Wk 11-25 – Weekly Notes

Notes, highlights, thoughts and other things from the 11th week of 2025.

Morning!
Writing this on the 17th.
While it was a short week for the world (holi and all), I had a long one. I can blame it on work, friends, health and all that! And thus I am late by a day. It is 8 AM right now and I am taking off at 930. If I can publish it before that, great. If I can’t then the post will come towards the end of the day. Have a lot to do.

Nonetheless, let’s go!

๐Ÿˆบ The LARGE objective from the week gone by? And the next week!

There’s a slight change in this format from the past few weeks. I will now track this as one or two LARGE things that I want to do in a week. And my report on that. And then the next section where I will talk about what did I get done in the week.

A/ 2025 plan.
This remains open. I thought I would take a week off and do it. I did not. I continue to keep this open as a task.

So that.

In the coming week, I will…

1/ Carve out time for the 2025 plan.
I met Ashi, Shubhi and a few more friends from MDI on 16th Mar and my eyes have opened up to my foolishness with money. I need some discipline and that would be a large part of this.

2/ Get to the first draft of book 2.
I am at a place where I have enough material to convert my notes into a working draft. So that.

โ˜‘๏ธ What did I get done this week?

I will give a one-line report on things I got done on various things that are important to me. I will only talk about things that I got done. Shipped. Not WIP.

At this point, the following things are important to me (I know too many butโ€ฆ) and these are IN ORDER.

  1. Health
  2. Meru
  3. C4E
  4. Brand SG
  5. People (Family, Friends, Strangers, etc)
  6. Book2
  7. Shauk (Music, Films, Poker etc)

Healthย โ€“ This was bad. I was unwell. I ate kachra. I didn’t sleep well. If I could give myself a -10. I would. In fact, this is the BIGGEST red flag. So, will work on that!
-1

Meru – Regular work. Nothing new. Worked hard. Long. Was fun. Need to hire a lot of people. If you know people, please do reach out.
I will give myself a 0 on it.

C4Eย โ€“ Did maintenance things. And trying to hand over things to C. Putting in place things for other parts of C4E. Nothing large to report. Nothing large done.
So, a 0.

Brand SGย โ€“ Did nothing, even though this is an important one. I mean I did record a few podcasts but I haven’t done anything large. I didn’t even post things on LinkedIn. I didn’t connect with others.
– 1

Peopleย โ€“ Did a few things. But nothing large to be honest.
I will give a 0.

Book 2ย โ€“ Wrote a lot. I am ok with the progress I made. Not happy. Not sad. Ok. most of it was done by Claude. But progress for sure.
I will give a +1

Shaukย โ€“ Nothing on this.
So, another -1

So the overall score is -2 for this week.
Trends from the pevious weeks: -1

The max I can get is 7 in a week. Let’s see when I get to it.
Added this to my tracker too.

๐Ÿ“Š The tracker from the last two weeks

Hereโ€™s the tracker.

Look at all that food I am having!

I am killing myself one bite at a time. I will fix this. I have promised Ashima that I will get a functioning kitchen. And thanks to Rohilla, I do have a viable cook. I just need to find the money that I need to spend.

My back-of-the-envelope math says that I will have to spend 48K per month on this. Here’s the calculation: Cook – 5K, Groceries – 10K, Supplements – 10K, Gym – 5K, Coach – 8k, Physio – 10K.

And this does not even include the one-time expense (gadgets, utensils, clothes etc). At this time, I don’t have this kind of money on me. Lemme see what can I cut back from my life and allocate to health.

One large decision that I can potentially take is that I can move to Thane or Vashi or whatever. But I refuse to be not at the epicentres. I even wrote last week about how you need to be in the epicentres of action.

The other decision I can take is to cut on Starbucks (I do spend about 30K on casual coffee and meetups). But then this is where I meet my people and other people. May be not.

Anyhow. This is not the place for taking decisions. I am merely dumping whats on my head. Oh, and I know that I am probably over-indexing on the spends. Most people probably manage it in FAR less. But, like I say, I am not a great money manager. Ok, moving on.

๐Ÿ“ท Some Photos from the week gone by

Here areย some photos.

Not too many worth sharing. But some inspiring ones nonetheless. Do lemme know which one you thought was the best.

๐Ÿ“– Interesting Reads from the last week

This week was busy. I didn’t get a lot of reading done, tbh. However here are a few that I would love to share.

  • On assisted suicide. By Kahneman. THE Kahneman. Here.
  • On Network Effects. I read a few posts on the website. Start with this Masterclass. In fact, over the next few days, I will go down this Rabbit Hole and explore this as much as I can. If you are reading this, do read this and lets see how we can teach each other this. I would also like to see perspectives against this.
  • Charlie’s Psychology of Human Misjudgement. This one never gets old. I even told all my people to go read it. Thanks to Andrew for this ๐Ÿ™‚

๐Ÿ’ญ Highlights, reflections and notes from the week.

There’s a lot in this department to be honest. I may not be able to capture all of those here but I will try as much. Lessgoo…

A/ Health
I am not at an age where I am thinking a lot about mortality (funny I am writing this from a plane and I am worried if the plane goes down, what would happen to all things that I have thought about and planned in life), spirituality and other such things. And I am also thinking a lot about how do I become that person who is capable and able to lead others. And I thus need to be in the prime of my health, if not in other departments.

This is a classic “why” that I now have and thus I need to act on the how and the what.

Now, within this, I can control a few things (what I eat, when I sleep etc.) and there are a few that I cant control (diseases, acts of God, randomness). So rather than crying over what I cant control, I will try and optimise what I can, indeed control.

B/ Network School
Even since they talked about Network School, I have wanted to be there. Last week, I secured an “admission”.

My suspicion is that anyone and everyone is getting that. I would have loved to go (little steep for me at USD 1500 per month) but at this time, a lot’s happening and I don’t want to digress.

This is the classic case of wrong timing. If not for Meru, I would’ve gone for a month for sure.

C/ C4E Base / C4E House
I want to get C4E Base in various parts of the world where the entire C4E village can co-live and work on things that are important to them (these could be C4E or non C4E things).

Think of Hacker houses.ย But for folks from C4E. I know the current ownership structures in the country and the emotions attached by people on their houses makes it tough to create these houses. I will have to build some of these. Let’s see when I am able to do so.

These spaces would be co-work, co-live, co-create, co-perform and all that. These spaces would encourage others to drop in, others to feel at home, others to do whatever they wish to!

D/ Design
This continues to be my Achilles Heel and a want and a need since 2007 when Raj and Vikram first made me aware about power of great design in life and all that. And since I pivoted C4E to brand, I have continued to want a great design partner.

E/ Upwork.
Murtaza opened up my eyes to upwork. For some reason, I’ve always remained on the edge with upwork. I have had this bias that only the shit ones get their projects from upwork. But once Murtaza showed us the numbers, I realised how wrong I was!

I would like C to chase this. But from now on, I can only like. The decision is hers.

F/ Using money.
This could be a long one.

Lemme try to make a coherent narrative. I am a big fan of Paras Chopra. Not just cos he’s made a lot of money but also cos he seems to be giving in using it the right manner – building tools of public utility, offering grants to the deserving, building residencies, initiating moments etc etc.

Same for Andrew Wilkinson. He runs Tiny and he uses some of his money to build things. Same for Ray Dalio.

Now all these may be construed as cherry-picking but they are supporting people. And this is where my lesson is. Why cant I support people like that with my money? I mean I already do with SoG Grant (this year I’ve given up some 45K already but these have been to individuals and in most cases the beneficiaries get to work on a project or two). But can I do this in a way that it compounds and builds something AND someones?

No, I am not a philanthropist. I want to see a better world that M & m may get to inherit and I want to build that work. I want to happen to things. And thus I need to make money. Or may be raise some money. Let’s see what path I take. #sgtodo.

G/ A man who knows a man
Chota Anna (I can’t put his real name here) told me the other day that he’s a man who knows a man. I was instantly reminded of myself. I am also the man who’s knows a man. And I know more men who know other men. And ofc I am a people-connector. So, 2 + 2, I am in a great shape ;P

I want all my people to be this. I know I have a lot of introverts in my life. I know I have a lot of private people in my life. And I know that I merely am a platform for opportunity exchange. So, I need to become an even larger connector.

So that.

Oh, and Chota Anna has asked me for help with some films. I was sad for a minute that I no longer have access to TRS or PPP and I won’t be able to help him. But I will do whatever I can to help him. I can’t be too active, cos Meru, but I will do whatever I can.

More on this in the next few days.

H/ Book 2
This is going SURPRISINGLY better than what I had expected. Thanks to Claude. If there are no large surprises, I should be ready to ship the first draft by the end of this month! Yay!

I/ Love
I’ve been thinking about this lately. I realise that I am ready for this. And yet I don’t have the time. Anoush told me something like, I need to carve out time for love. I realized I don’t have it in me to do even that.

In fact, I realised that I am stuck in that dichotomy – on one side, I want to be detached from everything. On the other, I want to be around my people. But then it makes me think – what’s the point of this life anyway if you’ve spent it in chasing action and all that.

The spiritual in me has come to the conclusion that life is pointless in large scheme of things. But on a day-to-day basis, you need to be engaged (park it as i) and be useful (part this as ii). And while you are engaged and useful, you need to build.

i, You can choose to be engaged in tiny things (like gardening) or you could be engaged in send rockets to the moon (and trying to catch them back). You know that carrom scene from Munnabhai? The old man chose to be engaged in and invested in his game of carrom. We call this “matar” at C4E. All of us need to be engaged in some game of carrom, some matar. For me, it could be C4E. For someone, it could be their family. For some, it could be religion. But there has to be something that becomes your identity and you engaged, invested in it!

ii, You can choose to be useful to your family (make that your focal point). Or you can be useful to the world at large. If you are useful to the family, in all probability, the family will support you and take care of you in your old age. When you are doing it for “others”, you are left to fend for yourself. So, need to figure this.

So that.

I just realised, all these posts are actually great linkedin posts. And if not that, twitter content. And if not even that, a separate essay. When I write these on my weekly note, it gets lost in all the other brain dump. Will think on this. #sgtodo

J/ Demand more from life.
Demand better things (food, drinks, clothes), better service, better people etc. People may say these things don’t matter. They do. But as you demand these things – you MUST NOT be an asshole.

I have a friend – she seeks the best and she wants the world to bow down to her whims and she gets him way most of the times but she’s often an asshole about it. Funny thing is, this attitude of “world is out there to serve me” allows him to do well in life. I’ve often thought about being a bitch like that but I’ve realised that my values don’t permit me to be that.

But what I can do is, stop being a perpetual people pleaser. Instead of doing things to seek validation, please people, I must do things

In fact just yesterday, I took a hard call of not supporting a lady who needed a lakh or so to get out of domestic abuse. The old me would’ve instantly given her 10-15K. This is the number that I am willing to let go of without any remorse. But the new me (who wants to support only the ones who deserve support) has chosen to not do that.

Thanks, Adam Grant!

K/ Poker.
I will teach all my kids poker. It’s a great tool to help you grow. You learn about risk, arbitrage, people, decision making, emotions, maths, gut, small talk and all that.

I took a session for C the other day. I will do it for others. If you want to be a part of the lessons, DM me these magic words – “pocket me rocket hai”. The session is STRICTLY for the ones that DM me these words.

Oh, I am not good at it. May be I can invest time to become better. But then, does it add to my current life plans? Not really. So, I will merely teach :D.

L/ Other things that I want to capture but I may not spill too many wordsโ€ฆ

  1. Spillpot! I love when people ship projects. However broken they maybe. This is a good case in point.
  2. I am guilty of rotting on insta last few days. To be honest, all of it was with the motivation to get things done and learn more and all that. But I end up wasting time on it. I will limit my insta screen time to 10 mins in a day. I know this may not be enough to see, connect etc. But I will limit myself. Same for chess. Oh, I am not even good with chess!
  3. Super lesson from Hareesh Sir – “sheet banate jaaenge, cheez bhi to banani padegi”.
  4. Fam health scare. I will park it here. Nothing more, nothing less.
  5. Got myself a Gen-Z tee. I want to dress better. I am lazy and unplanned but I will fix it.
  6. I need to get myself sunglasses. I used to love them as an accessory at a point in time. And then I lost a couple of pairs in quick succession. And then I realized that the pairs I wanted were too expensive for me. And then I trained myself into thinking that I need to get Vitamin D. Lol. So, I will buy a pair.
  7. The way the captain speaks in the flight says a lot. Confident. Articulate. Polite. I must learn to be that. Wait. I have the word. Gravitas. That! In fact, I can relate the same to events. The way an event manager handles things when things go wrong, you realise their power!
  8. I am in Delhi for 3-4 days. I may stay longer if need be. This time I don’t plan to meet a lot of people. One of these that I will indeed meet is Farheen.

๐Ÿฅก So, one thing that defines the past week?

Looking up.

I think this is how I would summarise the last few days.

In the previous weeks, it’s been Survival, Taste, Community, Respect, Money, People.

โ€”

Ok!
This is it for the week gone by. Late by a day. But it’s here. Yay!
Lemme know what you think.
See you around.

PPS: This series of posts is inspired byย Thejย and hisย weekly notes. The previous editions are here: 01,ย 02,ย 03,ย 04,ย 05,ย 06,ย 07, 08, 09 (missed), 10

Wk 08-25 – Weekly Notes

Notes from the 8th week of 2025.

This one comes from Bangalore.
And I am listening to this as I write this.

So, I had decided that I will not take flights this year. But I took one. I have talked about why I did that. And oh boy, am I glad I took it! I missed that entire grind of cheap yet comfortable travel, seeing new things, meeting new people, and observing things. The curious cat old man in me is thrilled!

Must reconsider the decision to not take flights. The largest reason for not taking flights is that it fucks with the routine but at least I’ve been consistent with my daily tracker. And if I can be ok with that, I think I can add other things (food, yoga etc). Just that I will not be able to travel light. And that’s ok.

Ok moving on. Hereโ€™s my update.

What I was supposed to do in the week gone by. And my report on the same.

A/ 2025 plan.
This remains open. I will work on this someday ๐Ÿ˜€

Vivek often calls it the State of the Union. Lol!

B/ Health
I took my weight before I left for Bangalore (I was 89 KGs). I will measure it again once I am back. While I am here, I am being mindful about what I eat and how I eat and all that. I am also walking a lot more. It helps that I picked a guest house near the client’s office.

I am yet to fully assume the identity of a healthy person but it’s WIP. Last night I was craving for a pizza. But I replaced that with chips etc. Lol!

Like I said last week, my health will be my north star.

What did I get done this week?

I am adding this here from this week on.

At this point, the following things are important to me (I know too many but…) and these are IN ORDER.

  1. Health
  2. C4E
  3. Brand SG
  4. Startup (this may take up C4E’s place in the list)
  5. People (Family, Friends, Strangers, etc)
  6. Book2
  7. Shauk (Music, Films, Poker etc)

I will give a one-line report on things I got done. Done. Shipped. Not WIP. As I go along, I will add more to this but today, one line update.

Health – Walked an average of 9K steps this week. Meditated twice this week. At some point, will add yoga and muscle-building things.

C4E – In Bangalore to meet a client. Put in the process for the team to work without me. So far, we seem to be ok with it. However, we’ve not been stress tested yet. C and F seem to be doing well with it. On the Labs piece, the website is live. AK is leading the team of BK, SJ, KA and others and shipping things. So that’s cool.

Brand SG – I am a lot more visible on the internet. Thanks to AK in large. I also kickstarted the Cockroach podcast. We call it The Optimists Manifesto. Read more about it here. The idea is to talk to people who’ve survived despite everything around them!

Startup – Helped team get ready for launch. There’ve been hiccups (new team and all that) but learning!

People – Did nothing.

Book 2 – “Wrote” a few chapters with the help of Claude. Shared some of those with the beat readers group (in case you want to help me, join this).

Shauk – Nothing on this.

I will also make a tracker on this.
Oh my love for forms and trackers ;P

The tracker from the week that went by.

Hereโ€™s the tracker from the week gone by.


Look at the averages column. Highlights…

I am incredibly stoked that I averaged 10K steps. Subendhu averaged almost 12K steps in the last year. On the YTD, I am at 8900 steps. I need to be able to beat him. Let’s see how it goes.

I also added meditation. I haven’t added for the 23rd (today).

Finally, sleep seems to be at a 6-hour average mark. I’ve tried everything but I am unable to get more than 6 on average, unless I am tired. Once I start with the workouts, this will probably go down. Let’s see.

Some Photos from the week gone by

Here are some photos.

This one is a mix of app screenshots and photos that I took.
Nothing special to be honest.
If you see something interesting, please let me know.

Interesting Reads

Hereโ€™s a list of things that I read / saw / consumed that left an impact on it. In some cases, I went and stirred up debate in my network.

Hereโ€™s a list. In no particular order.

  1. This video on Instagram – link. Hits you in the gut about how you let go of your life.
  2. Blume’s Annual Report – link – yet to read it. I typically take a print and read this. Yet to do so.
  3. Buffett’s annual letter is here. Again, yet to read.
  4. This tweet. I want to grow my account as well! Only for this reason (access)
  5. This thread on Reddit about how people in Nepal are building a video editing agency. Must replicate this in India for C4E.
  6. This post by Ankush Datar on legacy. And why it’s overrated.
  7. Ian Chappell retires from writing. Love such writing!

Highlights, reflections and notes from the week.

In no orderโ€ฆ

A/ People Business
It became evident that at C4E, we are not an agency. We are in the people business! Over the week, met multiple people and held multiple conversations where this was reaffirmed. What we do at C4E is communication but we are in the people business. As Pradeep San often said about Gravity – we are in the business of saving jobs. That’s a separate story for another day. But at this time, we are in people business and we need to reorient ourselves to that.

B/ Hemant and Gokul
The two of them are different as chalk and cheese. And yet both of them are very very intriguing and inspiring. Each time I spend time with either, I am amazed at the capacity of a human mind to think that much. The other thing that is common to both, is, that their ideas are dense and the depth of their thoughts makes it tough for an average Aman (like me) to comprehend their ideas. I wish I could find a way to make their thoughts more accessible to the world!

Wait.
Who’s permission do I need? A lot of their inputs are in the public domain. Why can’t I start repurposing and talk about that in my words, on my blogs. What say? And, any volunteers?

C/ Sur
This dawned onto on Saturday. I am seeing C now run the business. I have played a tiny part in her life and now I need to find a way to not get into her way. More on this on my roam. But had to be captured.

Why Sur? Well, read this to find out.

D/ Poker + Writing + Teaching
One of my lifegoals is to be on the road, meet people and never worry about money. Sometime in the past I had imagined that I would be able to become a professional poker player (touring the world, playing in tourneys), teach at various colleges (while I am on the road) and write about my experiences while I do first two.

It’s great on paper. Except that I don’t have poker skills. And I have tried to learn and yet I am not good. Something in the week gone by reminded me of this goal. May be I will put a deadline on my life experiments and pick this up. May be when my parents are gone, I will become a full-time hippie traveller. A bald hippie.

And no, it’s not easy to imagine a life where my parents are not around.

E/ Ego in action
I saw my Ego in action. On at least two occasions. One with an old client. One with a potential client.

Must prevent this.

I don’t want to get into too many details (clients or whatever) but what I did was wrong and I shouldn’t have been told by my team to not do this. I know that some time this will come and bite me in the back but I must check this.

PS: I also saw my humility in action ๐Ÿ˜€
I will not talk about this.

F/ Manas Ayare (linkedin)
Met this boy at a Starbucks. Spotted some crazy stickers on his laptop. Got talking. And then from there on, one thing led to another. Now, his company and C4E are offering a workshop!

AK is leading this from C4E. Here are the details.

G/ Nakul Kumar (Cashify)
Met Nakul for dinner. And it was incredible. Each time I meet him, its incredible. Got so many lessons. The biggest one is that I need to build a process-first company. So far we are not. There’s more. On my Roam.

Oh while I was there, I bumped into a classmate from MDI. Each time I meet him, its at a lounge, a restaurant etc. Love these serendipitous meetings.

H/ Other things that I want to capture but I may not spill too many words on those.

  1. Must build media! The new podcast may be helpful.
  2. Must invest more in young people.
  3. Gave a 10K INR grant to a 16-year-old. SoG in action!
  4. Saw this news about Tyreplex. Reminded me of xTyres.
  5. This one by Bri is nice. I wish I had this clarity at the age of 19. Or whatever her age is.
  6. Talked to Dr Malpani. Inspired to do more. Especially his idea of building an ecosystem of startups in India.
  7. Got access to NeoSapien. Playing with it. Let’s see where we get with it.
  8. I love eggs!
  9. I cleaned by followers / following list on X, Insta and other places. I am getting more mindful about how I curate my conversations.
  10. Removed the cover from the new phone. TBH, I don’t like it much. But now that I have bought it, I am with it for a year at least. And then we shall see what to do with it.

Guess this is it.

So, one large takeaway from the week?

In one word?
Taste.

I’ve read, thought, and talked about it so much that it’s funny. In fact it has spilled from various conversations over the last week as well. But taste it is.

The close second is community. But at this time, I will stick with taste. I even recorded a podcast on it. Here.

For context, last week, it was Respect. And it was Money and People before that.

Ok!
This is it!
Lemme know what you think.
Gotta go.
See you around.

Oh, here are the previous editions: 010203040506, 07

PS: This series of posts is inspired by Thej and his weekly notes.

Wk 07-25 โ€“ Weekly Notes

Notes from the 7th week of 2025. I talk about C4E, Book2, Hospitals, AI and its impact on life Personal Brand, Economics and more.

Versova
Starting writing this at home.
Now at Starbucks.
There’s calls and meetings. So let’s see when and how I finish this.
Now at Jamjar at 1805.

The 7th week of the year is over!

Is this year flying past by like a rocket to the moon or what! I know that time seems to pass on faster as you age but this year has been something else. I don’t remember when the new year started and I don’t know when Feb is now ending in like 10 days!

I think this is also cos I’ve been on probably the steepest slope that I had to climb. And on this one, I am not merely climbing. I am sprinting. And no, I am not complaining. I am loving it!

Anyhow, here’s my update.

What I was supposed to do in the week gone by. And my report on the same.

A/ 2025 plan.
I don’t even want to talk about this. Open forever. It’s no longer on my radar. I don’t think about it.

But like I said last week, this is my ritual for like 1000 years. I want to not have done this. I will pick this up. If not next week, then in the week after that. And if not then, then some other day.

B/ Health
This was not on last week’s list. It was in one of the things that I wrote about this was NOT on the top.

I am adding this to the TOP from this week onward.

My ability to do large things and go beyond is indexed on my health. And I need to work on it.

A few days ago, I tried to shift my identity to that of a healthy person. So far it hasn’t helped. I need to do more action on it.

I will track these two as North Star things. I will remove the plan once I do it. But health will be my north star.

Moving on.

The tracker from the week that went by.

Hereโ€™s the tracker from the week gone by.

Here are the changes I made…

  1. I have added a weekly average column to know how the week was (often it gets tough to see that in large context). Now I know that in this week, I spent more money than average. I walked less than average. I slept more. I was more in control of my emotions. Etc etc.
  2. I added a color code to “good” behaviour. You can see the two days when I slept more than 7 hours. V will be proud of me ๐Ÿ˜€
  3. I can’t stop eating Kachra!
  4. If you see this, please tell me what you see that I am missing.

Photos from the week

Here are some photos from the week gone by.

There are a lot that I want to capture for posterity. I am uploading those here as well (with slight edits to ensure that this page is not messed; originals are on the link).

Oh, since I have a new phone, am taking a lot more photos.
Plus I am reading a lot and thus a lot of content to share.
Plus I went to the beach more times this week.

So that has helped.
Let’s see how it is the next week.

Interesting Reads

Here’s a list of things that I read / saw / consumed that left an impact on it. In some cases, I went and stirred up debate in my network.

Here’s a list. In no particular order.

  1. If there’s one thing you read, PLEASE ensure it is this. In the essay, Prasad talks about life and careers in a post-AI world.
  2. On the same thread, Sam Altman’s Three Observations.
  3. It would be useful to re-read this piece by PG. On writing. And life in a post-AI world.
  4. Prak shared this piece by Michael Dempsey. I read it. Took notes. Went down the Rabbit Hole on Schelling Point. Still unable to wrap my head around it. But will spend more learning. In fact I am increasing getting fascinated by Maths, Physics and Economics (see this channel). Let’s see where I end.
  5. The Pygmalion Effect. Video (not a read per se)
  6. Jung on Life After 40. This was very interesting, especically cos I am, well, over 40. And even more so cos I keep crying that I am old and all that.
  7. No one cares. Read this.
  8. Been reading about SEO and these two pieces were good to read. In one line, all the fears of folks about AI-written content are dumbfounded. Google does NOT punish (as of writing this, unless things change).

There are more links and things that I read. And there are more videos I see. I share those on this group. In case.

This brings me to highlights, reflections and notes from the week.

In no orderโ€ฆ

A/ AirPods Pro Max
I had decided that starting 15 Feb if I could write for 30 days straight (and even AK had to write), I would get myself one. But none of us wrote. So, no AirPods for me. Important to document.

B/ Book2
I’ve started to work on it. And I am leaning on Claude for that. So far, I’ve “written” 5 chapters of approx 2500 words each. So that’s fast. At this pace, I should have a draft ready in like one month!

Here’s a WA group that you may join in case you want to help me read the early drafts and help me find direction.

C/ C4E lacks action and attention
I’ve not been able to focus on C4E in the last few days.

Thankfully we are in the middle of our downward cycle and thus there isn’t much to do. So we are ok. Plus the team is running whatever we have well.

However, we as a unit lack action-orientation. We take too much time for everything. We think a lot. We dont break enough things. We are not ghissoing our chappal enough.

Need to fix it. And add some sense of urgency. I will pick this up in the next week.

Three things worth noting here.

  1. We wanted to price ourselves at a premium. We took action towards that we haven’t made any large progress.
  2. Our new creds was to be ready last week. It is not. I will not ask for it or chase it. I will make one myself. Adding to my todo.
  3. We need to reinvent our model. We haven’t done anything about it.

D/ Dave Matthews Band
I’ve recently been tripping onto music from Dave Matthews Band. I dont know but I love the sound they make!

You can start here.

E/ Claude and Cursor
I’ve been experimenting with the two things. One to write “code” and the other to “write” book2. And I love it.

I feel my mind has expanded. I can see it expand! I now realise that I can do a lot more. The power of my thoughts is a lot more, well, potent! The sky seems to be the limit. I will try and write more on this. But time seems to be a roadblock.

F/ I suck at negotiations
I knew this all along but I know this more now. That I suck at negotiations. I dont know if I want to learn that, at this age but it’s a good thing to know about. I will ensure that my kids learn the skill. And do whatever needs to be done – to make them great at it.

Oh, and as a matter of principle, I will not work on any negotiations from here on.

G/ Growing up
Had to go to the hospital. And I hated it. Each time I go to one, I hate it. I dont have an answer for my hatred or my aversion to those. But I hate them.

I know I will have to go to more of these in the next few years. It’s a deep fear. And I am trying to learn. I hope I am better. I hope I grow up!

H/ H2 of the day makes me sad and ineffectiveness
I’ve realised and I have known that I can’t do anything productive in the second half of the day. So this week on, I will move all my non-value-add things to the second half. The first half will only be to do deep work, independent of any conversations. If someone has to meet, it has to be in the second half. At least, for as long as I can control.

Even today, I did a lot till about 1 PM. Post that I went to the clubhouse and merely vegetated. Must be my sugar levels or something.

Irrespective. I will try and control this a lot more.

I/ IPO
Ajax are getting IPOd tomorrow.

They are a client and this is the first time I’ve seen a client get to IPO. Incredible learning experience. One more feather to the cap.

Now the lifegoal is to build a company that IPOs. Or may be not. I may not do well with the public scrutiny that public companies must endure. Let’s see.

K/ Angry and Sad with Kumbh
My parents were stuck in an overnight jam somewhere in UP. Or whatever state that Kumbh is happening at.

And I hate it.
And I dont know what to do about it.
I am angry and sad about it. I have enough money that they are not on public transport. But I dont have enough money to get them a charter plane and VIP darshan. I wish I had.

Plus, on top of it all, I dont understand how faith and religion becomes so important that they are willing to endure this. I am reading Man’s Search for Meaning I and get the why to live and all that but where is the why in this?

Thankfully their spirits are high.

L/ Other things that I want to capture but I may not spill too many words on those.

  1. For a work thing, I decided to submit to two elder gents. I will blindly do what they ask me to. I will offer to them the kind of adulation and submission I’ve wanted from my people. See this.
  2. Managed 45 days of daily journal. Now will aim to do 365.
  3. Deleted Insta yet again from my phone. I will put that on sinphone and see how much time I invest on it.
  4. Became a fan of Nicobar! But only when they are on sale. And I am ok to wear older fashion. The only thing latest I want is the iPhone ๐Ÿ˜€
  5. I am increasingly getting interested in Economics. Here is one of the creators that I absolutely am a fan of!
  6. I need to check for ADHD. I dont know if there are online tests. But I need to know.
  7. I have started to work on my personal brand all over again. This time on video. Have reached out to AD for help (now that he’s doing this professionally). Let’s see where I reach.

Ok that.
Phew

One large takeaway from the week?

In one word?
Respect.
More about it on my Roam. Or somewhere in the deep confines of my mind ๐Ÿ˜€

For context, last week, it was Money. The week before that it was People.


Ok!
This is it!
Lemme know what you think.
Gotta go.
See you around.

Oh, here are the previous editions: Wk 01Wk 02Wk 030405, 06

PS: This series of posts is inspired by Thej and his weekly notes.

041121 – Morning Pages

Here’s a morning pages on Diwali.

8:48. Home.

I have started to do a new thing. Rather than the morning pages on this blog, I start my day by writing an email to Team SG. And then I copy-paste it here and redact some parts of it that I want to keep within my team. So while I still live in public, I get even more honest than I can be on a public blog. In fact, I want to reach a point in life where I am able to open my emails, WA chats, and conversations to the world and yet sleep in peace. I know I am far from that but I hope I am there someday.

So, yesterday was a blur. I dont even know where the day went. I did nothing significant or special. I dont know what it was but I was literally a zombie. I, as they say, sleepwalked thru the day. I slept at like 9. And then I woke up at 8ish. 11 hours. For someone like me, if I sleep more than 6 hours, I get mindfucked. So there.

Anyhow, Today’s Diwali. Happy Diwali to each of you!

Growing up, Diwali was an important festival. For two reasons. One, each Diwali, I would come back home to my parents from wherever I was. Most times it’s been easy. At least since 2010, the work I do allows me to control how I spend time around these large festivals. Super grateful for that. Two, I’ve for some reason treated it as the beginning of the new year. Not sure if it’s true. But it has stayed with me even though I have stopped identifying myself as a Hindu. So, to date, I consider this as a new beginning and I try and start planning the next year with all the gusto that one can imagine. 

This year is no different. I am home. Yay! And I have started to think about what I’d do #in2022. I just realized that I can type started with just the left hand!

Here are the top three things that I want to do #in2022. These are in order of priority.

  1. Get debt-free. I will not commit to anything that requires substantial money till I can pay off my debt. I will continue to take smaller shots and make tiny investments (these are the ones that create opportunities for me) but I will pay back the loan by end of 2022. I cant live with the stress that I have people that I owe money to. 
  2. Write book2. I have been dreaming about it since 2013-14. I need to write it. I know what I write may not make a lot of noise but I have to have to have to write. It’s something that gives me my identity. Everything else, every other attempt at getting an identity has failed. This is the only one that I think I have left. 
  3. Get fit. I hate the days when I am unwell. Like yesterday. From today on, I am getting mindful about what I put in my system. I am not eating carbs. From tomorrow. Today is the last day of carbs. Ok. Lo-carbs. I cant remove carbs altogether. And I will get regular with yoga at least. I can’t work out and I can’t run. So, yoga! As they say, yoga se hoga! If I have to wake up early for that, I shall. 

Apart from these three, I have a million things that I want to do. I will talk about those as I get along. Funny, money doesn’t feature anywhere in this list. Let’s see when I get to that. 

And here’s a large decision. This somehow dawned onto me as I was waking up. That I would write book2 in public. From 15th November onward, I will replace morning pages with text for book2. And try and complete it by end of this year.

I will seek help from the community and I will post updates on Twitter and Instagram and all that. I will share chunks of unwritten texts. I will talk loudly about my process. And I will seek support and inputs from people on how the book is shaped. Even if the book becomes stale and no one buys it, I will tom-tom about it.

The morning pages would be reduced to the journal bit. Let’s see how the experiment goes.

That’s it for the day.

As I end this post, here’s wishing each one of you a very happy Diwali. I hope the year ahead is full of love, luck, happiness, and abundance. For you, your families, your loved ones, and everyone around you. May each of you gets everything you seek. And if there’s anything I can do to push your agenda ahead, please please do let me know. 

And here’s the song of the day – Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Here…

And here’s the journal!

  1. Emoticon: :(. I have no recollection of the day apart from one or two calls. Was like a zombie!
  2. Mindful Index (on a scale of 10): 0. I tried sitting down for a session of Headspace but was interrupted.
  3. Things that I am grateful for
    1. I was at home and I could sleep in peace. On a day when I wanted to sleep and rest it out.
  4. Things that would make my today great
    1. Letter to bade log. I need to send it today. Most of it is ready. Today is as good a day to send as any.
  5. A daily affirmation.
    I have what it takes to create opportunties for people around me.
  6. Amazing things that happened yesterday? 
    1. I could sleep ok, on a day I need to sleep. That was amazing.
    2. I got an opportunity to write for a film. I may not be able to get it but at least I had an opportunity. That in itself is great. Need to capitalise more on these.
  7. What could have made yesterday better?
    1. If I did not feel so sleepy throughout the day, it would have been better.
  8. Quote for the day
    “Luck = Opportunity X Preparation”

Hereโ€™s the streaksโ€ฆ

  • OMAD โ€“ 0
  • #book2 โ€“ 0
  • NOFAP โ€“ 0
  • #noCoke โ€“ 1
  • #noCoffee โ€“ 1
  • #aPicADay โ€“ o
  • Daily Journal โ€“ 28
  • Money spent โ€“ 3856
  • Killer Boogie โ€“ 0
  • 10K steps a day โ€“ 0
  • Surya Namaskar โ€“ 0
  • Daily Mail to #teamSG โ€“ 28
  • 10 mins of meditation โ€“ 0. I sat down yesterday but I was unable to.
  • Minimaslism Counter โ€“ -3 +1.
  • Morning Pages / Meditations โ€“ 28

090821 – Morning Pages

Quick note before I dive head-on into a long day ahead.

6:41. Woke up a few minutes ago. Today’s gonna be a long long day. To a point that I dont have a single minute to spare till about 6 PM. It’s one of those when everything seems to have come together to pack the calendar so chock-a-block that I can’t even die!

So, my mind’s blank.
Lemme talk of inane things.

It’s raining right now. It hasn’t rained in a few days. I just love it when it rains. I am not sure what about it though. I know things go wet. You catch a cold. The nose gets choked. The clothes dont dry and they start to stink. And yet I love it! Given an option, I would live at a place where it rains all the time. Lol. As they say, what you wish for.

Ok. I know what to talk about. Yesterday, yet another filmmaker rejected #tnks. He’s not the first and I know he’s not the last. I will keep trying. I know the film may not do well – there are way too many layers and the story is way too simple. But at some point in time, I shall get it made. Let’s see when. #lifeGoal, you know!

That reminds me, I have to start work on #book2 today. My millionth attempt. A lot of things have come together to make this happen. Lemme talk about those.

  1. I need to have an incredible success to open doors for me. I need it. I want it. I deserve it. There is no other thing that I have in my hand that I control by myself that could get successful.
  2. Logistically, the slot from 8 AM to 9:30 AM is vacant. So I need to fill that in.
  3. I have a lot pent up inside me. I use this blog for venting a few feelings / thoughts. But I need to channelise my energy. So I shall.

Honestly, I dont even know where I am in the story. I mean I recall the broad plot that it’s a treasure hunt based in Goa that spans three timelines and there’s 9 characters inspired by Navrasas and by Mahabharata. I know I am trying a lot. I know I dont even have a story per se. But whatever it is. Will write. I will get a few words in every day. Build it up. And see where I land. The world celebrates and rewards success and output more than anything else. So need to do that.

My only worry is that I may fall off once I hit a wall. And then once I am incommunicado for 15 days in September. I am thinking, I will make a board of directors, etc that will help me stay on track (I will send them updates about the book every day). If you want to encourage me to write this book, lemme know. I will add you to a list of people that I use as beta readers as I write the book. Send me a message here.

In other news, at a whim, yesterday I decided that I will work out of Kathmandu for a few days in October. SG2 thinks that it may not be a good place to live (she says there’s too much pollution, too much traffic, a lot of disorganized mess et al). Let’s see what my research uncovers. Will start planning and figuring it out over the next few days. And if Kathmandu is not happening, I will for sure try to work from someplace apart from Delhi (even though I would love the Delhi mausam in October and beyond – you know, nip in the air and all that?).

Thing is, I am probably trying to run away. I think I have the inability to face my demons and every time I hit a crisis, I need a change in scenery. From moving out of the house (to a coffee shop), to hitting the road (at every opportunity I get), I like the idea of remaining on the move all the time. I think I am suited for becoming a long-haul trucker! In fact, may be this move away from Mumbai is a move in that direction? I am suffering clearly and there is no end in sight. Maybe this move will help me? Let’s see.

And here’s streaks…

  • OMAD โ€“ 0
  • #book2 โ€“ 0
  • #noCoke โ€“ 151
  • #noCoffee โ€“ 0. Had two. Venti. Tall. Both Americanos.
  • #aPicADay โ€“ 0
  • Money spent โ€“ 200 + 200 + 135 + 140 + 381 + 206 + 445 + 190 (1897)
  • Killer Boogie โ€“ 0
  • 10K steps a day โ€“ 0
  • Surya Namaskar โ€“ 0
  • 10 mins of meditation โ€“ 0
  • Minimaslism Counter โ€“ -2
  • Morning Pages / Meditations โ€“ 241

310721 – Morning Pages

Today’s post is about walking, discipline, work, gifts, photos and other random things. Read on!

7:35. Woke up a few minutes ago. I feel ok as I woke up. There’s a lot going on in my head. And I can’t pinpoint any of it. I mean there’s work that needs attention. There’s money that I need to find for more projects that I want to cook. There’s people that I am responsible for. There’s nails that I need to clip. There’s all the food that I am eating that I must avoid. As I type this, I am craving some random food. And as soon as I am done writing this, I know I will step out and order so much that I will be sleepy. And then I would curse myself for eating. I mean I know myself well. Funny humanness ๐Ÿ˜€

Ok, so quick recap of yesterday.

  1. Did about 17K steps. Walked up to Bandra (Popley’s showroom). And then took a rick back. So +1 on that.
  2. I ate three means. Including ice cream and dal makhani and roti and all the jazz. So -1000 on that.
  3. Saw this documentary about some great art heists over the last few years. It’s so fascinating that I want to retell these stories in #book2. I mean there could be a character that knows about the world of art and that could inspire the heist that I am planning in my book. No? Let’s see.
  4. Did some work but I continue to lag on all the work that I am supposed to be doing. Like crazy. I hope I can cover some backlog this weekend.
  5. I am recording a couple of episodes for Marketing Connect. So that should be cool. There’s nothing like talking marketing at a relaxed pace with other marketers that have interestined perspectives to share.

So that.

Coming back to steps. As of writing this, I am at 83K steps for the week. My goal is 110K steps. Let’s see if I can push and do 120. Looks unlikely with all the work and unwinding I need after a longish day at work. But let’s see. You never know. I may as well do it.

Thing is, the rigor and discipline I’ve shown with walking every day, if I can do the same with my calendar and tasks and work and other things, I would be in the same league at Elon and Jeff and Bill and Steve and all those. It’s just that I am unable to do it. I mean it’s just the walk. I am not even doing Surya Namaskar. Or push-ups. Or anything else for that matter. I know the long-term advantages of things. I know that my time is limited and I need to find better use of that. I know that I need to make money and try and become debt-free. I know that I need to earn to support all the dreams and ambitions of people that work with me. I know the deeper purpose, the higher reason, and all that. And yet I am not disciplined about things.

Ok. Rant. Anyone has any fixes here?

Lemme change tracks. Yesterday was hot. AF. I dont know what changed but I was sweating more than I would on regular days. I was more tired. The old tees that I wear pricked me as they used to in Delhi summers. I felt suffocated even without the mask. Was it more humid yesterday? Was it hotter? I think I must find a colder place to live in. You know, like near the poles? Maybe if things dont work out this year, I will go live higher up in the mountains. Lol, wishful thinking.

Wait.

I just realized that once I have my lunch, I dont really work. I merely while about and kill time. Maybe I should plan and fix all my meetings at this time? Good idea! As in, do all the work in the first half (from 8 AM to 2 PM). Have lunch. And then do all the meetings from 3 PM onward. Good idea. Will try to implement it from the next week itself. All my co-workers, beware!

So that. Oh, I may get to drive a car (VG’s) to Delhi. Towards the end of August as I wrap my house. I’ve always wanted to do a Mumbai Delhi road trip. And take pictures. And write about it. So that’s cool. Plus, it would help to take my mind off things, think about what I want to (which is a lot). And ship some things that I want to park in Delhi (specifically, some paintings that SG2 left behind). Looking forward to it. Most probably, it will be the weekend of 3-4-5 September. More than a month. Let’s see how it goes.

Before I end this post, I have to write about Nappa Dori. It was a friend’s birthday a few days ago and I ordered a small passport holder for her. And I put a message along with. You know, am a writer and all that! So while the order took more than 10 days to deliver (not everyone is Amazon), when it did get delivered, the way they had gone about it was superlative. To a point that I have become a fan of them for the rest of my life. Yeah, they are expensive. Yes, they may feel like overpriced gifts for rich people. But all we are, to be honest, is mush balls. And if a gift (or anything else for that matter) can’t make you feel good about things, what’s the point? So, Nappa Dori, you guys have my heart. And patronage.

And finally, as I end this, here are some pics that I clicked through the day yesterday.

Wait. I love the coffee one so much that I will repost it. Here.

Love this one. Would’ve made it to my Instagram if I were active there.

So that’s about it from today’s morning pages. See you tomorrow. Here’s streaks…

  • OMAD โ€“ 0
  • #book2 โ€“ 0
  • #noCoke โ€“ 142
  • #noCoffee โ€“ 0
  • #aPicADay โ€“ 0
  • Killer Boogie โ€“ 0
  • 10K steps a day โ€“ 7
  • Surya Namaskar โ€“ 0
  • 10 mins of meditation โ€“ 0
  • Minimaslism Counter โ€“ -2
  • Morning Pages / Meditations โ€“ 232

270521. Hello, Book 2

An attempt to get started with writing the next book.

7:34.
Woke up a few minutes. The first thing I did was check my phone. I’ve got into this stupid habit of looking at Instagram and Twitter and Whatsapp as soon as I am up. Need to break out of this. Thing is, I primarily look at my phone to check the time (I don’t use an alarm anymore) and as soon as I have access to a phone, I start fiddling with other apps. And then like Alice, I go down the rabbit hole of other people and their fabulous lives! I’ll try to limit that over the next few days.

So, agenda for the day.
Try and write on book2 for an hour or so. Till about 8:30 or 8:45.
No, nothing from the heart or whatever.
Book 2 takes priority.

Here we go…

So on book2, while I know more of my protagonists and I have a vague idea of the antagonist as well, I dont know how the battle of wits would look like. There is this ultimate treasure that both these parties are chasing. I am struggling to write the parts where I would hide these. And while these two parties slug it out, I need to make this about a larger philosophy and the ideology. Let’s see what comes out…

“How are we to decode what people wrote back then? So much has changed since they must have hidden the treasure.” The rational Rujuta asked Chintan.

“Rujuta, it’s similar to any other investigation you run. You have morsels for clues. You chase the trail and it eventually leads you to the place of leak. And then you dig further and you would eventually find the answer. You need to not give up.” Chintan was more articulate than that but guess it was the lack of sleep. Or he was overwhelmed with emotion. After all they had just put one of their closest confidantes to rest.

“I know. But who am I to chase? Where do I go? Which thread do I pick? Who do I ask? Apart from what you have and what we stole from Paul’s office, we don’t have a thing. We don’t know where to go. To be honest, I don’t give a fuck about it. Just that I want to save Caravan Serai. It means so much to Mrs. Gomes. There’s no woman like here.

“I know. I know. You are right. But answers wont come to us if we just sit around here and twiddle. What if we find places and things that have been around since back then? I mean a lot of modern construction has happened around here. There are some places that have stayed around since then. No? I mean look at the churches and temples and buildings and all that. These places have been around since forever. We know that we need to probably start from Dona Paula work the way towards Panjim and then beyond. I know its hard work and we will probably come back empty handed. But in the worst case, we’d discover more of Goa!”

“Arey, I don’t care about discovering Goa. I want to ensure that when that bastard Ankit comes back, I can throw whatever he wants on his face so that he can leave us alone and…”

Chintan interrupted. “Do you think he will leave us alone if we gave him the money or the treasure?”

“No ya! I am not that naive. Men like that are never satisfied. He would keep coming back with more requests. All the time. But at this time, this is what we need to solve for.” While Chintan’s scatterbrain was evident, Rujuta’s pragmatism was on display.

Chintan couldnt do anything but agree.

“You do have a point. We can start with Old Goa. There are families and people there that are as old as Goa itself. It could be worth checking out. Plus Ankit’s office is close by at Panjim. We can stop by and say hi to him.” Rujuta chuckled. This is one of those things that Chintan liked about Rujuta. He couldn’t pin what it was but she had this distinct way of looking at things that made him crave for her company.

“Let’s do. When do you want to start?”

“Maybe from tomorrow. We have to talk to others as well and find a way to do this fast. We don’t have all day…”


This is it for the time being. Not too much but I made a start. Good good.

Also, at this point, I am thinking, do I even want to make it about a treasure hunt? While it’s an intriguing piece, if I am getting stuck, should I change the plot to make it a regular maar-dhaad wali film? Where they fight over a piece of land and kill each other and there’s salvation? Like you know, Godfather had no large treasure but respect, family, and survival. May be that will make sense? The treasure could be a red herring that I would remove. It could be the B story. It could be something that someone else was engaged in while my key characters are busy saving Caravan Serai. Makes sense. Let’s see what I decide over the next few days.

That’s it! And, here’s streaks.

  • Morning Pages / Meditations โ€“ 165
  • #aPicADay โ€“ 0. Will start this soon, now that I have started to walk around.
  • 10K steps a day โ€“ 0. Did 9980 steps!
  • OMAD โ€“ 0
  • #noCoffee โ€“ 0
  • #noCoke โ€“ 77
  • 10 mins of meditation โ€“ 0
  • #book2 โ€“ 1. Today was day 1!
  • Killer Boogie โ€“ 0
  • Surya Namaskar โ€“ 0. Missed this two days in a row.

So that’s it for the day. Let’s see if I can write more about book2 over the next few days.

300321 – Meditations

Took me forever to write this one. I just didnt get the words. But thankfully, I managed some. I talk about things clouding my head.

8:00. Just woke up. I am groggy and all. The mind’s blank. I dont know what to write. Of course, a lot is happening and a lot is on my mind and a lot needs to be written and a lot needs to be published. But the mind is blank ๐Ÿ™

Lemme try #freewriting.

A. Despite all my public outcry against the increasing number of cases in India and my concern that we are being stupid, I still went to Starbucks. And I will go again today. In a bit. Before 9ish. Multiple reasons – lack of space at home, non-functional AC, the need to have ambient noise while working (I need to come back home for calls that start at 1:30), etc. I just wish Starbucks offered closed rooms. I am getting a shared office in a few days. I have paid for it (and a lot of money, to be honest), in hopes that I will be able to use that place instead of a Starbucks. Let’s see how that goes.

B. I met a friend last evening, and I talked about my inability to work on #book2. I told her that I want this one to be an ode to Mahabharata and I cannot wrap my head around all the characters and their interplay. I have used tools like sticky notes, whiteboards, Roam, and whatnot, and yet I am can’t seem to write it.

She had a great suggestion – get someone to help write. I have tried with multiple “assistants” in the past. PM literally sent in prompts everyday. But I couldn’t make progress with it. So that’s not a solution. Guess the answer is to just pound on the keyboard till I make progress.

Wait, do I even want to write the book? The answer is, hell yes! The reason is that whatever validation I get from the world comes from the fact that I can attach the word author in front of my name. The world rewards output and action and finished things. WIPs don’t have any value. They are left to rot on the sidelines. Really.

I think I will get going with writing about book2 each day, even if it’s one word. I must start from today. Let’s see if I get inspired!

C. It’s 9:20 and I am at Starbucks as we write. It’s perfect! Almost any Starbucks outlet is. I just wish it was a tad cheaper. I mean they are free to price their products at whatever price point they deem appropriate and may be this just-out-of-reach premium-ness is what makes Starbucks a place that’s just perfect and you can sit for long at and get into the zone and work!

Plus, I like the idea of waking up early and getting a headstart when the world is sleeping. This time (when the world is asleep) is the time when I get the best work done. The entire A large part of #tnks was written in the 7 AM to 10 AM window. May be once I settle into a routine of sorts, I will earmark this time for work on #book2. Funny how so many thoughts are centered around book2 and yet I do nothing about it.

So that.

Before I go, here’s streaks….

  • Morning Pages / Meditations โ€“ 109
  • #aPicADay โ€“ 89
  • 10K steps a day โ€“ 0
  • OMAD โ€“ 0
  • #noCoffee โ€“ 20
  • #noCoke โ€“ 20
  • 10 mins of meditation โ€“ 0
  • #book2 โ€“ 0

Wait. Here’s attempt at writing #book2. Let’s see how many words do I get in. I honestly don’t recall where I left the story. Let’s see what comes out. It’s 9:40. I will write till 10. Even if I have to type book2 multiple times.

“Its funny, Rujuta. At the core of it all, every argument – legit or illegit, fair or unfair, long or short, called for or uncalled for – is about two people taking two different sides of an idea. The idea could be ownership of a a property. The idea could be a political ideology. The idea could be as simple as the clothes you’d wear”, Ronak continued to stare into the sea and continued to deliver his monologue to Rujuta.

Rujuta could only nod at whatever Ronak had to say. Ronak reminded her of Tarana. She thought, it was about time the two of them met.

That’s it.
Like 2 paras ๐Ÿ™
But theek hai. It’s a start.
See you tomorrow.

230321 – Morning Pages

How these morning pages have sort of become a blog of sorts. And no, I am not complaining. Rather, grateful.

Read on.

7:04. Andheri. 8:39. Starbucks.

Even though I decide each day that I will work from home and not go to Starbucks, like an addict, I automatically move towards it. And this move is not a simple jab in the arm that gives me the hit. But requires me to wake up early, shit, shower, wear socially acceptable clothes, take a rick and then walk into one! I don’t think I’ve made this much effort for a date in a while. I don’t think I will make it either. Unless it’s Priyanka Chopra. Oh, forbidden fruit! Oh, things out of reach!

So, last night, I slept at 10ish (I think so), to be able to wake up at 5. And I did wake up at 5:15 types, only to go back to sleep. Lol. I will try again today. Let’s see. The intent is to wake up at 5, work on #book2 (lol) for a couple of hours and then get on with the day. Lol, wishful thinking. I am in that mood today, you know, where I want to, well, mock everyone. Starting with me. I wish I could be like this every day. Must investigate what has happened that I am becoming this!

Lemme list things that I did yesterday and see if I can see any patterns.

  • Ate one meal. I mean, I ate twice but in the 4-hour window. So that’s technically OMAD. Ordered from Bikaji and had chana masala. I love Indian, spicy food.
  • Had a few meetings and I was questioned in some. And in others, I questioned others. In toto, I would have spent about 6 hours in meetings (and thus, no productive work happened).
  • Made some progress with the Aram Nagar documentary with Mudit. Spent time walking around Aram Nagar. Connected with some people that can connect us with some people that may know more about Aram Nagar.
  • Played a LOT of chess. And lost a LOT of games. Lol. I need to quit it.
  • Did NOT spend as much time on Instagram. And did NOT stalk those #instacrushes.
  • Wrote an investment thesis (in the morning) for the Angelist Syndicate that I want to create with a few friends. Very early days right now. Let’s see how it goes.
  • Stayed away from the negativity imposed by constant comparisons with people that are more fortunate. Reminded myself what Dr. Peterson says – you don’t need to compare yourself to others but to what you were a year ago. I really think I have stagnated in the past year but my personal trajectory would be more or less upward.
  • Slept for 7 hours. Like a log. Did see some dreams but I can’t recall those.
  • Made some headway with SoG Grant.

I cant spot any. Can you? Let’s see how I am doing tomorrow.

Also, I realize that these morning pages are becoming more of a personal blog. Which is ok. The idea is to get in some words out every day. For a couple of reasons.

A, Keeps the writing muscle going.

B, Allows me to pour my heart out to someone, something (in absence of that significant other). I think if there’s one thing I can recommend to people, it would be that they need to write. In public.

Bonus C. It allows me to be more accountable to myself. As I know that what I write is on public platforms and anyone can look at what I am thinking and saying and call bullshit.

So that.

Ok, I don’t know what else to write. The track of the day is this. Saw this for the first time on the Instagram feed of an #instaCrush and while I’ve moved on from her, the track has been added to the list of my favorite ones. There’s another track am thinking of right now is Bocelli crooning Can’t Help Falling In Love.

I think that’s about it. Time to get on with the day and seize the fucking day. Oh, here’s the streaks

  • Morning Pages โ€“ 102. Now its a game on when I drop this ๐Ÿ˜€
  • #aPicADay โ€“ 82. Aim to do about 100. And then 365. Even on 9/22. Let’s see.
  • 10K steps a day โ€“ 1.
  • OMAD โ€“ 1
  • #noCoffee โ€“ 13
  • #noCoke โ€“ 13
  • 10 mins of meditation โ€“ 0
  • #book2 โ€“ 0

050321 – Morning Pages

A quick rant on how I was made to feel at a meeting yesterday.

5:30. AM.
I am up! And on it. Listening to Khawabon Key Parinde. I’ve always been a king of wishful thinking. I’ve even written about it on my blog once. Here.

So, today I get to meet one of my newer clients. I have been working for him since Oct last year and everytime I have spoken to him, I have left the (zoom) room inspired. This is my first IRL meeting with him. Lets see how it goes.

Yesterday was a mixed bag. Largely, took it easy. I had a few calls and I was a silent observer at most of those places. I don’t like to play a passive role but I think it’s ok to not want to run the show all the time. I think my fly as high as the Icarus needs taming and these meetings are sobering me up. Just that I don’t like when I am interrupted and cut in the middle by people. Or when I am taken for granted. Or when I am shrugged like a flunky in the white shirt. I remember I wrote about this 10 years ago and I am yet to get over it. This is not my ego per se. This is more about being treated as an equal human. That sucks. Someone told me a few days back that you rather work with someone that respects you than someone who pays you a lot. But then that’s naukri. If you want to win the world and become like Elon, Jeff, and others, you need to do what Guru Bhai tells us!

Anyhow. Moving on.

I was with someone else yesterday when they reminded me that I am a published author. Lol. Must move my ass and write more. The battle between making ends meet and chasing the dreams is a neverending one. Days like this I wish I had picked a comfortable job that would have given me the weekends to do whatever I wanted to. Or I had a rich father. Or a rich wife. Anyone wants to adopt? Or marry me? You need to have 10 odd crores to giveaway to me. Or maybe I can put my head down and write. Lol!

So that.

I guess that’s about it. Short post but at least poured out what gave me a sleepless night. Over and out.

PS: Funny that I am 38, I am triggered and affected by these trangressions of people that I work with. And this is when I want to change the world and impact a billion lives and make a billion dollars and all that. Sigh. At my age, people are making the world go around and I am cribbing about such tiny things. Damn, Mr. Garg!