Life Skills

-  *It Is Only Laser Focus on One Project to the Exclusion of All Else That Permits the Breakthrough and Ensures Success* - Success does not happen by accident. It is forged in the furnace of undistracted dedication. In a world that constantly demands our attention from every direction, only those who can silence the noise and channel their energy into one single, focused effort will ever reach the threshold of greatness. The human mind, though vast in potential, is inherently limited in its ability to divide attention meaningfully across multiple domains. We deceive ourselves when we say we can multitask, when in reality we only switch between tasks, each switch draining us of energy, clarity, and momentum. It is only laser focus—unwavering, undiluted, and uninterrupted—on a single project, to the exclusion of all else, that paves the path to profound breakthroughs. The Myth of Multitasking Many glorify the multitasker—the one who juggles five projects, ten meetings, and a hundred...

 - In the vibrant and often demanding landscape of the workplace, success isn't a solitary achievement. It's a collective effort, a finely tuned craft where each instrument plays a crucial role. And at the heart of this craft lies a fundamental truth: the team actually does the job. They are the engine room, the innovators, the problem-solvers who operate at the ground level, translating strategies into tangible results. We've all seen it – the late nights spent brainstorming solutions, the collaborative efforts to meet tight deadlines, the sheer ingenuity displayed when faced with unexpected challenges. This is where the real magic happens. Teams, empowered and given the space to operate, bring a unique blend of skills, perspectives, and creativity that is essential for navigating the complexities of the work. They understand the nuances, the local context, and can often devise solutions that a top-down approach might miss entirely. But where does leadership fit into this ...

 - *Howard Tucker*—neurologist, lawyer, and still active at 102—once said: “Retirement is the real enemy of longevity. If you stop working, learning, moving… it’s like telling your body and mind they’re obsolete. I walk five kilometers a day, snowshoe in winter, keep learning, and got my law degree at 67. My advice: don’t retire from life. Retire from inaction.”  At his age, many people are just waiting for life to pass by. But he keeps studying, walking, working. Not out of duty, but out of conviction. Because nothing is more dangerous than standing still. Even the heart rusts if you don’t use it.  Tucker is not an exception—he’s a reminder: That there’s still time. That purpose knows no age. That every day we choose to move, think, and create… we’re contributing. In April 2023, he contributed a piece to  CNBC  on five important pieces of life advice: staying active and not spending his days retired, staying in shape, not smoking, not restricting himself to a n...

 - Bertha Benz: A Pioneer of the Automobile Age Bertha Benz was a visionary woman who played a pivotal role in the development of the automobile. Born Cäcilie Bertha Ringer on May 3, 1849, in Pforzheim, Germany, she was the wife of Karl Benz, the inventor of the first automobile. Her Historic Journey:  On August 5, 1888, Bertha, along with her two sons, embarked on a historic journey. Without informing her husband, she drove the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a three-wheeled automobile, on a 106-kilometer (66-mile) trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim. This daring act served multiple purposes: Testing the Car's Reliability:  She wanted to test the car's capabilities and identify any potential issues. Publicity Stunt:  She aimed to generate public interest in the automobile and demonstrate its practicality. Problem-Solving:  During the journey, she encountered various challenges, such as fuel shortages and mechanical breakdowns. Her ingenuity and problem-solving skills helpe...

< - 21 health secrets for over 70 years old “fortunate people":   1. Keep walking  2. Take a deep breath when you feel irritable  3. Exercise so that the body does not feel stiff  4. Drink water, keep yourself hydrated  5. The more you chew, the more energetic your body and brain will be  6. No matter what, don’t stay at home all the time isolated, have social connections   7. Do everything meticulously  8. Rather than fighting the disease to the end, it is better to live with it  9. "The car must have a way to the front of the mountain" is the magic spell to make the old man happy  10. You can't fall asleep and don't force it  11. Doing happy things is best for boosting brain activity  12. Find a "family doctor" early  13. Don't be overly patient or force yourself, there is nothing wrong with being a "bad old man"  14. Keep learning and you will enjoy   15. Don't be greedy for vanity, it's good...

 *Why "No" is a Leader's Most Powerful Tool:*   *6 Strategies top performers use to master "No."*   *Saying yes to everything blurs focus.*    *Use these methods to prioritize what truly matters:*   1. *Not sure which tasks matter most?*    ➟ Use the Pareto Principle   ➟ Focus on the 20% that drive 80% of results. 2.  *Overwhelmed by urgent tasks?*   ➟ Try the Eisenhower Matrix   ➟ Prioritize by urgency and importance.  3. *Unclear about your goals?*   ➟ Implement OKRs   ➟ Keep objectives clear and mission-aligned. 4.  *Struggling to prioritize tasks?*   ➟ Apply the MoSCoW Method   ➟ Classify tasks to focus on what counts.   5. *Need data-driven decisions?*   ➟ Use the RICE Scoring Model   ➟ Rank projects by impact and effort.  6. *Want to delight your customers?*   ➟ Explore the Kano Model   ➟ Find features that boost satisfaction.   *Remember:* ...

 - Do you often miss out on your deadlines? Are you afraid of starting on an already planned task? Delayed action in completing the tasks has given you mental pressure and guilt? Because of which you consider yourself to be lazy and not fit for the task. Let's understand this. Delaying of tasks many times is famously known as procrastination. It is a loop in which many of us are continuously revolving, many times unconsciously too.  And yes obviously we can put efforts to come out of this loop.  Image Source: Paytm business website  How can you come out of it? It's with continuous practice and effort you can break this loop and succeed and make life much better and liveable. You should also have the company of positive people, be with them to stay high on motivation. Research says that there are many types of procrastinators and many reasons for procrastination. It's not same with everyone. Thus this article is giving you external link article to understand your cha...

- In around 1971, five IBM engineers from the AI department  ( Dietmar Hopp ,  Klaus Tschira , Hans-Werner Hector,  Hasso Plattner , and  Claus Wellenreuther , all from  Mannheim , Baden-Württemberg) were working on an enterprise-wide system based on a particular software, and during those days it was told to them that it would no longer be necessary for them to work on this project. These 5 seem to be very passionate and focused towards working on a software product which focused on enterprise wide processes integration. And it happened that these 5 people rather than abandoning the project, they decided to leave IBM Tech and start another company. And here you go now it’s 2023 and guess which is that company now? It’s 2022 revenue is €30.87 Billion. The company is the world's leading  enterprise resource planning  (ERP) software vendor.   It is the largest non-American software company by revenue, the world's third-largest publicly traded softwa...

- Perfection in humans is considered by most of them to be real goal of education and training. The question is, is the perfection possible? Or is it about excellence and not perfection? Let's understand what is perfection and how it is achieved. The process of improving something until it becomes excellent is perfection. Excellence is the quality of excelling, of being truly the best at something. Let's understand it by 4 levels: Level 1- I can do it! (Unconscious Incompetence) The Dunning Kruger Effect. Those who are overconfident though they dont have expertise. ATTRIBUTES - over confident  - arrogance - Keep commenting on others. THEY ARE IN PEAK OF MOUNT STUPID. 😂😂😂 Actions: Make them aware by feeding knowledge. Ask them to attempt the task. Give them pre test. Level 2- Realisation (Conscious Incompetence) VALLEY OF DESPAIR 😐 Attributes: Despair Grapes are sour Blame game. (Posotive- Zeal to learn, acceptance and submission) Actions: Motivation Success stories Level 3-...

 - "Responsibility without Authority is slavery" "Responsibility without Accountability is liability " "Authority without Responsibility is tyranny"   Let us become an asset to ourself, our family, our society, our country and the whole world. Can we audit our work atleast on weekly basis and document so as to grade ourself at the end of every year. Source: Dr Mushtaq Ahmed 

- The seven scientists in the Tokyo Olympics 1. Anna Kiesenhofer (Austria) won the cycling route, without a professional coach. She has a doctorate in mathematics from the Technical University of Vienna and the University of Cambridge, UK. She works in research and teaching at the Technical University of Lausanne, in Switzerland. 2. Hadia Hosny (Egypt) finished an impressive career in badmington, but has two gigantic additions: she is a professor at the British University of Egypt, she has a master's degree in biomedicine from the University of Bath, UK, and a doctorate in pharmacology from University of Cairo and has researched and published articles on an anti-inflammatory drug used for various diseases. And she's a congresswoman in her country. 3. Charlotte Hym (France), debuted in the "street skateboarding", when she gets off the board she is a doctor in neuroscience and her current job is to investigate the effect of the mother's voice on the development of m...

 - Effectuation is an idea with a sense of purpose – a desire to improve the state of the world and the lives of individuals by enabling the creation of firms, products, markets, services, and ideas. Effectuation is a process theory that explains the process that entrepreneurs use to create new ventures. When looking at ways to create value for a business, entrepreneurs have the choice between ways of thinking: causal (or predictive) thinking and effectual thinking (or effectuation). As an example, a chef using causal logic decides to cook a particular meal recipe and then gathers the requisite ingredients to do so. A chef using effectuation logic looks in the fridge to see what ingredients are available, then improvises a meal using what is there. Causation: The current approach taught in management. The focus is on achieving a desired goal through a specific set of given means. Causation invokes search and select tactics and under-lies most good management theories. Causal thinke...

 The scene is the final of men's high jump at the Tokyo Olympics.  Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi was facing Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim in the final.  Both of them jumped 2.37 meters and were on par !  Olympic officials gave three more attempts to each of them, but they were unable to reach more than 2.37 meters. One more attempt was given to two both of them, but Tampberi withdrew from the last attempt due to a serious leg injury.  The moment when there was no other opponent in front of Barshim, the moment when he could have easily approached the gold alone ! But Barshim asked the official "if the gold can be shared between the two of us if I withdraw from the final attempt ?"  The official checks and confirms and says "yes then the gold will be shared between the two of you".  Barshim then had nothing to think about, announces withdrawal from the last attempt. Seeing this, the Italian opponent Tamberi ran and hugged Barshim and screamed !  What we sa...

- Eagles typically live between 20-30 years in the wild. As apex predators, they are relatively long-lived compared to many other birds. The oldest wild eagle on record is about 32 years of age. It can live up to 70 years . There are many motivational learnings from eagles. Like below, -  In order to take on a New Journey ahead, let go of your negative old limiting beliefs. - The problem is common to all but the attitude to solve it makes the difference! - Only Freed from the past burdens can we take advantage of the present. Click to read: Story of an eagle. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/vishwabramana/story-of-an-eagle-23667/

-  *The Power of Visualisation & Imagination* "Reader’s Digest reprinted an article from The Rotarian by Joseph Phillips called “Chess: They Call It a Game,” in which Phillips tells how the great chess champion Capablanca was so superior to all competition that it was believed by experts that he would never be beaten in match play. He is widely accepted as one of the greatest players of all time.   José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera is the full name of Capablanca. He was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he is widely renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play. Capablanca was born in 1888 in Havana. It was believed by experts that, he was so strong that he would never be beaten in match play. Yet he lost the championship to a rather obscure player, Alekhine, who had given no hint that he even posed a serious threat to the great Capablanca.  The chess world was stunned by the upset, which today wou...

 Wake up! Wake up !! To make up yourself  And others to be awesome; To grow handsome and wholesome!! Stand up and march as a torchbearer To protect the lovely Nature,  And to preserve the water  For us and the generations of the future!!   It is not the time to sleep  Unreasonably for so long! Do you have a hang over? For what, whence and how long? Sun rose above the sky  Babies stopped their cry  Don’t ask and plead, why? Get up, dress up, startup, don’t be shy!! Since you have been sleeping ... Traffic jams have become rampant   Garbage ornated the roads of passerby ; Hearths are off, Foods from inn - nearby !! Books are dusted, waiting for one  Sold like hot cake on “Second to none”;  Kindles were bright surely on day one  Reading as a habit gradually gone !! Life givers are now on life supports  In the buildings called Old Age Home;  Sacrifices in vain, parents are in pain   Helpless or hapless...

  A “mouse” was put at the top of a jar filled with grains. He was too happy to find so much food around him. Now he doesn’t need to run around searching for food and can happily lead his life. As he enjoyed the grains, in a few days’ time, he reached the bottom of the jar. Now he is trapped and he cannot come out of it. He has to solely depend upon someone to put grains in the same jar for him to survive. He may even not get the grain of his choice and he cannot choose either. Here are FOUR lessons to learn from this: 1) Short term pleasures can lead to long-term traps. 2) If things are coming easy and you are getting comfortable, you are getting trapped into survival mode. 3) When you are not using your skills, you will lose more than your skills. You lose your CHOICES. 4) The right Action has to be taken at the right time, or else you will lose whatever you have. Nothing comes easily in life and if it comes easily, maybe it is not worth it.  Thank you !!! Source: Received t...

 - *The Law of Wasted Effort* Do you know that lions only succeed in a quarter of their hunting attempts — which means they fail in 75% of their attempts and succeeds in only 25% of them. Despite this small percentage shared by most predators, they don't despair in their pursuit and hunting attempts.  The main reason for this is not because of hunger as some might think but it is the understanding of the “Law of Wasted Efforts” that have been instinctively built into animals, a law in which nature is governed.  Half of the eggs of fishes are eaten... half of the baby bears die before puberty... most of the world's rains fall in oceans... and most of the seeds of trees are eaten by birds.  Scientists have found that animals, trees, and other forces of nature are more receptive to the law of "wasted efforts".  Only humans think that the lack of success in a few attempts is failure... but the truth is that: we only fail when we "stop trying". Success is not to ...

 - Click to hear lecture: Summary: Source:  The video is directly linked to youtube and the summary is adopted from the comments section of this video.