.
10. Most Important: Religiously review the status every day.
11. Revise the approach / strategy if there are any deviations at the phase level.

I know that this sharing has been a long one and maybe boring for some of my readers. But, trust me, there's always a reason for every single sharing I have ever written.

In faith that this sharing will make a difference to you. Let the coming week be the start of a more planned, less stressful life for all of us.

Asato ma sad gamaya...

असतो मा सद्गमय।।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय।।
मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय।।
ॐ शांति शांति शांति।।

This is an ancient prayer commonly said on the festival of Diwali.
Literally transalated, it means -
From ignorance, lead me to truth.
From darkness, lead me to light.
From death, lead me to immortality.
Om, let there be peace... peace... peace...

This has been the prayer every Diwali in every Hindu household for probably thousands of years...

Something which I shared last week was still running inside my head today...

How long will we keep asking God to take us from ignorance to truth???
How long will we keep asking God to take us from darkness to light???
How long will we keep asking God to lead us to eternal life???
How long will we keep asking for peace???

Why can't we be the truth in our life... Why not be our own light... Why not live an eternal life in this lifetime...

Infact even better... Why not ask God for the strength so that we can be the Truth and Light in a few peoples' lives... Why not we make a few lives so beautiful that they become Eternal... Why not we become the Peace in a few more lives...

Tell me something... If I can bring Truth, Light and Peace in someone's life, won't I achieve that and a lot more in my own life???

This Diwali, when I sit for my prayer... I'm not going to ask Light or Truth or Immortality or Peace... I'm only going to pray for enough strength to become so good that I become the Source of Light... Source of Truth... Source of Peace for others... I know I will be well taken care of...

Wishing you an Outstanding... Peaceful... Blissful... Happy Diwali...