"Only in dreams are we free. The rest of the time, we need wages." - Terry Pratchett

#MondayMotivation
#Jobs
Feeling heavy?
If it really matters to you, if you really think about it, you"ll figure a way out!

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
(1/5)

#Jobs
#MondayMotivaton

My brother works in an IT firm. They had a #downsizing exercise in November. Another round is due tomorrow, 17th Feb.
He said that the environment is like one of a herd of deer. When the lions attack, they panic, run helter skelter.
(2/5)

One deer gets caught and killed. It tries to wriggle out for a brief while, but the Lions surround it leaving it with no choice. Soon, the deer meekly surrenders to its destiny, thinking "Why me!". 😩
The others look on from a distance in sympathy. But soon, get back to their business of grazing, knowing that the next attack is some time away.
Over time, they continue grazing, while every now and then raising their head to spot the lurking danger!
(5/5)

They know that in the background somewhere the Lions are observing them and preparing for another round of attack. They hope that since they are in large numbers, the chance of getting caught is low. Occasionally, they display their agility & strength by jumping around..
(5/5)

..so as to make a signal to the Lions in the hiding. They hope that by doing so, the Lions will rate them as some of the stronger ones and not choose them, rather focus on some other apparently weaker ones!

....And the next round of attack resumes!
In Business, be comfortable with uncertainty
In job, be uncomfortable with certainty!

#MondayMotivation
#Jobs
(1/11)

How to get Promoted in Corporate Office:

I have got promoted a few times in my career. I was the youngest ever in my industry to hold certain positions.

I have also overseen a lot of career progressions of my subordinates.
A lot of times people are astonished & cry foul, when they find someone, not seemingly the best, gets promoted. There can be reasons, mostly genuine (though you may disagree), some not so.

I give you the single biggest factor determining promotions:
When we hire or give promotion to someone for a position, we are looking for someone who can manage the role effectively. Notice, that there's no mention of doing the current role effectively. The predominant focus is on getting someone whose skill sets matches with the requisite
In the fast paced, result oriented corporate world, there is hardly any time for grooming talent. When one hire or promote a candidate for a position, one wants a ready made fit; someone who can fit the role & do the required job effectively, from Day 1.

(4/11)
Most of the time, people just put their heads down & keep doing their jobs; sometimes so well, that bosses don't want to disturb the setting by promoting them. These people do this in the hope that their good work will get noticed and get them higher position.
Such people often get stuck in their careers. They see their career plateauing in spite of slogging 24x7, while some smart alecs keep rising the hierarchy!

(6/11)
Do your work sincerely, but do not forget to showcase your next level skills. If you don't have them, work on them diligently. They could be - leadership qualities, presentation skills, execution skills, strategic thinking, team skills etc.
Ask for the JD of the position you seek, from HR & analyse. Observe, your superiors, the skills they display.
Develop those skills & don't miss out any opportunity to showcase them. You should look "ready to serve" material for the next level role

(8/11)
You body language, clothing, behaviour, jargon, beliefs, actions, mannerisms should suggest that you already belong there, an obvious choice; that you are already been under utilised.

(9/11)
One more thing, always keep right questions & suggestions in mind. At an opportune time, like internal meetings, travelling in a car (or elevator) with the Boss, play your cards, leaving your mark, not in an ostentatious manner, but ever so subtly!
Remember, if you want to be someone, believe you already are, the rest will follow👍

(11/11)

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
So, your Monday dress ready? Ironed properly, with matching tie, socks. Your wallet, hanky, pen, whatever.

Set your alarm? Get up in time to beat the traffic and reach in time for the 9 am meeting, for which u made that jazzy ppt during the weekend

#MondayMotivation
#Jobs
I'm afraid, as a nth order effect of #coronavirus , a lot of managements will realise that a lot of jobs in their companies are redundant, or at least overpaid.

Or, as David Graeber puts it...Bullshit Jobs. I hope I'm wrong, but brace for it.
#MondayMotivation
#Jobs Image
According to Graeber 40% of us secretly believe that our jobs are probably not necessary!

Brace for it!
(1/2)

To all the company managements in Mumbai & Pune (including my x-offices)...

What the f*#$ are you waiting for?
All the jobs, where it is not super essential to be physically present, must be compulsorily worked from home. Take it one week at a time.

#MondayMotivation
There's unnecessary posturing in Indian offices. There's a false sense of bravado & posturing in being visibly dedicated to work! And the posturing percolates right down to the peons. The poor employee can't take the call. The management has to. Take it. NOW!

#Jobs
(1/10)

Now that you are forced to sit at home, thanks to #coronavirus ....

Solitude is a godsend side effect of this problem. I have always suggested to take an hour of solitude everyday, to think about your passions.

But, given the hectic nature of you life, it was understandably difficult. Now, do not squander your time. While, it is important to spend time with family, watch some entertaining movies to keep your morale high, do carve out some time to ponder on your skills, passions etc
Make a plan on how you can sustainably (moneywise) build your future life around them.

(3/10)

#SelfIsolation
Treat this break as a company offsite, Where you mix a bit of fun, a bit of team bonding with:
taking a stock of your current state
write your top priorities - top 10 people, top 10 things
write your negative list too - top 10 people & things you hate.

Make a plan on how you can sort your life in line with your priorities - financially & otherwise. Keep nudging forward, no matter how difficult & daunting it's looking at this stage.
Remember, things are difficult only till they are accomplished.

(5/10)
Mind you, the biggest challenge is not making that big plan a reality; the biggest challenge is taking the first step. We tend to give solace to ourselves for not taking that first step, by giving some or the other lame excuse. And believing on them. Like, "where's the time!"
Well, now you have all the time. With nothing to do except, washing hands!

So, here's what to do... Take the first step. Sit in an idle corner with a paper & pen. That's all. Nothing more.

(7/10)
All you have to give yourself is solitude. Your mind does the rest. It takes over the baton from there. You don't have to make an effort. The next steps follow on their own.
"In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded." - Terry Pratchett

Standing at the footstep, don't be afraid of the daunting journey, just take the first step!
But of course, you won't listen....

Go finish that Netflix series!

(10/10)

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
If your feeling Emotional Hijacking because of job or business related worries...
Channelise those emotions towards a productive end. Let these emotions make way, rather than impede, for a more robust personal financial system.

#MondayMotivation
#Jobs
From The Bed of Procrustes:

"You exist if and only if you are free to do things without a visible objective, with no justification and, above all, outside the dictatorship of someone else's narrative."

#MondayMotivation
#Jobs
From The Bed of Procrustes again...

"Those who do not think that employment is systemic slavery are either blind or employed."

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
You always dreamt of a situation when the Monday sinking feeling is not there....when there's no difference between Sunday and Monday.

Well, you've got one forced upon you. What's you gonna do...Binge watching or Binge thinking! 🤔

#MondayMotivation
#Jobs
"Having a dream and not pursuing it is like buying an ice cream cone and watching it melt all over your hand." - Frank Papasso

#MondayMotivation
If Netflix or Facebook promoters were glued to the addictive Netflix or Facebook, they wouldn't have managed to create the wealth creating Netflix or Facebook!

You make your choice!

#MondayMotivation
(1/6)

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation

Earning with time is an inefficient way of earning.

How? Image
1) It's a Faustian Bargain - takes away more from you than what it gives. A job gives you a false sense of security & stable income. What you trade off for the specious sense, is a life long modern day slavery, a compromise of your freedom to live life on your own terms...
...You also put your health, your loved ones, your passions, and everything that should be your priority, on the back burner.

You exist, but never live!

(3/6)
2) It puts a cap on your upside. There is a limit to how many patients a Doctor can see, how many hours a labourer can slog, how hard you can work in your job.
When you earn with your mind, there is a limitless potential to capitalise on your success. The effort to reward ratio is high when you earn with mind, and low when you earn with time.

(5/6)
Robert Kiyosaki in his famous book, Rich Dad Poor Dad classifies Income as:
1) Earned Income: from #jobs
2) Portfolio Income: from paper assets
3) Passive Income: from real assets

...in increasing order of Effort to Reward ratio

(6/6)
All these years, one blamed lack of time for not taking #health & financial independence initiatives. If one doesn't emerge stronger, wiser, better prepared at the other end of this #lockdown, one loses the right to say that ever again!

#MondayMotivation
#FinancialFreedom
(1/5)

The famous Social Psychology Experiment, Stanford Prison Experiment, elicited how easily & quickly the roles assigned to us get internalised. How easily we start believing the social roles and "living upto them."

People knew very well that they were part of an experiment; yet they got affected in just a few days to such a great extent.

Imaging the kind of illusions, the "Boss" & the "Subordinate" in the modern corporate world suffer from, given the sustained role plays.
The Boss starts believing that
he is a superior son of God, a master
he controls sub's destiny
it's his right to control the sub's schedule
the sub must answer his phone
the sub must stand when he arrives
the sub has to laugh at all His jokes

(3/5)
The Sub also starts believing that
he is an inferior son of God, a slave
the Boss controls his destiny
Boss decides his schedule
he must leave everything & answer Boss's phone
he must stand when the Boss arrives
he has to laugh at all His jokes
The tragedy is that, not only the master internalises the role, even the slave does. They continue to live these role plays all through their lives.

Remember...
When the Chess Game Is over, the King & the Pawn Go back in the Same Box!

(5/5)

#MondayMotivation
#Jobs
"So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work."- Peter Drucker

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
(1/8)

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation

Corporate Bullshit

I have spoken about a phenomenon, prevalent especially in corporate world of Being Visibly Busy. What I am about to write today is in similar vein….

Corporate Bullshit – an act of saying or doing something which is meaningless, fruitless & without any veridical veracity. Yet, it is said or done with such panache that one does not only gets away with the Bullshit, but actually gains from it.
Look around, so many top management speeches, organisation structural changes, advertising campaigns, internal communications and vision statements, Brand punchlines, powerpoint presentations (Remember the Bingo Mad Angle spoof on this!)...
The Managemenet Consultatnt’s recommendations, The Sales Heads pep talk, The justification of low variable pay that year, justification for your role change or transfer, ....

(4/8)
the sales pitch (Refer to the Credit Fund Sales Pitch of The Franklin Templeton Sales Guys in India; I bet, they had no idea what they were selling!)…oh I can go on & on…The Bullshit looks even more authentic, when it is delivered in flashy suits & ties!
Have a look at this excerpt on such Corporate Bullshit from Nassim Taleb’s “Fooled By Randomness”. Image
The problem is that, even if you can see through this in your corporation, like I could, there’s very little that you can do as an employee. This powerlessness of the masses further creates a conducive environment for such act to flourish. The bigger the organization…
(8/8)

...the bigger the Bullshitting. A small startup is too busy to getting things done, to let such thing fester.

Here's a paper by @Toffeemen68 on his aptly named "CRAP" framework to deal with this. Have a look.

(1/4)

Being the Wheel vs just a cog in the wheel:

The efficiency movement of Fedrick Taylor of Industrial Revolution is responsible for making people modern day slaves.
Never before the Industrial Age, did a man ever feel like "a cog in the wheel" to this extent. When you're a cog in the wheel, you are unable to associate with the larger picture. To a cog in the wheel, there's little sense of accomplishment.
Ceteris Paribus, A carpenter who makes a chair is likely to have more sense of achievement than a factory worker.

This gives rise to a feeling of hollowness...a sort of nihilism. Imagine, what it does to your self esteem.

(3/4)
The Scientific Movement of the Industrial Age is getting anachronistic in the Knowledge Age. The Knowledge Age, proffers an opportunity to be the whole wheel, rather than just a cog.

Work towards it & see the difference it makes to your self image.

4/4
#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
(1/6)

Modern Slaves have a Title!

I have spoken about how, my colleagues & friends admire my philosophy on life & what I've done...but are not able to replicate this in their lives...

There are a lot of reasons for such a behaviour - Inertia, debt, courage, not enough savings etc. One big reason, is "The Job Title".

Have a look at some fancy ones -
Senior (⬆️) Associate (⬇️) Director (⬆️) {Whatever that means! 😉). Here're more...
Executive Director (A friend of mine, who's nothing but a Senior Treasury Sales guy)
Executive Director - North (North Region Sales Head)
Senior (⬆️) Vice (⬇️) President (⬆️) - This was my designation!

Makes you feel like King of the World, doesn't it!
When I kicked the corporate slavery 1452 days back, my father fully supported. (He's always shown a lot of trust in my decisions). His, only disappointment was that he won't be able to talk anymore about me to his friends, as SVP in a large corporate.

(4/6)
A lot of senior level corporate folks just get addicted to the Title. The trade-off (20 days a month of travel, 3 hours of commuting, sacrifice of health, stress, multitasking, inability to spend time with friends & family) is too big. But, so is the addiction of the Title.
We attach a ton of value and self identity and self worth with our fancy Job Titles and the spurious respect that comes along from society, colleagues & subordinates.

I could see through the superficial structure...You decide!

(6/6)

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
(1/10)

Fuel In The Tank

In what is turning out to be a weekly ritual for me. I poke those in Corporate Slavery every Monday. In what is probably turning out to be the longest Tweet Chain ever, I poke, nudge, encourage, guide people to live a life of their choice.
Recently, I have started getting inundated with a lot of queries. Today, I address, some of the most common queries:

When do I know, I have enough money?
How do I survive without salary?
What do I do after I quit Job?

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
Before you take the Quantum Leap of Faith
1.) Have enough fuel in the tank for atleast 5-10 years. Your assets should comfortably take care of your liabilities, without
a) downgrading your existing lifestyle too much
b) pinning you down with stress & worry
For this, you need to let your lifestyle trail your Net Worth at a slower rate:
a) Build your assets with measured aggression and top level discipline
b) Control your liabilities - Don’t board the materialistic hedonic treadmill

Two. When you reckon you have enough fuel, you start working on your Plan A (The Job is the Plan B!). This involves:
a) Identifying your passion - Domains where you are naturally good or passionate; Domains in which work feels like play.

(5/10)
It could be art, bikes, blogging, fitness, Restaurant whatever.
b) Rowing temporarily in two boats - Continuing with ur Job, while doing the groundwork for the Plan A. Spend every weekend or 2 hrs everyday for the cause. You enjoy it anyways, so it will not feel like a burden.
3) Take the Quantum Leap - This is a very difficult step because:
a) We suffer from Inertia

c) We suffer from the fear of the unknown and prefer the known dungeon of slavery vs the unknown blue skies

(10/10)

How to take the Quantum Leap - Take the first small step that sets you off in motion. This is the best way to break the inertia.

I close for now with this Tweet of mine…

(1/3)

Death by a 1000 cuts!

When you
do not live life on you own terms
fear taking responsibility of your life
do not even think about living your life to the fullest
accept what life offers you
depend on others to decide your fate (transfers, role, salary, bonus, work timings)
indulge in office politics willingly or unwillingly
sulk & indulge in bitching over the coffee machine
skip family functions for office presentations
fear losing your job every Sunday evening
spend hours in daily commuting
wear a tie

(2/3)
...and still do nothing to set yourself free....

you die a slow death....a death by a thousand cuts!

#Job
#MondayMotivation
From "The Bed of Procrustes":

Those who do not think that employment is a systemic slavery are either blind or employed.

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
"What you miss is not the people you work with because you stay connected with them even years after you have quit. However, what you miss is the good times you had with them…the memories you would cherish for the rest of your life."
"In hindsight, the past achievements look diminutive in front of current ambitions. Hence, we should ensure that we celebrate every small & big success on that very day, in any small or big way. This way, we will create happy memories!"

(3/3)
Your Retirement Solution is not in the packaged "Retirement Plans".
The solution lies in your ownership of a business or assets - either physically or through shares.

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
If your money can work for you, why should you work for money! 🤔

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
Just a gentle reminder...
Monday is approaching...Some of you have a boring, irritating, enery sapping, blood sucking online meeting at 9.30 am.

Some of you of course, chase your passions...Those of you will be looking forward to Monday Morning!

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
Holiday has little effect, if you're returning to something you don't like!

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation Image
"There are two paths you can take, Enola...Yours, or the path others choose for you. Our future is upto us." Enola Holmes mother to Enola.

#MondayMotivation
"Those three things - autonomy, complexity and a connection between effort & reward - are the three qualities a work has to have, if it is to be satisfying." - Malcom Gladwell, Outliers

These three things are conspicuous by their absence in a corporate #Job!
#MondayMotivation
Work Life Balance is pertinent to only those for whom the two are different!
12 hrs work-12 hrs life
5 days work-2 days life

If work emanates from innate passions & talents, work and life coalesce into a joyride driven by wonder!
24 x 7 joyride!

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation
All routine & mundane part of your #job, will eventually go either to your subordinate or computer or robot.
Rather do that proactively yourself. Don't hold on to what is keeping you busy today, what is fetching you your salary today; it will all slip out.
Delegate mundane stuff. Make conscious effort to upgrade yourself from manual, physical work to strategic, mental work.
Shape up👆 or Ship out eventually!

#MondayMotivation
"If there’s a game you’re winning at, but it’s making you miserable, then you should probably quit that game." - Naval Ravikant

#Jobs
#MondayMotivation

Not waking up to an alarm is a kind of a freedom I experienced only in childhood...and now for last 1620 days!

#MondayMotivation

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More from @flaneur_a

6 Dec
Evolution - random variations, most of which average out, while some advantageous ones self-reinforce in a nondeterministic, unpredictable and path dependent manner.
Somewhere down the line, a minor difference separated us from our closest cousin, Chimpanzee.

"We are, to a 98% approximation,
chimpanzees...chimpanzees are only 97% gorillas
[but are 98% human.
Chimpanzees are closer to humans than they are to gorillas." Matt Ridley, Genome
"If you took two plastacene amoebae and turned one into a chimpanzee and the other into a human being, almost all the changes you would make would be the same. Both would need thirty-two teeth, five fingers, two eyes, four limbs and a liver...
Read 5 tweets
11 Nov
Extreme Success in any domain calls for extreme sacrifices!

(1/7)
Extremely successful people in any domain - sports, cinema, singing, dancing, technology etc are our icons. We follow them and wish we could be like them.
However, a closer look at their lives will tell you that it took a life long dedication for a single goal. The toil typically started at a very tender age and involved hours & hours of hard & monotonous work; so much so that the person sacrificed almost everything else.
Read 7 tweets
4 Nov
The ugly lean poor, works hard physically in the Sun, eats plain, boring, freshly cooked, home food.
The sophisticated good looking rich sits on the couch in the air conditioned home, eats junk food all the time.
The poor doesn't even show #COVID__19 symptoms; it came & went!

The rich is checking the Oxymeter readings!
After all the day's hard work, the poor sleeps for 8 hours, gets up early to start all over again.

The rich is busy completing the web series, waking up in teh afternoon, with dreary eyes
Read 5 tweets
20 Jul
(1/19)

The Three Layered Conundrum of Decision Making:

Any significant decision making has to break through an iterative three layered P-conundrum:
1) Possibilities
2) Probabilities
3) Pay-offs Image
A decision maker needs to analyse various scenarios that can play out, what are the probabilities of each of these scenarios playing out and what are the payoffs or outcomes if any of these possibilities play out.
Decision Makers tend to falter at each of these stages.

Possibilities - A chess player, while analysing next moves, can simply miss a scenario that can cost her the match.
Read 19 tweets
16 Jul
A common Fallacy related to #CompoundingEffect

You will hear even the best proponents long term investing and compounding say that, "the problem with compounding is that most of the gains are back ended.”

(1/13)
Often the example of Warren Buffet is quoted saying that most of wealth got generated after he crossed 70 years (even though he started at the tender age of 11!).

This statement is specious.
It gives you an impression that it is a slow way of gaining & it needs patience...
...and possibly there is a faster way of gaining other than compounding. Let me clarify here...with the exception of sub-atomic world, a lottery, or adoption by a wealthy person or any such plain luck, there is no quantum leap in real life.

(3/13)
Read 13 tweets
16 Jul
Compounding - the fundamental phenomenon behind every success

Compounding is said to be the 8th wonder of the world. Rightly so. It is the fundamental phenomenon behind any success in any domain - evolution, success, investing, fitness, skill development, relationships & so on.
Here is a statement that I have probably made the most on Twitter - Right from the Big Bang, which led to the advent of the universe, to the success of Facebook & Amazon, every success has undergone a compounding (every failure too has compounded at a negative growth rate!).
In plain english, the phenomenon of Compounding is that Success begets success. Every success:
1) makes a system inherently strong
2) opens new avenues, and paves way for future success

Amazon, which started as a e-store for books, built on initial success and ...

(3/n)
Read 24 tweets

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