This is one of my favorite real-life stories from my life

Several year back, I used to take a course at an MBA school
And the final exam of that course was:
"List at least 3 things you have learnt from this course"

Over 4 years, some 120 students took this exam.
Only 6 passed.
How does one "fail" such an exam?

The reason was because everyone except those 6 students listed EXACTLY 3 things they learnt in the course.

When my question was "List AT LEAST 3 things that you have learnt from this course"
I tricked the students into believing a definition of success that I created for them - List 3 and you are successful.

And they stopped at that.
Stopped at the minimum expected from us.

That is what the world does to us EVERYDAY.
Our parents, our partners, our bosses, our friends, the world - is constantly asking us to get "just this done" in order to be successful.

We do it and "feel" successful.

We never stopped to ask ourselves - what does success mean to ME?

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More from @warikoo

22 Nov
Meditation is incorrectly assumed by many to be the practice of controlling one's thoughts.

Instead, meditation rests on the most fundamental truth
We cannot control our thoughts.

What we can do instead, is to be aware of our thoughts.
Mindfulness thus isn't about thinking more clearly about the experience.

Mindfulness is about EXPERIENCING more clearly.
Including how our thoughts arise as well.
If I were asked, which 2 things have completely altered your life meaningfully, it will be
Meditating & working out

I started working out when I turned 32
I started meditation at 36

It is never too late to begin respecting your mind and body.
Read 5 tweets
20 Nov
Mistakes people make while seeking help

A thread...
Seeking help is the most fundamental way of learning.

When we think of seeking help, we mostly think people.
But if we broaden the definition, it becomes obvious that we can seek help from anything.
Books, videos, tools.

The key is "what are you seeking help for"
I am privileged to be in a spot where a lot of people reach out seeking help.

Over the last few years, here are some very avoidable mistakes I have regularly observed people make.
Read 25 tweets
6 Nov
THIS IS IT

A thread...
Good college or good course?
Good brand or good pay?
Read 18 tweets
30 Oct
Mistakes I made in my first job

A thread...
I assumed speed of response equals intelligence.
I was always eager to quickly finish my work, because I wanted to known as "he gets things done super fast".

We are not paid to get things done fast.
We are paid to get things done right.
I figured I was so low in the hierarchy that if there was an error in my work, someone above me would catch it.
I thought that was their job - to identify errors in their team.

If you wait for your managers to catch your errors, they are now doing your work.
Not theirs.
Read 23 tweets
23 Oct
How I spend my day

A thread...
My day is split into 4 distinct sections
1. Morning (until 930am) - dedicated to me
2. First half (until 1230pm) - dedicated to my work
3. Second half (until 530pm) - dedicated to external engagements
4. Evening (until 930pm) - dedicated to family

This has been so for 4+ yrs
Morning

4.30-4.50am

I wake up at 430am
The first thing I do is to get a glass of water, sit on the floor cross legged and sip it like wine.

No phone.
No person.
Just me and and my water.

This is when I mostly think about the day to come, maybe remember a dream. No agenda!
Read 30 tweets
21 Oct
I am privileged that a lot of people write in seeking help.

What shocks me, consistently, is how few of them...
...know WHAT help they need.

My standard response to most emails is my favorite question
“How can I help”

And it saddens me how many people do not know the response to this question.
Bad answers to this question

- Want to bounce off my idea
- I am confused
- Get your views on my thoughts
- Need 15mins of your time
Read 6 tweets

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