Plan and Execution

Seneca says this about Plan and Execution:

Plan:
We can formulate general rules and commit them to writing,
as to what is usually done, or ought to be done ;
not only to our absent friend,
but also to succeeding generations

Execution:
But no one will advise at long-range
when our plan needs to be carried out;
you must not only be present in the body
but watchful in the mind,
to avail the fleeting opportunity;

Authors

Seneca       

 

         Mindset @ Work

There are different levels of working:

Impact = (Execution * Strategy) * Market

Owner's Mindset : Impact Level
Execution Mindset : Execution Level
Optics Mindset : Showcase Work ; Political Level

When you genuinely care about something, you focus more on impact
than the optics;

What is your default mindset?
develop an owner's mindset as default level to grow!

Authors

Shreyas Joshi

 

         Happiness in Loss

No good thing renders its possessor happy, unless his mind is reconciled to the possibility of loss

Seneca

Letters from a Stoic

Forune indulges me
and the same fortune can threaten me
Like a calm sea turning into Tsunami
so I need to reconcile my mind to the possibility of loss;

yes that is the sole way to happiness!
so toughen the spirit that is ready to face the mishaps!

That which can be taken away , can be taken away!
That which can go wrong - will go wrong!

Authors

mukund       

 

         End game

It is bothersome, always beginning to live

Epicurus

Seneca, Letters from a Stoic

they live ill who are alwyas beginning to live;
For example , people postponing their enjoyment to retire life -
and they dont live long enough!

Epicurus says that - we are always planning to live
not living mostly
No execution of the plan!
When it comes to living - its always not Living!
mostly counting , counting and counting!

As Thoreau says:
In the end it becomes a Fool's life - to realize at the end that
I have not lived at all!

So Seneca gives a remedy for the malaise:
"We must make it our aim to have lived long enough"
Have then the end game as a strategy : Death itself:
Not in the dark sense !
Not in the sense of misfortune!
but more in the sense that
End is sure to happen : and its just a question of timing:

Living everyday as if its the last!
without postponement!

Authors

Seneca

Epicurus       

 

         What is a sound mind?

A sound mind knows where to find the Joy;

Seneca says that:
We try to find Joy in Shiny Objects !!!

But the True joy comes from real Goods:
1.Good conscience
2. Honoroble purpose
3. RIght Actions
4. Contempt of gifts of chance
5. Even and calm way of living

this real good is what is fixed and lasting;

One you possess this : move forward:
Rest do not progress at all :
They merely blob up and down
like a cork in the Ocean
or like a driftwood in the River
merely tossed from this side to the other!

Amateurs vs Professionals

 @ShaneParrish

Amateurs	Professionals
Solves Symptoms	Solves Root cause
Thinks in Absolutes	Thinks in probabilities
Sees disagreements as Threats	Sees Disagreements as Opportunities to Learn
Have a goal	Have a process
Think they are good @ everything	Understand that they have edges to competencies
Value Intensity	Value Consistency
Knowledge is power	Share knowledge with all others
Divide the Pie	Grow the Pie
Show up inconsistently	Show-up everyday
Go faster	Go farther
World works the way I think	Work with the World the way they find it
Tear others down	Make everyone better
Focus next Quarter	Focus next decade

         Pre-performance Ritual

develop a pre-performance ritual -
to get your "mindset" right!

pg.194 : Score Takes care of itself

As you prepare for the day , prepare your mind
before the actual work begins :

For me : this is the following :
1. Walking
2. Reading Seneca
3. Yoga
4. Writing Affirmations
5. To Do list from weekly tasks

Authors

Bill Walsh       

 

         Mindset@Work

Intent

1. First is Integrity and Humility
2. Second is Clear thinking
3. Third is Influential writing
4. Last is charismatic speaking

Intent = Integrity * Clear thinking / Selfishness

Authors

Shreyas Doshi twitter       

 

         How to create a great presentation

My notes:
Synapsiscreative.com

Creating PowerPoint presentation is like creating a movie.
You need to have a strong script before you jump to make slides;
Say you need to create a presentation :
what do you do?
Dive right into slides? No, you don't :
rather 

Start with a L.I.S.T

Length: In 10 minutes
Idea: you'll know how to make a great spaghetti dish
Structure: Where we will state the process and end
Then: you look awesome in front of your wife!

Then Finish with a B.O.W:
Backtrack a bit:
Objective: please suggest feedback
Why : we need to do this

 

         Intent

Intent trounces all other skills

Good Intent * Persuasion = Influence
Influence * Execution = Impact
Impact * Consistency = Success;

Bad Intent * Persuasion = Manipulation
Manipulation * Execution = Collective Harm
Collective Harm * Consistency = Misery;

Authors

Shreyas Doshi Twitter       

 

         Mindset @ Work

Things that provide great upside with little to no downside:

1. Quarterly Hackathons
2. Weekly memo emails
3. Pre-mortems

Authors

Shreyas Doshi twitter       

         Be A Guide

A guide on finding a man who lost his way
brings him back to the right path
he does not mock and jeer
at the traveller !

You must also show , ignorant man the way
and you will see that he will follow!

But so long as you do not show him
you should not mock him
rather feel your own incapacity!

Authors

Epictetus       

 

         Keep it simple

easy solution is rarely simple!
The simple solution is rarely easy!

you need to work hard , really hard to
Keep it simple and easy!

Say are preparing a presentation :
to do it easy , you start right away with PPT deck
but it becomes complex for the audience to understand

On other hand, you work hard on the topic
write a script
and create a slide deck
it will be hardwork
but it will be simple on the audience and they
would all like it!

Simple is Hard!
Complex is Easy!

Authors

Shreyas Doshi Twitter       

Nature -A cure for Selfishness!

 Nature -A cure for Selfishness!

Iris Murdoch

I am looking out my window
in an anxious and resentful
state of mind
oblivious of my surroundings
brooding perhaps on some damage done
to my prestige!

Then suddenly, I observe a hovering kestrel
In a moment everything is altered
The brooding self with its hurt vanity has
disappeared!

There is nothing now but kestrel
And when I return to thinking of other matter
it seems less important.

And of course this is something which we may do deliberately also
Give attention to Nature
in order to
Clear our minds of Selfish care!

My note:
I feel similar: when I see
the Eagle Royal
hovering over my terrace
Flying without flapping of wings
for more than 2 minutes at a time
using the wind as a friend to
pitch, and roll and yaw
Unflappability of the Eagle

adds to its majestic nature!

As i observe the eagle, 

my mind , that is ruffled due to selfishness
becomes a lake of calmness
unflapping so to speak,
even momentarily
as the eagle's wings