Life and Productivity Tips

Lets start with a character. Rohit recently completed his engineering. He is placed in an IT firm with an annual package of  Rs. 7.2 lakh  ($ 10,000). His take home after tax income is  Rs 50,000  ($ 700). Rohit said, “ Hey Sahil! I have got a new car. ” I said, “ Congratulations! That’s cool. Which car did you buy? ” Rohit,“  I always dreamt about Honda City since my engineering days. Hence I got my dream car. ” Image source:  google I said,  “But you recently started your job. How did you manage to get the money to finance the car?” Rohit,  “I got it on EMI with 90% loan. The EMI comes out Rs. 20,109 ($ 282) for 6 years.” I said,  “But that’s a lot of money. How much do you save monthly?” . Rohit,  “Saving? Bro, I am just 24 years old. I have my entire life to save. Moreover, I want to enjoy my life for the next 5-6 years. It is too early to think about savings.” Fast forward 6 years when I met Rohit in one of ...

Don’t marry a woman who knows how to spend money. Marry one who knows how to save it. I know nothing is hotter than a girl who knows how to dress well, buy you nice gifts, etc, but look at the flip side. Would you rather come home every day to find $100 missing from your wallet… or to find an extra $100 in it? Marry the woman sliding that money into your pocket, not the one sneaking it out. Marry a woman who loves you for who you are, not one who loves you for who you’re going to be. My grandpa had a saying I’ve always valued. “Men marry thinking everything is going to stay the same. Women marry thinking everything is going to change.” If she expects you to change, she won’t ever be happy with who you are now. Ditto for bossy women. Bossy is a good attitude for work, it’s not something you bring home. You want to be her husband, not her janitor. Don’t marry a woman with no goals. Marry one whose goals you can help her reach. A person with no goals is a ...

Get 8–9 hours of sleep every night. Don’t worry about waking up early. I spent almost 27 years in the military and had to wake up early almost every morning. I hated it. Since retiring, I now get up when I wake up. Eight hours of sleep works for me and I am always well rested. Your body, your rules. Get up when you are rested. Drink water. Lots of it. Be grateful. Forgive easily. Especially forgive yourself. Be kind. Especially be kind to yourself. Say “no”. And yes you can do that kind. Our time is limited. Use it wisely. Live below your means. Put a portion of your income away for a rainy day. Learn to like yourself. Learn to be alone. Read. Workout. Do some sort of activity every single day to get the blood flowing. Stretch every day. Breathe deeply. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Hold yourself and others to a higher standard. When others fail, see number 4. When you fail, see number 4. Create huge audacious dreams and then break them down into actionable units. Creat...

The nature of books has evolved. Society and technology have changed. Forcibly, our approach to reading has taken on new forms to accommodate a different way of life. The question is: For better or worse? Although books give us new ideas, spark discussions, and explore topics in detail, the same information can be delivered in a variety of formats. When it comes to exactly  how  we should absorbing books, the debate rages on. Let’s take a look. The Effectiveness of Speed Reading Since the 1950s, speed reading has been touted as an effective way to get through reading material quickly. Scientists, psychologists, and teachers have come up with methods to increase reading speed, whether through manual tools or visual movements. At the World Championship Speed Reading Competition, top contestants can reach 1,000 to 2,000 words per minute. Six-time champion Anne Jones reached 4,200 words per minute at one point. Those rates seem phenomenal compared to the  ...

Often in life, to be successful it doesn’t require doing more. It requires you to stop. To eliminate the waste in your life. In a culture hardwired to “do it all”, it can be counterintuitive to do less. It goes against everything we’ve been told to do. Try harder, do more. One man that lived nearly 2,000 years ago learned to implement the subtle art of elimination. By ceasing to do many “normal” habits and behaviors, he was able to overcome enormous challenges. Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome from 161–180 AD, had unprecedented access to all the riches of Rome as emperor but due to his position, he also bore the weight of the entire empire. His entire life was met by hardship and unfathomable situations requiring decisions that would make most men crumble under the pressure. Loss of loved ones was a constant throughout his life: his parents at a young age, his wife, and even several children at a very young age. Throughout his reign, he witnessed the devastating effects of...