The Daily Grind - 2711 - 310718

7:45 AM, Mumbai
31 July 2018

I know I said that I wont rant. 
I know I said that I will rather talk about lessons (and not rants). 
I know I've promised myself to be not harsh on myself. 
I know it all. [haha]
But this is important. I have to rant out. There is no one else that I confide in and can be honest about things. [Funny. I am confiding in a blog that is open for the world to see. Dear prospective employer (or client), if you are reading this, please know that this too shall pass.] 

So, I dint write yesterday. Or the day before. Both days I could've written - I had the time and all that. But I dint. Not because I was lazy. But because something happened that put this shroud of misery over my head that made me so sad that I could do nothing but sleep.

And I want to talk about this.

This = misery.
Not the specific incident.
That is captured on echoChamber.
But the generic reason for my misery.

So, here goes.

The way I am made, I have this deeeeeeeee[insert infinite Es here]eeeeeep need to be respected.
I can live with all the ambiguity. I can stand whatever comes at me. I am ok with extreme cold (not garmi though), hunger, lack of comfort, physical abuse and other such things. I can survive around negativity and all that. But when someone is rude to me, I get ticked off.

And when I say that I get ticked off, I dont mean that I blast off. I just curl up into my shell, crawl under the shroud and cut myself from the world. And my world is anyway tiny - handful of friends and acquaintances.

And do what?
Sleep!
Sahi jawab. Aap jeet-te hain ek crore rupye!

Thing is, I am one of those who "live and let live."
I make sure that I dont bug anyone. And I dont want to be bugged.
I talk to everyone with respect. And I want others to talk back to me with respect.
I set high standards for myself and I expect the same from others.
I take ownership of my actions and I expect others to do the same.
I apologise when I am wrong. And I am ok with a public castration.
And I try VERY hard to not repeat my mistakes.
If I cause a monetary loss, I pay back for it. This is one of the chief reasons that I am struggling financially - I have paid to compensate at places where I felt I was responsible, even though I was not. Since all that matters to me is how I feel, if I fucked up, I believe that if I pay up, I can reduce the pain! 
If I do well, I do not crave for recognition. I dont. Really. All I want is respect. And no, I dont demand it. I want to earn it. And I am ok to work very hard to earn the respect.
If I say something, I do it. Of course I miss deadlines and all that but I am human. I try to reduce these misses and not that I am near perfect but I will reach there at some point in time. 

If you cant understand this, I am ok to stay away. Life is way too short to be doing things that dont keep you at peace.

Call this my personal code of conduct or whatever. I try to ensure that this code is adhered to. Every person I get into any relationship with (personal, professional, etc), I try to set an example by being the first to offer this conduct. And once this has been tabled, the strain of commonsensicality in my brain tells me that it should be easy for the other party to respect this code.

But no.

I am often subject to whims and behaviour that is diametric opposite to what I expect. And that's where the problem it! That is what fucks me up. This is what fucked me up. Something happened and someone really important to me was rude to me for no fault of mine.

And like I said I cant stand rudeness for no reason. And I since I am not the kinds to retaliate or talk back and all that, I just came home and put the AC on 22 and went to sleep. Of course I was doing all that you expect me to do - working, talking, even throwing parties, walking, eating and all that. Just that I was on auto-pilot. I even played Peak and now that I think about it, no wonder I was scoring so low on games that I am a pro with.

I think I have finally woken up today. Time to make the day count!

***

So, lemme shift gears and talk about something that I did for a first time EVER in my life.

I hosted some people at my place! I cant remember when was the last time I called people home just to chill. I have had poker parties in the past and birthday celebrations etc. But I have never ever called people over to just chill and sit around and do things that people do at these house parties - get drunk, play those inane party games and all that. 

Oh, this gathering happened while I still reeling under the influence of the thing... 

I called my tribe over and we did all of the above.
The people at the gathering were aged 36 (me), 32, 28, 24, 20 and 19. That's some range.

And it was interesting af. I think what you do in a house party clearly defines who you are. You are uninhibited and you are your true self. This is a great tool to evaluate people, if you ask me.

For example, if you looked at my behaviour while I was in the party, my number 1 concern was that we dont make so much noise that it makes me neighbours come knocking on my doors and ask us to shut up. If you looked at this other person, all he was bothered about was taking care of one of us who was sick. I on the other hand couldnt care less about the sickness as long as the volume levels were kept down. That tells me that dude is more human than me. So, maybe I need to keep that person close to me.

Got the drift? More on this after I do this one more time. I will have more empirical evidence. 

In the meantime, here are a few observations and lessons from incidents over the last few days.
See I did list a few lessons :)

1. I do not enjoy dancing.
Even if its with the closest set of people.
I hate when I am put at the spot with requests to dance.
I hate to say no to my people.
So, I need to avoid going to places where the dance shite may happen.
I know dance is like a primal thing for us humans, but its not for me.
Sorry, ladies and gents.
Oh, I have expressed the desire to learn Bhangra in the past but that to me is workout. And not an action under influence of alcohol and societal pressure.

2. Alcohol IS fucked up.
I have no clue what makes people consume alcohol.
You ought to be high on things in your head and not on fumes from some foreign substance.

Once you are drunk, you forget what is right and what is wrong and you become someone else.
Some people say you show your true colors. Some say you become better. I am not sure.

All I know is that in my experience, alcohol makes you irrational and often lands you in trouble. And I dont want any trouble of any sort. I HAVE to cut ties with anyone who has an alcohol problem. Even if its borderline.

Having said that, I am still undecided on Psychotropics. I want to try and see the effect. Lets see. Any experts?

3. What I eat controls my mood.
I was sick in the head anyway and then I ate some Dal and rice. May I say that the Dal was good? And I felt so bloated that I had to actually lie down. I had that Dal at around 3 PM yesterday and its 9:05 AM right now and out of these 18 odd hours, I've slept for about 12. Not kidding. I dont know if its the sadness, or the bipolarity (or the depression) or the Dal.

What I know is that I need to fix this. I cant be sleeping this much if I have to reach where I want to. And if that means abstaining from foods that I've liked in the past, I will.

4. Money drives the world.
Of course I've always known this. I've been the kinds to assume that money is a mere byproduct of doing good things. But I guess that's not the case. At least for the world around me.

Here's a quick story. I loaned some money to some friends. I needed some of it back to invest on a project. I reached out to all those people. And of all those people that I've trusted with money, just about 3 of them came back to me with an offer to return. What about the other 5? Well...

Lesson for me?
Choose your friends well.
Make more money.
Try not to loan it - it always causes a trouble.

*** 

So yeah, that about it. Happy to have written some. 

To end this, I need to put this on some index cards and remind me from time to time.
I need to... 
I need to start running.
I need HAVE to make more money.
I need to stop giving into urges and not eat crap.
I need to sit still and meditate for 45 minutes per day.

That's about it for the day.

Oh, the post about luck? I havent worked on that in 2 days. Maybe today I will. I promise that that will be the next one. Till then, over and out.

The Daily Grind - 2714 - 280718

I did not write yesterday. I could've. I just dint feel like it. No, not cool. Need to overcome these bouts of laziness if I am to get ahead. No, not being harsh at myself. But looking at myself from a few feet in the air and evaluating what am upto. 

Anyhow, without further ado, here's the post of the day. 

So, Krishna read the posts that I've been making over the last few days and told me to get married.

When I asked him about his rationale for saying so, he couldnt give me a specific answer. He said, it just felt like saying that.

Now when someone says that, it either comes from deep experience. Or from deep insight. Or from the gut. In any of these cases, if I trust the other person, even though they say something that is counter-intuitive or something that I dont agree with, I tend to give things a thought. The other filter (apart from trust) I use is if they have skin in the game. In this case Krishna doesnt. But I know that he cares deeply about me, I am inclined to give things a thought.

So, I am thinking.

About two things.

One, That if I should get married.

Two, and if what I write prompts the outsiders to evaluate me as a lonely, miserable man, I need to fix it. Fix both - what I write. And how I feel.


And after all the jamming, I think I have answers.

One.
No, I am not getting married.
I am selfish af.
I dont have enough to love someone more than myself.
And to me, my dreams, my ambition is greater than anything else.
However if things go the way they are going and I am forced to take a full-time employment, I will revisit this piece.

Two.
I will not write about my deepest darkest fears and all that here.
I will push them on echoChamber.
The point is to not run away but to give the tribe (the set of people that read my blog - yeah there is a set now!) something that adds value (rather than give them gossip that they can anyway get from a million other sources).

The other thing that needs fixing is how I feel. Now, I am not sure how to do that. What I write on this blog is true. Nothing is manufactured. Things here are as true as my existence is. Each word posted here is as close to truth as I've ever known. I've written shit here that my closest friends dont know. If I am misunderstood and I have no one but this blog to pour the grief on. If I am elated, I celebrate by writing a post here.

I've had great days, superb victories, glorious falls, bouts of melancholic days on stretch and much more. And for each thing, this blog has been the place where I've shared it all. This is closest to a soulmate that I've had.

I know its funny.
That I seek company of strangers.
And for someone who wants to change the world and make money in the process and enable people with that money, I dont have enough people for company.
Its ironical but that's how it is.
I am as alone as that lone camel in that infinite desert.
Or as an actor under the lights when he's asked to perform.
Lol. That's some creative writing. 

Anyhow, I cant run away from what I have or who I am. The point is, I need to fix how I think and what I pour out here.

Hence forth I will.

So, the big change would be that on this blog, while I will write personal things, I will not rant. Except those one off days. Even the most serious magazines have cartoons section :D.

I'd instead write about ideas, projects, things that I am working on, things that I need help on, things that I can help with.

I will talk about big ideas and themes that I am passionate about, causes I want to contribute to. For example, I'd talk about eduction and platforms that enable people. I'd talk about health. I'd talk about pushing the human limits - mental and physical. I'd make this blog a place where I raise a storm (even if its in a mere teacup).

If I cant think of ideas, I will write about what I learnt in that day. I'll probably write 10 ideas and work on working out the idea muscle. I'll write about what I observed during the day. I will write about things that ought to get looked at. You know, become an activist!

Basically, I will write about things that make you wiser.
Or more informed, if you will.
Starting tomorrow today.

So, what did I learn today that I think world at large ought to know? 

• I am the most effective when I wake up early and get some work done before the world wakes up. While this is applicable to me, I sincerely think you should try this. Try getting up early. I have had friends who love nights like they love life. And when they started getting up early, magical things started to happen for them! So, there may be a merit in becoming a morning person. Try it. For a week and if it doesn't work, big deal! 
• There are two kinds of people. One, who are willing to work to reach where they want to go. And second, who'd just talk about it. Which one are you? Are you the one who acts upon their desires? I am clearly the second one. And I need to become the first one. And how do I straddle from being the second to the first? Any inputs? 

And what is the big idea of the day? 

• You need to find your "blue zone of work." What is a blue zone of work? Inspired by blue zones where on an average people live longer, a blue zone of work is a place where you get your best work done. Where you get in the flow with rather ease. For me, the blue zone is at a Starbucks outlet (the one in Powai). I cherish my time there and I dont let anyone interrupt me while I am there. For some, its their office desk. Some people are most effective when they are at home. What is your blue zone? 

And I think thats about it for the day. For tomorrow, thanks to a prompt by SN, I am writing this super long post on manufacturing luck. Watch out this space :) 

That's it for the day. 

Over and out. 

PS: Thanks to VG for prompting me to write. Need more people in the tribe to do so (push me to write when I havent written. Are you guys listening?). 

PPS: I fucked up on the day count on the blogposts (count of the days remaining till to Jan 1, 2026. I got the count wrong on the last few days. Fixing it today on. As of today, its 2714 days to go. Here is the proof. 

The Daily Grind - 2714 - 260718

If there are days that I'd say are weird, today would take the cake.
I had a good time while working.
I had arguments over petty things.
I said no for the first time and it came to bite me back in the ass.
I was told that I cant keep my people happy.
I saw a silver lining in the otherwise cloudy, vague kind of life am living. And the kind of work am doing.

There were good things. And there were bad.
There were expected thing. And there were unexpected surprises.

I need to not have days like today.

I promise myself.

Thats it for the day. More tomorrow.

PS: Technically, this should NOT count as a post. Anything less than 500 300 is not a post. But I had to hit publish before I slept. I remain committed to 1000 words on average a day till the end of the year. Lets see. 

The Daily Grind - 2715 - 250718

So here's the post for the day. I am ODing on coffee and hope.

Coffee.
Since I am no longer on Keto, I am eating, drinking and binging on everything that comes my way. Oh and while I am it, I had some variant of chicken the other day. Thanks to AR. And surprisingly I was ok with it. I need to ramp this up.

Hope.
I was in Delhi and I was here to pitch to a prospective client and kick off things for the next phase of C4E. And what is that next phase? A phase where I go really fast for the next 9 months and try to make it into a fine events agency.

Anyhow. The post for the day. Since I have a million things clouding my head (as I edited this, I realised that all things are related), I will use a slightly different format to talk about things.

Unlike other times, here is a list of things that I will talk about. A table of contents if you will.

• A. The day. 
• B. The fear of flying.
• C. The Promise to Sleep well. 
• D. The lure of a good life. 
• E.  Health.

A. The Day. 
It was a weird day.
In a lot of ways.

First, I missed the flight I was supposed to goto Delhi on. And no, I dont do this often. This is the second time in my life that I have missed a flight. And no, unlike people that get worked up about missing flights, for some reason I was calm. Good job, Mr. Garg. I can attribute this to a lot of things - I dont care much about money; I am not serious about the flight and all that; I have attained nirvana!

Then, I booked myself on the next available flight (which was of course expensive). And again, I dint have an iota of remorse. Am I becoming truly invulnerable? Bulletproof? Lol! Read yesterday's post, Mr. Garg! 


B. The fear of flying.
I never thought I'll say this but I am.

Lemme give context. Since I took my first flight, I've been fascinated with the idea of flying. In fact airports are among my favorite places (no, not all transit places are favorite. Airports are). As I write this, I am at an airport. In fact some of the best ideas come to me when I am at the airports. Or in the planes. Or on the pot.

So, I obviously love the idea of flying.

Also, to the middle-class Indian like me, flying is a symbol of achievement (other symbols are cars, houses, phones etc). And since I am a little underachiever, to me, these things that validate my status are important. To the extent that I keep a count of all flights I take. For example, this flight that I am going to get on in a couple of hours is the 33rd flight of year. Last year I took 53. So on and so forth.

And while I have been on these flights, I have seen all sorts of things - turbulence, calmness, air pockets, babies screaming in my ears, couples making out, comp upgrades, people using air sickness bags, false landing, air traffic congestion, excess baggage issues, lost baggage and dont know what all.

What I havent seen? The oxygen masks falling from the top (from a couple of friends who've experienced it tell me of horror stories of the time when that happens). And of course a life-threatening experience.

Of the times when I have been in flights with serious turbulence, I have remained calm. As calm as I was in the morning when I missed the flight and paid a fortune to book the next flight.

But... there's always a but... for a change, in the morning today, I was scared. At the slightest turbulence that the otherwise comfortable flight had to go through. And this is the first time I recognised the emotion of fear while in a plane. And I dont know why am I scared. I know that flying commercial is statistically amongst the safest ways to travel. I also "know" that it cant happen to me - you know what I am saying?

So, why am I scared? Am I afraid to die?
Probably yes.
Probably no.

But I know that there is way too much happening in my life to just die like that. You know what I am saying? I have to make a dent in the universe and it cant be that unfair (to me) that I die in a plane crash! There are plans and ideas that need implementing. There are people dependent on me. There are a handful that love me. And most importantly, there are people that I want to help.

What if I am in an "incident"? What happens to all those people and ideas and things?

Ok, cant be thinking of these things before I take a flight. The point is, I get scared when I am in the planes. Need to think more on this on the other side. No. Not the 7th heaven side. But the other side once I have landed and safely tucked in the bed in a cold dark room.


C. Sleep
That brings me to the next thing that I want to talk about. Sleep.

I missed the flight because I could not wake up on time despite putting three alarms. And I could not wake up despite the alarms because I am tired. In my body, head, soul and everywhere. And I am exhausted because I have been working REALLY hard last 2-3 weeks. And I hardly get time to sleep.

Things are taxing (and I know that none of the things I am working on will pan out to give me either the money or the reputation or the future - these things are paying me just about enough to pay my bills. Yes I am struggling). And there is a lot of incompetency around me and thus I am jacked even more.

Ok enough of rant.

Point is that I am not getting enough sleep. And that means I am killing myself fast. And if I need to make a dent, I need to live long. Till at least 120. Side note. As I grow older, I am more aware of my mortality and the fact that life is so useless and meaningless. Dont know what prompted who to create this thing called life. Makes me sick as I think about it.

Ok enough of rant.

So while life is meaningless and all that, while you are here, you ought to do whatever it takes to make sure that you enable others and spread happiness. I dont know what else is the purpose of life. Agreed that I want to make money and all that but I want to make money and all that to be able to inspire and enable others. If I can, anyone can. That. If I can climb the Mt. Everest, any one can. If I can make a billion dollars, anyone can. That.

And to be able to do all this, I need to be effective. And to be effective, I need to be "fresh" and rested and calm and in peak state. There are two ways to do it. Take performance enhancing substances. Or you take enough rest. You sleep well. In fact DS told me today that he wants me to sleep well before I attend a meeting with him. That's a sign enough.

So, I hereby promise that I will NOT compromise on my sleep.
I will sleep for 6 hours (not 8 - I am ok with 6).
And post that I will assume that my day has just 18 hours.
And I will wake up at 430.
Even if I have to sleep at 10 PM.
No more late night calls, dinners etc.
No more coffee (except when I am on Keto and that too limited to one or two).
No more things that interrupt my sleep.
Here's a joke... if Akshay Kumar can, I can ;P

Of course there will be exceptions - when I am travelling, when I am on a break (#sidenote: must write about breaks - how I [plan to] take one weekend off every month, one week every quarter and 3 weeks every 6 months) etc.

But I will NOT compromise on my sleep.

Oh, if you know me, you would know that I encourage that 24x7 on-the-job, work, hustle-hard, chase-purpose, push-yourself lifestyle. I just want to put on record that I do NOT encourage not sleeping. All I mean is that all the frivolous things we do - partying, gossip, killing time on SM - those things have to stop!


D. The good life. 
Today, I realised yet again that I love a good life more than anything else. I define a good life as

• a life of abundance where you have enough to feed you and your loved ones. AND have enough to live in comfort and not worry about material things. You know, Maslow? 
• a life where you are making impact in the community that you live in. Where you inspire others. Enable others. Give them a shoulder.
• a life where you affect change (rather than a mere victim of things controlled by others).
• a life where where n the sense that when I have the money and I can afford things without worrying about it, life looks great. 
• and much more. 

Side note. Must write about what a good life is. And then write a note to self about reaching there. And get all my people to write about a life that they ought to live. And more. 

Am I there today? No.
Do I want to be there? Hell yeah!
How do I plan to do it? I have no clue!
What happens now? If you are reading this, HELP me!


E. Health.
I wanted to write about health as well. But I am not sure if I have the time (or the inclination) to do so. This post must be a 1500 words if not more. I know words flow when I rant on the blog, but I too have a limit! I will thus park health for some other day.

Just one note. I bought a pair of shorts today. 34". And the pair is loose. I am legit 32" now. Next goal? 30. Will talk about how I do this in the next post.

Till then, over and out.

PS: I will send this post to people I want to help me succeed in life. If you get this and do read this, please support me. And not diss me or troll me. And in case I dont send this, it doesnt mean that I dont care for you. It merely means that you are already by my side :) 

Thanks! 

The Daily Grind - 2716 - 240718

Today's post. Its 1104 and I have less than an hour. 1000 words. Let's do this. 

Disclaimer. So, today's post is going to be kind of sad. And one of the things that I preach to the world around me is that we need to avoid things that make us sad. These things rub off. So in case you want to not spoil the day or whatever, may be don't read (assuming you read this on a day to day basis).

So, why am I sad? I have no reason to be sad to be honest. Life is ok. I am not really unhealthy. I have enough money to pay my bills. There is enough work on my plate to keep myself busy. There is enough stress to keep me alive and kicking. And there is enough ambition and dreams and all that in my head to keep me going. So its cool.

And as I write I realize that I am probably lying to myself! Lemme make a list of things.

Life is ok. 
I guess.

I am not really unhealthy.
At my age, I should be running the marathons, climbing the Everest and all that. And I on the other hand am lying on my stomach, trying to write this post. And getting breathless as I write this. The very act of writing the post is becoming a task. You know what am saying?

I have enough money to pay my bills. 
Who am I kidding? My bank balance is in low 4 figures and I need to find a way to make more of it. And lot more at that. I HAVE to get rich.

There is enough stress. 
Yes!

There is enough ambition and dreams.
True. But I think I need to find a way to get those dreams to become reality! All I do is dream all day long. And not put things in action. Ok. Wait. I am not that bad. I actually do things but I need to up the ante and do lot more. Agreed that life is just 24 hours and and we ought to prioritize but then what about trying to be the Superhero? More on this later.

So yeah. That's it.

#note2self: You are clearly lost Mr. Garg. You need to find a way out!

That's it for the day. Not really a 1000 words. 400 odd if I am right with my estimation. But I got the post done. That's the good thing for the day. Phew!

The Daily Grind - 2717 - 230718

So it has happened! After 11 days of non-stop one post a day, I did not post yesterday and the day before. So a break of 2 days. Bummer!

Day before, I could've posted but I did not. There are no excuses. I was plain lazy. I mean I did get stuck at a meeting that never ended and then I had to attend a social gathering and then had to meet a few friends at night, but I did have a few hours in the middle that I could've used to write. But I did not. I know everyone has an active social life and I am not the only one but unlike everyone that I hang out with I am the only one with super high ambitions and unreliable income (#note2self - time to find others to hang out with? people in the similar space as you are?).

Yesterday, I got dragged into a day-long firefighting thing at work. Which is not new. I need to understand why does this happen this often! 

Anyhow, its 2205 and I have to leave at 2300 and that leaves me with little less than an hour to get this post done. And unlike previous times where I was hard on myself and I ranted and ranted and all that, this time I am not going to that. PM, are you listening reading?

I'd rather write about good thing. Things that I am thankful for. Here goes.

A. 
There is enough work on my plate that I dont have time to even sleep. This is a good thing because work translates into money. And this money is more than enough to allow me to fund all the projects! Which is THE thing that I want from life. Make a lot of money. Use that create things that give me that satisfaction of creating things. And then repeat. You get the drift?

B.
There is some travel coming up. Even though most of those "trips" are just about a day long and will be super hectic, I am still excited about the prospect of being away from office. Thing is, there are days that I love to sit around and work and all that but for most part, I want to not be confined to a physical space. I infact need to work on things that allow me a life where I can travel constantly. Like a cricketer, you know. Or a poker player!

C.
The Team SG that I've always dreamt of being a part of? That is happening. One person at a time. There are 5 people on it now. The good part? Everyone on the team is less than 30 (except Paras but he's like a 5-year old in the head! The youngest is 19 though). I just need to find a way to keep the team together.

Also, I need to ensure that this does not become an ego trip. At this point, I am very clear that I dont own them. Neither do they report to me. I am not their manager. And I definitely dont own their time. Or idea. Its like that round table that King Arthur apparently had at Camelot. Everyone is equal. Everyone ought to work to help each other. Each person gives a shoulder to others. And so on and so forth. Together we lift each other. And grow the tribe.

I know this is too idealistic to be true but I am sure I can make it happen. You want in? Read this and lets talk! #note2self: Need to write more about this. 

D.
The fact that I am back to writing! I know this is little and probably stupid and insignificant that I am writing a blogpost about writing on a blog. But to me, its important. I have realised that writing keeps me sane and grounded and all that. The fact that I am back to the rigour of writing something everyday (apart from longish work-emails) is a great great thing!

***

So yeah, this is about it. Post for the day. After a break of 2 days. Wish me luck for tomorrow!

PS: I need to stop using these many exclamation marks. Really. 

The Daily Grind - 2722 - 200718

Day 11. 
As I write this, its 10:52. About an hour from the impending deadline for the day. Which is ok. I think I work better when the deadlines are hovering over my head. The point is that I am consciously trying to publish a piece every day. Which, given the life that I lead is next to impossible.

And yet, here I am. Doing it. I agree that most pieces that I write may not qualify as quality content. But like I keep saying, I am the kinds that needs to put in hours and hours before I get some good content that could engage someone for even 4 seconds!

In terms of the day, it was a pretty routine day. Woke up rather late, went for a meeting, had eggs for lunch and dinner. Had 3 Diet Cokes. Made a few phone calls that were pending for sometime. Got some work done. Moved the needle on one of the projects. And of course a lot of other projects are open. So that's something that I need to fix as we go along. Who's we? Main aur meri tanhai. Lol. 

Moving on. As I was writing this, I realised that I some travel coming up (Delhi and Kolkatta) in the next few days. Delhi is as early as the next week. And if all goes well, I could be in Chennai as well in the next week. All of this is work. Lets see how that pans out. In case you are in any of these cities and want to catch up, please do lemme know. Who are you kidding Mr. G? Who the F reads your blog? 

Ok people may not read the blog. But that does not mean that you will not write. The intent of this 1000 words a day pact is to sharpen the muscle and see the extent to which I can push myself. I keep telling myself that I am very strong willed and this is one sure way of testing that will!

So yeah. That.

And in terms of other updates, a lot hasn't changed since yesterday. I am still the same - happy, sad, excited, scared, careless, cheerful and all that. Bipolar anyone?

Thing is, this pouring of random words on a public medium is an interesting idea. This makes me blurt out things that are clouding my head. And while writing, once I get in the flow, I often write things that I dont even know are fucking with my head. So, this is therapeutic in a way. And this also means that this exposes my vulnerabilities to the world - which is not a great thing. Especially if you have the grandiose ambitions like mine. I am often asked about my plans to reach my ambition and I dont have an answer. In an ideal world, you ought to be doing this blurting out in front of the ones that you know will stand by you. And this is where I suck. People that will stand by me.

This also brings me to the lesson for the day.

So, what did I learn today? 
I learnt that no one cares for you. Apart from you, no one is responsible for your success or happiness. No I am not talking about me per se. But about people in general. 

How did I learn this?
I was talking to Krishna about the post I made yesterday and I realised that while he wants to help me but he can do only as much. He can give me inputs and talk to me and give me the emotional support that I need but he will not quit what he's doing to stand by my side! Will I stand by his side? Not really. But I will stand by a LOT of people. All of my ex-bosses for example. They've given me long leashes and if anyone is in trouble, I will do whatever it takes to fix things for them. Even if I cant fix things, I will ensure that I try hard. 

That.

I dont have one person like that. I have great friends and others that are invested in my success but I really need people who make me their number one priority. Or a cabal where we are a clique and everyone is taken care of and does well and stands by each other. You know what I am saying? Guess this TED talk by Derek could help? Or may be its only about creating reputation for yourself? May be. May be not. Time shall tell.

And till tomorrow, this is over and out!

The Daily Grind - 2723 - 190718

Day 10. Of publishing everyday. An average of 1000 words. Yay to that. 
No, none of the posts has gone viral. Yet. So, Nay to that.
As I write this, I am not sure what to write about. There are ideas and thoughts and open ends and all that but I am not sure any of those are worth writing about. I mean most things that I wrote about over the last few days dint have any great insights! 
Ok so I know what to talk about. Work! After all that's what's been clouding my head over the last few days. 

I run C4E. Which on most days is a brilliant events agency. And the days we are not brilliant, we are so good that people actually look upto us. I get so many queries and all that that I am often vain about it and gloat and all that. wtf is all that?

The question begets, why do you have days when you (aka C4E) are (is) NOT brilliant?

Because those are the days when I dont have work! Thing is I am the happiest when I am working. And work for me is creating things. If what I does not allow me to create things, I dont want to!

For example, when we do events for clients, we actually create a temporary "experience centre" if nothing else. And when we do other things that we work on (investments, content, stories etc), we create new things.

So, in an ideal world, I should be working on mandates from various clients. And I ought to be so busy that I dont have time to even die! And when I do get squeeze out the time, the money I make from work I do for clients ought to help me create things that I am typically not paid for - things like IMHO, Podium, OnW, TRS, DIY etc. And the loop has to continue. You know, enough clients giving me enough work to keep me busy for a large part of my time and then enough interesting projects to allow me to get the gratification of creating new things, while I ensure that I enable others, make that dent and make money in the process!

Simple. No?

Just that despite all my intentions and attempts and all that I cant seem to get enough work to even quit all the side gigs, let alone pay the damn rent, get that car and then invest into all the projects and side gigs. Sigh.

You think you can help?

PS: Not really a post per se but I had to write to keep the continuity going. May be I will write a longer one tomorrow? 

PPS: This is one of those days where I need divine intervention to keep my spirits going high and prevent my sanity from going... poof! 

3 #lifeLessons (for people in their 20s)

So I dint get up on time today. I think it was way past 8:30 when I woke. For the context, I try to be up by 430 - which I rarely manage. And because I was late to get up and today was my manager day, I had to be at work. And to be able to reach on time I had to take public transport (aka Mumbai Metro).

Which I did.

And that was a good thing and a bad thing.

Bad that I had to travel in a compartment that was full of people who probably belong to the cult that does not believe in taking showers. You know how they are? Happy with each others BO? Plus, for them, I think traveling in the Metro is a sport. After all they have this uncanny knack of stomping on your feet even if you are the only person in the entire train. And they can spot a speck of space from a mile that can squeeze their frame of a 1000 kilos and 300 KMs in that speck. And they rush to it. Only to realise that the other person in competition is 3000 kilos!

Good that I got a session of HIIT done. I mean what else do you call the excursion in the Mumbai Metro where every other person reeks of I dont know what and is adamant on crushing your feet? And like every HIIT regimen, there is enough heat (thats to a million bodies packed together in a space meant for a handful) that you sweat all the fat out!

Oh when you get out of the Metro, the rickshaw guys? They will ensure that you continue the work out by refusing to go where you have to.

Apart from this, I attended a shoot for a music video. Done at EXTREMELY low budgets. And thus, a million lessons. And that's what I will talk about in the next section - lesson of the day!

And what did I learn today?
So I learnt how to do a cheap film.

And apart from that I learnt the following three lessons. You can also read these as three life lessons for people in their 20s, if they wish to have a better life!

A. You need to have a talent that you can monetise. 
You need to learn it as soon as possible.

At 35, its impossible for me to learn a new thing. But if you are in your 20s, PLEASE go learn a skill that you can monetise. Paint, draw, sing, play an instrument, code, learn magic, dance, do something that allows you to not depend on traditional sources of income.

B. You need to do things that scale. And compound. 
For example, if I manage operations at a company, what I do there, doesnt scale. On the other hand, if I create a book, if its good, I can earn royalties for the rest of my life.

So between trying to make ends meet by working on a safe job and doing something that can potentially give you money for the rest of your life, I think you ought to pick the later.

I made the mistake of not doing that. And if I can turn back time, I will club lessons 1 and 2 above. In fact I have started to believe that all that advice about travel and making merry and fun and all that in your 20s? Its crap! You ought to make money or gain monetizable skills. More on this in some more days.

C. Invest in relationships 
Thing is, as am growing old, I realise that I dont have any meaningful relationships - the kinds that stay with me and help me when I need help. Lemme give an example. In the shoot today, the guy who was shooting needed a studio. He could curry a favour and get that studio for cheap. One of my friends, he can ask a million people to get him a discount on literally anything that he wants to buy. I on the other hand cant think of a single person who would want to help me. And there are people that I have literally begged. To give me work and what not. And yet they havent.

So, the lesson is, you MUST invest in relationships while you can. With time these relationships will become deeper and better and will give you infinite returns. Dont be me who thought that its ok to be eccentric and the talent would pay of at some point in time in future. It may. But future is not really the best play to live, if you ask me.

Of course, your life. You choose if these are applicable to you. I can only talk from experience and hindsight.

***

So thats it for the day. What are the few things that you learnt today? Please do share.

PS: Love this post! And I use way too many Ands. And I need to control it. And with that, its over and out.

The Daily Grind - 2724 - 170718 - The Queen of all Trades

So as I type this, I am at Chilis - an American diner kind of place where people on my table are making merry over beer and the live cricket match between India and England. And I am stuck with my laptop on the table, trying to crank out a post. The post for the day. And why? Because come whatever may, I am going to write. Also, yesterday I said that I will probably talk about the mistakes I've made while investing but I will talk about it some other day. For the time being, lemme get on with it. 

Today was an interesting day. To say the least. Started early and met a senior from MDI. The discussion with him left me humbled. And humiliated. And all that. Thing is, before I met him, I thought that I knew everything about everything. But an hour with him I realised that I dont even know enough about my industry to explain those deep, pointed questions that he asked me! For example he asked me how do I decide where to spend the media money on online. And I did not have the answer. I mean I could tell him how we go about it and how those decisions are made and how we tweak things and all that but I could not convince him! PS: At the end of it, when he left, he did say that may be I am the Queen of all trades. Tad better than Jack and lot lesser than the king. 

So yeah. That.

The other thing that happened today was a pitch for a big project.

And oh my God. I know I love to blow my trumpet like a bitch but if you saw me presenting performing today, I can guaren-damn-tee that you would've left impressed! That's a skill that I need to work further on. To a point that the delivery becomes impeccable. Like everytime I go up to present something, I must leave junta audience speechless!

The third thing worth talking about, I made a 3-hour trip to the airport to meet a friend for five minutes. The important bit is not 5 minutes but the fact that I could meet him after this long. Thing is, I have been in conversation with him for few months now and I could finally put a face to his name! More about him in some subsequent post when I actually get to spend time with him.

So yeah, thats about it for the day.

PS: #note2self. With each passing day, while I am able to get the writing streak going, the quality of posts (in terms of what I write about) is going down. Of course I cant control the quality of writing (thanks to my limitations as a speaker of English language) but I can for sure control what I talk about. For example, what if I ensure that each day's post has the lesson that I learnt in the day? This ensures that I catalog the day and think about it and grow each day. And this allows the readers to take home something that is worth value. Assuming people seek value. Do they? 

The Daily Grind - 2725 - 160718

As I write this, its 11 PM and this little voice in my head says that If I can write AND publish today, I can win the world! Why? Because I am not really in the best of moods. And its like the longest day ever. And the day's todo list is one-mile long.

Plus unlike last time around where I would cheat by writing after midnight and count it as post for the previous day, I dont want to do it this time around. Why not? Because I want to see if I push myself, what all am I capable of doing. And thus the "win the world" quip.

So I am not sure what to write about. The entire world is gaga about this thing called Sacred Games on Netflix. If you dont know about it, go read it on... Wait. Dont do anything. Stop reading this post and close the laptop and jump out of the window. You get the drift?

And like everyone, I am watching Sacred Games and I am on the 6th episode and unlike the world, I cant seem to find the reason why the world is so enamoured by it. I mean everyone I know, including their neighbours and pets and all that seem to be hooked to it. Hooked as in its a 8 episode thing and most people saw it in one sitting. Thats like 8 hours of violence, blood, gore. And its 8 hours of a story that I think fails to hold me interested. Ok, wait. I am getting in the review zone. That's for TRS to do and me to observe.

Moving onto the next thing (one eye at the watch - its 1147). Irrespective of what I am typing and where I am in the narrative, I will hit publish at 11:59. Unless I get in the zone. You know that zone? When you are in flow and time seems to stop! Read more about it here.

The other thing that happened today was that it dawned onto me that all the investments that I am making in various projects, they may not be the best way to do! Its 1154 and time may not be enough to rant about this - will probably do so in the post tomorrow. Unless I find something better to write about.

Chalo thats about it. Not a thousand words. But a legit post nonetheless. Over and out.

For the next 50 years

Today's while talking to one of the interns that work with me (HS), I told her, "I have all the time in the world for the people that I want to be with for the next 50 years."

And once the conversation got over, the gravitas of the statement hit me. Hard. In my face. 

Lemme repeat it. And decode it for you. 

"All the time in the world"

In a world where attention spans are reducing by the minute second and time is increasingly becoming THE most important commodity asset (if it weren't already), its impossible to commit "all the time."

"For people that I want to be with"

This is easy. People that I want to be with.

"With" means people who I work with. People I live with. People I eat and drink and sleep and make merry with. People that I travel the world with. People I want to make memories with. The ones that make me better. Push me. Nudge me. Disagree with me (and yet stay with me). And vice versa!

People who I've known for years. People that I will to know in the next 50. And more.

"For the next 50 years."

To give context, I am 35. I dont even know how 50 years look like. The longest "relationship" apart from my family has been with a friend who I know since I was 7 or 8. Thats 27 years. The second-oldest friend, I know him since I was 17. Thats 18 years.

And the number of people (apart from family) that I know for over 20 years and I am in touch with is not even a handful. And here I am talking about being together for the next 50! You see the challenge?

But... 

But, but the thing is, the statement is the sum total of all that I have learnt over the last 35 years! It means that...

• I care deeply for my people. So much so that I am willing to make large commitments. And public ones at that. 
• I am in it for the long term. 50 is as long as they come. 2/3rd of the average lifespan of humans. And "it" means things I do. 
• I am more aware and mindful of the commitments I am making. Because as we go along, the only currency that we'd have is our reputation. And that gets built over time. With consistency. And delivery. 
• I understand that relationships are hard work. It takes a LOT of effort to nurture relationships and I am willing to do the hard work required. 
• I am aware of the fact that if I have to make a dent change the world make the world a better place, I can't do it by myself. I need people to back me up and stand by me. 
• And I want to share the rewards. There is no way that great things wont happen if people are together for 50 years. More than anything else, we would be happier and healthier. And that would enable us to do more for others. I dont know if there is any other meaning to life. 
• We (my people and I) can tackle problems that would take 50 years to solve! This essentially means that we can take on large challenges. Which one do I want to attack right now? I want each human being in the world to realise their potential and live happier and healthier. Large. And scary. You get the drift why I need long-term orientation? 

There is more. There has to be. Will discover as I go along. 

***

Thing is, while I was talking to her, I wasnt trying to be someone who I am inherently not. It just came out naturally and I stand by the statement. I mean it. I can make a promise that I will stick around for long. Really. 

And looking at this from the other side, each person that chooses to work with me, they need to be oriented for the long run as well. If long-term is not your thing, we probably will not gel well together.

Why long term? 

Because anything worth doing usually takes long!

Plus if you want to make impact at a scale, it WILL take long. Unless you are extremely lucky. Which I will probably get as I work alongside great people with the long-term orientation. 

Plus remember that quote? That "compounding is the 8th wonder of the world"? If I stick with people for long, our relationships WILL compound and WILL create a giant unfair advantage for all of us!

And finally, if people like Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Prof Bakshi, Jeff Bezos and others believe that long-term thinking is advantageous, I am not questioning them.

In fact I was seeing this video by Ray Dalio's where he talks about his principles for success (SEE THIS VIDEO NOW - 30 minutes and totally worth all the time) and the belief in the long-term orientation got reinforced. Since I saw it just yesterday, the thought was fresh in my head and it came out in my conversation with HS! 

If you still need more evidence about long-term thinking, I'd just say that Rome wasnt built in a day and I will leave it at that! That's about it for the day. Over and out. Lets go build our Romes. While we are together for the next 50, time is less. 

Any you know why that cover image? It's from Whole Earth Catalog and it speaks about how you ought to Stay Hungry and Stay Foolish. And I really think that if I am to walk the long road and make the world a better place, I need to have some great people walking alongside me.

Which brand has a story worth telling?

Today after a meeting a few colleagues and I ended up at Vikhroli Social (which is located inside the Godrej complex at Vikhroli) and the place had a wall full of Godrej Navtals.

And since I am on this spree to capture photos with my phone and all that, I clicked a few photos. Here is one.

That’s Navtal. From @godrej_group and @godrejlocks. Found at Vikhroli @socialoffline. . Part of a new photo series where I click pictures of some of the most legendary consumer facing brands from #India that tell us some of the most fascinating stories. Supported by @c4ein. . Which other brands do I click? In your opinion, which is the most iconic, most legendary brand from India? What brand has the most fascinating story? A story that is worth telling. To others. To the world at large. . Tell me the story. Help me tell the story. . Please. Cc @planneratlarge . #brand #brands #branding #india #marketing #advertising #media #communication #ad #crowdsourcing #help #photoessay #photography #photooftheday #photostories #storyteller #stories #storytelling #brandStories

A post shared by SG (@altsaurabh) on Jul 14, 2018 at 12:53am PDT

When I saw the photo while uploading on Instagram, I thought it has come out really well. It shows me the Navtal in all its glory. It establishes the product. The character. It tells me what it's supposed to do. And the wall at the back has some character to it. Its a fascinating photo, if you ask me! Ok enough of self promotion. 

I got thinking that I want to go click more brands in action. And tell the stories of those brands. And how those brands have added to the lives of people. And how people have relied on those brands to achieve different things.

People click nature, places, things, conflicts and what not. And tell their stories.
I wish to click brands and tell those stories.

So, what if I convert this into a project? A project that marries my love for brands, stories and photography? Sounded like a good idea. And bam! we have a project! 

Here are more details.

What is this project?
Lemme use steps to explain.

1. Run a poll or something and ask people about what brands do they think have stories worth telling. 
2. Once I get a list of 50 odd brands, I click some interesting photos of those brands (and the products / services / experiences) in action. 
3. Interview respective brand managers and understand more about the brands from the perspective of people who manage them.
4. Talk to end users of the brand (products / services / experiences). Capture their inputs, emotions. 
5. Compile them into a study or something and publish for everyone to consume. 

Sounds fun? Indeed! 

To what end? 
I dont know. I need to figure out. But as a stakeholder in the business of communication and building brands, I believe these stories MUST be told. To the users. And to brand custodians.

Plus I really think I will enjoy doing this.

Apart from this I am not sure of other reasons that taking this up. If nothing else, it helps me learn more about the business of brands, planning and communication. 

The next steps? The question!
Tell me 5 brands that you think are fascinating and have stories worth telling! If I were to make a list, in no order, I will include Cadburys (chocolates), Natraj (pencils), Coca Cola, Paytm and Starbucks.

What are yours? 

The end notes
What do you think? Gimme some feedback.

I know I am very far from delivering it and I need to do a lot of work on this before I can move ahead (and I will work on it over the next few days). But I need inputs from you. Help me!! Write to me. Or I am at @saurabh on twitter.

Thank you!

PS: Since this post is about a new project, I have removed the number of days left and the date of the post. This is the 5th day of posting on my blog without a break. Yay to that!

The Daily Grind - 2729 - 130718 - On Ikigai

Its 6:43 PM and while I have a mile long list to be done, I have consciously chosen to put everything on side and write. And no, I dint have to push myself too hard for it. And yes, this is a fascinating thing. From literally no writing for almost a month to the 4th day on the trot, I am on it!

Yeah baby! This is what I was talking about yesterday when I said that once I start writing, I will be back to being a writer that cant stop!

Ok I spoke too soon. I cant seem to find the right words. Wait. I cant even find the right thoughts. I am blank. Blank like a child in a topless bar (as Navjot Singh Siddhu would often say - that man! The gift of gab he's got!).

So while I was waiting for inspiration, I put on Netflix on another tab and I am going to watch Sacred Games. Why do I want to see it? A because the entire world is watching it and B because its at the intersection of so many things that I want to be doing with my life - entertainment, business, content, technology and so on and so forth.

The kind of things that lead to Ikigai. Read about it. It's a fascinating subject. I recommend you start here. See the photo below.

Damn ! lost the thread at the time I was writing. I came back to this after doing a few other non-productive things. 

So something really fascinating happened today at work. The kinds that move you, stir you. The kinds that Anton had when he discovered the source of the Ratatouille he had. While you are at it, do see this.

A disclaimer before that. My general rule of thumb is not to talk specifics about work but I will break the rule today.
At work, there is this intern in the client servicing team. Lets say that hes neither the brightest, nor the sharpest. And thus hes always remained under the radar. And he'd probably stay there because there is no way he can shine. I am not sure if hes slow or what. May be hes got some learning disability (a few days back someone told me that I may have some sort of ADHD - which I've suspected but have been far too reluctant to go and get checked).

So this guy, lets call him A, is a client servicing intern. The person he reports to, lets call her B.

Unlike A, B is pretty sorted with her work. No non-sense. On point and all that. Has expressed in as many words that A needs to pull his socks if he has to stay gainfully employed. But since neither works with me directly, I let them be.

Today when most people had left (at around 8 PM - the magic hour when teams are built. #note2self. I HAVE to write about this), B came up to me and asked me if I have 5 minutes to spare for A.

Now, typically I dont want to be interrupted when I am trying to write writing (there's this pitch tomorrow that I can NOT lose) but when it comes to young ones, I am little flexible.

So I gave in.

B made me sit and asked A to start. I was like, what's going to happen. I was fidgeting with my phone already and thinking of some excuse that I could make to get away from it.

And just about then A started his act.

And oh my fucking God! If there is a thing called God.
He was insane.
Brilliant.
Left me in a spell. I could not think of a thing but him while he was performing.
I could not take my eyes off him!
I was mesmerised - the way I've never been.
I am lost for words. On a blog. Really!

His talent, his art, all of it belongs to the people of the world - on stage, on the screen.
Not in front of a computer paddling material to clients!
He's got a gift that needs to be showcased.
He really does.

I felt the same rush, same excitement when I first met Imtiyaz.
In Imtiyaz I saw someone who had to be on a larger platform, entertaining more people. And in A I see the same. And I am sure there are millions of people like Imtiyaz and A that need more audience. What can I do for them? 

After his 5 minute performance, I started to talk to him. I had to!

Turns out he plays the guitar as well and can compose original music.
So I asked him if he could teach me and he agreed.
Yay!
But then teaching me wont help me go to a larger platform.
I need to help him find work audience.

So, I've asked him to a track for TRS. Lets see what he comes up with.

And in the end, I gave him the offer. The Offer. That I give to every deserving young person I know. That they can use me as their launchpad to do more things.

So I told him that in case he wants to put his material up on YouTube (shoot the content etc) or create a professional portfolio or something, I will support him. And then its upto his talent and luck where he reaches (in an ideal world, I dont want to let luck decide on the fate, the outcome. I have to manufacture success for my people. Need to figure out how. #note2self).

When I was with him, trying to talk to him and make him understand what I want from him, I was IN THE ZONE. The one that is increasingly hard to get into! I just need more of such days and incidents. I need to see these things through. I need to ensure that I get him where he belongs.

Just that I dont want to give him hope. I am not a great judge of talent but what I saw, I was amazed! And I am not easy to impress. So lets see what I do with him. If only I had the money. If only wishes were horses!

Coming back. Here's a question for you. 

When and what was last time you were in the zone AND you were creating something? Think and tell me. 

And if that thing that you were doing then repeats often, like clockwork and has patterns, maybe that's where your life's purpose is. That's where your Ikigai is. 

Think about it. 

And please please please do tell me. 

I would love to help you. 

Why?

Because I want to play God that's where my Ikigai is! Like I said today...

Enable more people to do more with their lives.

More - better, larger, greater, happier, wealthier, healthier and all the other -ers. https://t.co/HCR2bjcnHU

— SG (@saurabh) July 13, 2018

Oh, and you know the best part about this entire episode?
No. The Zone is not.
Neither is discovering my Ikigai.

The best part happened when I asked him which college he went to.
He said, Wilson.

And you know what was my first thought?
That he could help me meet Sudhakar Solomon Raj - one of those people that I am DYING to meet (read this and this about him to know more about him). I first heard about him from HV (a friend who's long deserted ghosted me after showing a lot of promise in the early days). And since then I've pestered her, tried on Facebook, wrote into him and what not. Prof has been elusive.

So, I asked A for a favour.
If any of the things that I am helping him do works out, he will help me meet Sudhakar Sir!
Yay!

They are right. Happiness does come in patches and at times when you least expect it.

Oh, the best part? 
The realisation that Universe does fucking conspire to make things happen. If you want em real bad. It really does.

Time for you to make a wish. And want it bad.
And discover your Ikigai. And lemme know if I could be of any help.

PS: I wrote on the sgEchoChamber today. Yay! So yeah, a good day for writing. 

The Daily Grind - 2730 - 120718

Day 3 on the trot of posting on this blog. Nothing much to report apart from work and all that.

However I must say that doing a post each day is a BIG commitment. I dont know how to people manage this WITH their day jobs! If they can, you can too, Mr. Garg. 

Plus in the zamana of byte-sized content and reducing attention spans, I am not sure who has the time to write blogs anymore. Fuck writing. I dont know one person who reads blogs. Do you? Tell me. May be leave a comment?

Anyhow. I can rant all I want to. The fact of the matter is that I have committed that I will write a post a day and I better do that. So, here's the post for the day.

*stares at the screen, thinking what to write.*

*still staring*

*staring....*

*yes!!!!!!*

So while I was staring at the screen, thinking about what to write, it dawned onto me that there was a time when I could write for hours and the words wont stop pouring out. And now I am having a tough time writing a 1000 words post!

I am not sure what is wrong. May be I am out of practise? Probably a post a day would fix this! Lets find out over the next few days.

*still no clue what to talk about*

*Oh yes!"

So I made a day trip to Thansit today and among other things, I clicked a few pics from my phone. One of them is embedded below.

It’s magical what a few filters can do. And for someone who wants to be a photographer (and a million other things, all at the same time), these filters are like a gift. That allow me to hide my immaturity and inexperience and deliver shots as gorgeous as these! . #train #rail #railway #indianrailways #shahpur #india #india_gram #igdaily #igers #monsoon #magic #sgClicks #trains #track #green #shotoniphone #iphonography #iphonex #incredibleindia #indiaphotoproject #travelphotography #cntgiveitashot #photographers_of_india #indiaphotoproject #photogram

A post shared by SG (@altsaurabh) on Jul 12, 2018 at 7:39am PDT

I dont know about you but as an independent, I really like the photo above (and all the other photos). They are as good as you would see from someone else. I just need to edit these better!

Actually, I will create a photoblog where I will capture these pics and the stories. On saurabhgarg.com (yeah, I have started work on the website). Lets see when I get around to doing this.

***

So yeah. Thats about it for the day. 1000 words?
I am not sure.
Not counting.
For the time being I want to just get the post up and running before the day ends.

And to be honest, here's something that you can help me with. 

Tell me what do you want me to write on. The kind of person I am, thoughts (and opinions) meander from work to life to authenticity to polygamy to money to purpose to writing to I dont know what all. Try me. Just give me an idea and lets see what comes out of it. Please!

Thank you!

The Daily Grind - 2731 - 110718

So time for the blogpost of the day update of the day. The theme for the day is removing the words "trying to" from life. 

Lemme give context.

So all my life I've played on the backfoot - you know, the kinds to apologise before I even start talking? And like they say, old habits die hard. And thus, when I talk, especially about myself, I tend to use words that make me sound a little, you know, humble. So that when I make mistakes, I could hide behind the facade of apology that I issued even before I started.

It worked well when I was in my early 20s and growing up. But now that I am in my late 30s, it probably doesnt.

Heck, it doesnt.

A friend who's in her early 20s pointed out to me to stop playing on the backfoot and drop the "trying to." Thank you, PM for this. So, today on, "trying to" is out. 

The other thing that happened today was that I saw this video by Robin Sharma where he talks about how age and longevity could be a potent weapon and as you get older, you can impact larger things. In the same thread, he talks about the importance of health. Health has to become the focus area. Like Karl once told me, "if it doesnt add to your life, do not put it in your mouth."

That's the other thing that starts from today on. I am not eating anything that does not make me better.

Staying with this video, Robin talks about this idea of Golden hour. Which to me means the first and the last hours of each day. First hour of the day, you plan for the day ahead. And the last hour, you unwind as you end the day.

Both hours, you are by yourself and with no one else and you are reflecting, meditating, reading, thinking, doing, creating and all that. PS: I am writing this post at 952 PM and right after this I will go and sleep. And yeah! I use the blog as a tool to help me reflect. 

Apart from this, I moved the needle on TRS (hope to talk more about it soon), played my first ever poker tourney where buy-in was more than a 1000 bucks (2500 buyin and I lasted about an hour before I bailed out), met Sandesh (amongst the wisest people that I know of) and then I got some work done.

Finally, I am going to track how I am doing. I've been tracking my day everyday since 23 May 2017) on a private document. But now that I have made a public commitment to write everyday and get better and all that, here is a smaller version that is in public domain. Please do see it and tell me how to improve it.

Thats about it I guess for the day. May not be a 1000 words. But a post nonetheless. That counts.

In the end, reaffirming, today on this moment on, I am stopping (not merely trying to, but actually stopping) things that dont addup to my life.

The Daily Grind - 2732 - 100718

So, I am going to do that thing again (at least try to). Thing where I write everyday. Even if I dont have anything interesting or special to say, I will publish. I. WILL. PUBLISH. The aim is to do a 1000 words each day. On an average. Today. And for the next 2732 days.

Why 2732 days? Because of this.

And not just 2732 but for the rest of my life.

And no. This is not the first time I am trying to do this. I have made multiple attempts in past. And I have failed at all of them. And if this time I am to succeed, I will have to make a superhuman effort to ensure that I dont drop out. I mean last time I took this challenge, you know how many days I lasted?

Wait!

I dont remember myself how many days I lasted. :(

#note2self, #sideNote
Talk about memory and the point of this blog if I cant remember what I wrote about! 
Also talk about how self-loathing is the worst thing you can ever do to yourself. 

Whatever.

Thing is, this time, I am committed to make this one the longest.

How long?
Well, as long as I live.
And if I get to time and location independence with money and all, probably will write more shit for people to see and read after I am gone. But then, once you are dead, would it matter? Not to me. But to others, it may. If I can change a few lives while I am around (and even when am gone), I would have lived well. Chalo, not am rambling. Time to get on with it.

So, after this mile long pretext, here is the post for the day. And no, I dont have anything special to talk about. I will just dump the shit that's crowding my head. And that's where my happiness is!

Lemme divide things to talk about into "themes"

Health
I restarted Keto yesterday. This is the third or the fourth time I am attempting Keto. Apart from the first time (which was about 4 months ago), I havent been able to sustain for more than 3 weeks.

PS: When I did it the first time around, the results were fascinating and thus I am encouraged to go back. Thing is, I dropped a couple of inches if not more. And while I suspect that was because of the calorie deficit, I am sure Keto did play a part.

This time around, I hope to "mix" Keto with some moderate exercise. Lets see where it takes me. Today is day 2 and I know there is Keto Flu around the corner.

Plus I have been reading about no (or low) carb diet and the list of advantages runs into miles! So, I am ok to make the lifestyle change and move from a diet that traditionally has been full of carbs (potatoes, sugar and more) and fat (ghee and oil). To proteins. And better fat (ghee, butter not oil). No I am not the specifics guy (I do have an eye for detail but I dont get into specifics - there's a subtle difference between the two. Maybe I will write a blogpost on this. #note2self).

Apart from this, I need to start taking those supplements. This again is a HUGE change from the stance that I have held all my life. I have hated the concept of nutritional supplements and now I am ok to experiment. Guess this is what mid-life crisis makes you do?

Oh, the next change? Start eating non-vegetarian. Lets see if I can do this. Like they say, change is good!

I also need to start the running regimen. I have to do that sub-4 Marathon and the Everest. I guess once I lose some fat, I can get to this?

Actually, come to think of it, this is probably the best time to start running? Weather is good and body will cool down faster. Ok, I will give it a shot today. TODAY being the keyword here. Come rain, hail or whatever!

Wealth
What I do at C4E is interesting and gives me a some freedom to play around and create projects, I am hard at work to identify an alternate source of income. The kinds Rich Dad Poor Dad talks about. Passive. That works for me, rather than me working for it.

To be honest, I shouldve done this about 10 years ago. But as they say, better late than never. The idea is to get to a point where I no longer have to trade my time for the money I need to live.

Live. Not survive.

#sideNote. While writing, I realised that this blogpost is my trying to reaffirm my views to myself. The blog is like a conversation that I am having with self. Which is not a bad thing to be honest!

Coming back. So I want to make enough from a passive source that I dont have to depend on a fixed pattern of life (wake up, goto office, come back home, watch a sitcom, sleep and repeat).

And the time and day and age that we live in, it allows me to do that. I just need to get it done.

Digression. 
I could talk about people that dint really need a passive income source - they got so good with their primary source of income that they made the money, made the impact, changed the world, made time for themselves and did not have to worry about compromising on their lifestyle. But then, I am definitely not that and I need to think of things that work for me. 

Writing 
When I started the year, one of the yearly goals was to write 202 posts. As of today, I am at 39 posts. That means I have 160 odd to go. And thats almost same as the number of days that are remaining in this year. So, a post a day should see me through. Hmmm.

#sideNote. More than half of the year is over. Must do an assessment. 

The other writing goal is to get the second book out. Started working with a friend but we lost track along the way. Need to action that in the next few days.

Wait. What about staying on focus on making the money? And all these things could remain at the backend! Nah. 

Misc updates
I restarted playing Poker. No I dont have the time but I want to give it a few hours each day. I love the game. And I really want to get good to it. If I were to draw a list of things that I want to do in life, Poker would be up there. I am ok to let go of guitar and pool and other things. But not poker.

Poker gives me an outside shot at creating a life that makes me travel the world and earn enough to live well. No, this is NOT plan A. This is a good backup plan for life.

note2self: Is this your new distraction? Think! 

Existential Questions
Lately I have been thinking hard on what I want to be doing. What do I mean lately? I have been in the thinking mode for well over a decade now (if not longer).

Other things that I am struggling to find answers to (if you are reading and wish to help, please do give me inputs):

A. Business. What I do at C4E is good and interesting but its a BIIIIIG pain in the ass to get new business. What do I do to get new business? Making phone calls? Sending emails? Creating content? If not for the patronage and largesse of a couple of giants, I would probably be back in Delhi, living with my parents. Or I would've found a full-time job (which would be the saddest thing ever). 

note2self: Mr. G, you can NOT get back to a full-time job ever. Unless its life and death situation. 

So, the question is, how do I find people to trust their brands with me? With C4E and with AWSL. 

B. Reputation. Thing is, wherever you go, your reputation precedes you. And I for reason haven't been able to create a reputation AT ALL. I mean my best friends have a tough time connecting with me. One option is that I cut off my friends. May be I will. But I will probably remain alone (if I do that). The other is to work on it. Question is, how! Any clues? Oh, by the way, I wrote this long post on reputation (and other things). I seem to know the academic answer. How do I translate it in action? 

One easy answer is that I need to conduct myself better. I need to have gravitas when I speak. Vanita has been asking me to work on this. And while I think I have worked on this, I am not sure if I am reaching anywhere with this. Help me if you can. Please!

C. Recreation. A couple of weeks back I went to Goa with a friend. And unlike other trips, this time I did not touch my laptop. And by the end of the 3-day trip, I was sick of NOT working.

Now, for someone who enjoys taking a break, this is a great thing to do. But to me, I am not sure if I want to do this. Why? Because what point is a life that is spend chasing frivolities and not challenging self?

Wait. In the large scheme of things anything and everything do is meaningless (afterall, we are on this large rock that is moving at some super high speed around the Sun and at some point in time it will probably collapse into the damn Sun once it becomes a blackhole!). So why do I even work, create things, inspire others and all that?

And then I ask, why not? If I live my life chasing frivolities, I would have a simple, easy, comfortable life. I would have seen the world, enjoyed all the great things that the world has to offer. And end of things.

If I work hard, inspire others and all that, I would probably live a tad less happier but I would have made lives of others tad better. May be I inspire them to get new jobs, discover new joys that they never knew, live happier, live healthier and so on and so forth. In the large scheme of things I probably wouldnt make any dent but to those few people that I impact the lives of, I would've probably made a world of difference.

Any why do I want to do this? Have I been told? Am I responsible? Why do I bother? Is this my problem?

Well, I dont have an answer. I met this gentleman a few days ago and he postulated that I want to do these things because I probably want to play God! Interesting hypothesis. May be I do. But guess we'd never know!

Or maybe, I'd try and find out. Over the next few days!

Till then, over and out. This is about it for today. I dont know if this is 1000 words but I have nothing else to say. Writing after a month or so and thus, a tad rusty!