Defining productivity
Living on a farm can shift our perspectives about how we define work. As I watched the people carry about their work caring for their livestock, cleaning the pens, I wondered how they define their productivity. Working on the farm is hard work with a lot of uncertainties and constraints. Yet, Farmers seemed content with whatever they could do at the end of the day and looked forward to another day. A good day is not defined by the output achieved but by useful progress made.
“Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.”- Steve Jobs, American businessman, inventor, and investor
Tribute to Wordsworth
I had never visited anyone’s grave until recently when I decided to visit Wordsworth’s. Situated in an Idyllic English village, Grasmere, Wordsworth lay buried next to his loved ones including his sister Dorothy, who nurtured the poet in him. His words have soothed and cheered the spirits of many people across lands. As I stood next to his grave, I read aloud his poem on Daffodils. It was my way of paying tribute to the poet Laureate and to my English teacher Ms. Rajini who kindled my love for poetry. These are moments when you realize that literature and arts can travel near and far and touch lives across various times.
“For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.” – William Wordsworth
Exhaustion and default
On my flight back home, badminton player PV Sindhu was seated just a row ahead of us. She was returning after losing a thrilling quarterfinal at Spain Masters. Later I read something insightful about her defeat in the tournament. The tournament was quite demanding and Sindhu had neck to neck competition. On top of that, her opponent was a left-handed player. It was written that Sindhu in her exhaustion had succumbed to old patterns of playing against right-handed players. Exhaustion can get the best of even the world champions. It dulls our judgment and decision-making. Even in our daily lives, exhaustion can make us default to habits or patterns of response that are not helpful at the moment. Exhaustion is not because of physical or mental exertion. It gets accentuated by worry, resentment, and frustration. Here are a few guardrails to deal with exhaustion.
One: Become aware when you are getting exhausted
Two: Stop before you reach your threshold
Three: Avoid making decisions or conclusions when in an exhaustion zone
Four: Ask yourself “Will this help me?” before responding to a situation
“Some of the many inbuilt biological vulnerabilities that leave us even more exposed to the emotion default’s influence: sleep deprivation, hunger, fatigue, …if you find yourself in any of these conditions, be on your guard!” – Shane Parrish, Author of Clear Thinking