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Mindset

Why should you design your life?

By Bhumika Ramesh

When you design your life, you control most of its aspects. You are the architect, designing the blueprint and how to lay the tiles on the paths you’re gonna walk on. Society deems that we find our one true calling when we’re young and tell us to stick with that for the rest of our lives. It need not be so. As you’re in the process of discovering new passions and scratching the surface of various fields, you might find something which perfectly fits like a puzzle piece. When you take control of paving the way forward, you construct a satisfied and happy lifestyle. The points highlighted in this article can help you make your decision.

Getting Clear

When you begin to lay out the foundation, get clear on what you need and what you don’t. Creating a life that follows your dreams and ambitions requires removing unnecessary relationships and objects. You are the core of the skyscraper you’re constructing. Never lose focus of that. Keep your desires and passions in mind as you de-clutter.

Gravity Problems

This refers to problems you can’t do anything about – they just exist, just like gravity. Reframing is important here – seeing it as a circumstance and not a problem does simplify your course of action. Focus on the parts where action matters. For example, consider an individual who seems to always go down the path of belittling themselves. Instead of seeing the person as the problem, try to find out the causes and situations which contribute to it. Gravity problems, therefore, revolve around action-focused events and not core-focused events.

Start Now

The old notion of sticking with your career, no matter what happens, is fading. It’s better to start now and embark on the journey – as the old Japanese proverb goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Don’t believe in ‘should’s’ and ‘must’s’. Believe in ‘can’.

There is No One ‘Best’ Version of Yourself

Multiple versions of you can exist and all of them lead to great destinations. You don’t need to sit down and execute plans to make the current version of yourself the best. Research other alternatives and compare them with your long-term goals. Oprah Winfrey today is drastically different from the person she was in her 30s. Design for what’s next in your life, not the entirety of it.

Don’t Leap. Jump with a Parachute.

Test the path you choose before you commit to it. Assuming you would enjoy it is the wrong mindset to employ. Research for a few weeks, talk to people who know the field inside out and discover opportunities for experience before you leap. Fail fast and fail forward is a great strategy.

We have the potential to create great things. And I believe your life can be included in that list. Start sketching out your blueprint today.

To know more about this process, look up the ‘Designing your Work Life’ book here.

To invest more into your brand design, click here.

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Why it is important to ask for support?

By Vaishnavi Kumar

Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you
– Misty Copeland

Asking for support in the past has been generally seen as a sign of people who are weak, dependent, and uncertain about what to do. It is assumed that they aren’t smart or brave enough to get things done. People are told to be independent, strong, and firm with the decisions they make from the beginning. Most of them misinterpret this advice as to not seek support and to accomplish everything on their own.

In reality, that’s not the case. Seeking support or help when you need it should have no shame attached to it. It gives a sense of confidence to the person seeking it. The person providing it feels better that they could help. People don’t become a burden when they ask for help. Everybody needs help, guidance and more at a point in their life and it’s absolutely fine to ask for it. Instead of struggling alone, reach out to someone and share your problems.

Important reasons to ask for support:

The first reason is that you don’t have to go through everything alone. Having friends and family isn’t just for the sake of enjoying. Reach out to them, be open with the fact that you need support and you’ll instantly feel much better. Your bond with the person also tends to become stronger when you show your confidence in them.

Secondly, when you approach someone for help, you allow the other person to showcase their abilities and talents. Everyone is different and has a unique way of tackling problems. You learn about the various ways in which a particular thing can be solved and the other person gets to hone their skills as well.

Thirdly, it improves your social skills. Seeking support is one of the hardest things that people can do. If you do develop this skill and have no regrets or hesitation while asking for support, you have taken your social skills further.

Lastly, when you ask for support, you are breaking the stereotype and encouraging more people to seek help when they need it. You are making a statement that it is okay to be flawed. We are there for each other to make things easier and better.

Things to remember while seeking support –
- Always be polite – You are the one in need of support, so be kind and gentle.
- Be frank – Don’t go beating around the bush. Have confidence and get to the point.
- Ask for it only when in need – Don’t be lazy and rely on others for minute problems as well. Seek support only when you need it.
- Be truthful- Never lie about a situation when seeking help. Let the other person know the entire story.
- Don’t force – Let people decide whether they want to provide support. Don’t pressurise them to do so.
We hope after reading this, you will be a little less hesitant and more open to asking when you need it.

For more on this topic see here

See this post on asking for support when getting back on track from work related burn out.

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Toxic Productivity – All you need to know

By Vaishnavi Kumar

“NEVER CONFUSE ACTIVITY WITH PRODUCTIVITY”
RICK WARREN

People who misunderstand toxic productivity with being productive – you are probably reading the right thing for you today.

What is toxic productivity?

Toxic productivity is just a fancy term for workaholism. Workaholism means obsessing over work. Working constantly without achieving an output is not productive. Productivity is when you put aside time for a certain job, accomplish it and end your day feeling good about the time put in.

Toxic productivity is a buzzword lately. Many people are victims, especially due to the pandemic and the resultant lockdown. It is also a side effect of perfectionism.

In simple words, toxic productivity is an unhealthy tendency to be productive all the time and to not stop even when the job has been completed.

How does toxic productivity affect us?

When individuals are obsessed with being productive they tend to ignore other important things in life. The constant desire to work and accomplish things steals the happiness from them. Being never satisfied no matter what they achieve and are constantly on the go. They continue to judge themselves based on what they have not done instead of the things they have achieved. And often they tend to push themselves above their threshold and eventually end up in a terrible state of physical and mental health.

Signs which show you are a victim of toxic productivity:
- No satisfaction: People who feel dissatisfied often. Working for a short time doesn’t give them satisfaction and relaxing doesn’t give them pleasure.
- Isolation: People tend to distance themselves because they see these as distractions that will affect their work.
- Guilt: A sense of guilt arises when you do or even think about something other than work.
- The feeling of failure: When you don’t meet commitments, for whatever reasons, they start considering themselves as a failure who is worthless.
- Abnormal fatigue: Toxic productive people suffer from unusual tiredness. Even after a 8-hour sleep, they wake up extremely tired and sick.
How to avoid it?
- Set up a schedule- Make a schedule for yourself and try to follow it. The schedule must include exercise, tasks at work, and of course leisure time.
- Pursuing a hobby– Take your mind off work and start pursuing a hobby. Do what makes you happy and relax for a while.
- Spend time with your loved ones– Spending quality with family and friends works like magic. The best way to avoid toxic productivity is by being around people you love.
- Get Counseling – If things go out of control, and you are not able to handle the situation on your own, seek professional help.
Toxic productivity is something that might seem very normal to a lot of people because most of them see this as a sign of ambitious people. The constant anxiety of knowing that if we stop, our competitors might go ahead of us is not healthy and is a major sign of toxic productivity.

It is important to understand when productivity is turning toxic and affecting your well-being.

We like this post on Huffpost on this topic.

Dealing with burnout already, see this post on self care on our blog.

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Why showing up consistently is important?

By Vaishnavi Kumar

Consistency means abiding by the principles that are or will prove good for you soon. A very famous quote says, “Consistency is more important than perfection”.

If you want to be successful then consistency is one trait you must develop and adhere to.

Let’s understand why consistency is important:

Showing up persistently is the pathway towards success in all segments of life. Refraining from committing the same mistakes and following your ambitions is what one needs to learn. When you make your efforts and intentions clear by showing up consistently, you are paving the way for a success.

For instance, if you want to get in shape, subsequent dieting and working out for one day won’t make any difference. You need to show up to the gym every day, work on improving your eating habits and over time, you’ll see the fruits of your consistency.

Similarly, building good relationships requires patience, understanding, and communication. Again, if you aren’t doing this every day or if you aren’t showing up when they need you the most, you may have a lower quality relationships.

The same goes for businesses.

Incorporating consistency in your life will take you to new heights. This particularly holds for people involved in business. Businesses require 4 C’s- Capability, Capital, Customers, and Consistency. If any one of these is missing or lacking, especially the last one, then all the other elements count for nothing. If a person is inconsistent with their work or efforts, nobody will want to invest or deal with such companies.

Suppose you have extraordinary skills and enough capital as well as valuable customers and dealers ready to collaborate with you. All you lack is consistency. You interact with your customers or dealers once every 6 months. Eventually, they’ll be disengaged and you’ll never know when your business has been overtaken by competition. On the other hand, if you show up consistently but lack in the other three elements, your efforts will be acknowledged and you will witness your business booming.

Showing up regularly will not only reveal your efforts but also hone your skills and help you gain more knowledge. Opportunities will make their way towards you. Everything gets easier when you show up regularly.

How do you start to show up consistently?

Focus on what you want to achieve – Don’t get distracted. Pour yourself into the things that you want to accomplish. Give your 200% and you will enjoy the outcome.

Be organized – Start with a schedule and plan how you are going to complete what you set out to do. This way you won’t forget your commitments and you will be regular.

Find ways to fulfil commitments even if it seems impossible – There’s always a way to make things happen. You just need to find which one works for you.

Never give up – No matter what the situation, never give up!

For more on showing up see this post here on Medium

See this post on sustainable habits here

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Break your Limiting Beliefs with these Habits

By Bhumika Ramesh

Everyone has limiting beliefs that they may or may not be aware of. The human mind instills a lot of beliefs as we progress through several hurdles and accomplishments in life. These dictate the lens through which we see the world with. Only when we believe we can succeed or acquire what we feel we deserve, confidence rises within ourselves. What’s holding you back? Limiting beliefs. They make it look like the goals we have are impossible to reach, which is not the case.

In this article, let us go through a few ways we can break through a self- limiting barriers and triumph:

Minimalism – Having a cluttered mind makes it hard to focus on factors you would brand as crucial. Investing too much in materialistic goods is an example. Pay attention to the reasons why you feel you invest more than expected. This could bring a drastic but excellent change to your environment as well as your mindset.

Positive Affirmations – Saying a positive affirmation to support yourself several times does bring about a significant change. Instead of trying to craft an affirmation that could appear to be blatantly untrue, use ones that make you feel like putting them into practice would help you reach your goals. Self-esteem is important in the long run.

Get imaginative – Let your mind wander and come up with several worst-case scenarios. Although anxiety can arise, this exercise lets you see possibilities and can help you become comfortable/prepare for them. This will lead to a confident self overlooking any situation and handling it in the best way. Don’t overlook the potential of imagination. It helps ground you and come to terms with what you’ve imagined.

Commit to Lifelong Learning – Consume knowledge that helps you become a better version of yourself. Gather materials that develop your current version, be it a book, journaling or a podcast you found on Spotify. When exposed to different perspectives and ideas, critical thinking comes into play and this can empower you to push past your limiting beliefs. Actively seeking development is the best way to grow.

Choose beliefs that make your life worth living. It’s hard to always push away negative thoughts and actions but trying is what matters. Instead of completely omitting, try replacing small habits one by one before attempting to climb the peak. Hope these habits help you in your journey.

See this post on Dealing with Mental Blocks

For more on Limiting beliefs see this post here from Create & Cultivate

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7 Quick ways to pull yourself together fast

By Vaishnavi Kumar

Cancel your pity party! Pull yourself together and take total ownership of everything in your life.

If you are a person who suffers from sudden mood swings and finds it very difficult to take your mind off things then you are at the right place. Sometimes you may not understand what is bothering you. It may be someone else’s behaviour with you that is affecting you or it may something you have said or done accidentally. Here are some simple steps that may help you release stress and regain your equilibrium.
1. Disconnect for a few minutes – When you don’t feel yourself or feel like crap disconnect from the world for a few minutes. Walk away from the situation that is bothering you until you are calm enough to deal with it. Stepping away is a great tool to get perspective.
1. Breathe – This might seem pointless to many people, but breathing is the best way to pull yourself together fast. Taking deep long breaths count to 10, repeat again if you don’t feel calm.
1. Affirmations – When negative thoughts hit you like a tsunami, say affirmations that will help calm down. Use positive affirmations like “Things are going to be ok” “I’ve got this” in no time “I can do it”, say this a few times and see if it make a difference.
1. Meditate – Find a quiet place, put on your earphones, play a soothing guided meditation track close your eyes, and just relax. It goes a long way helping to reduce stress and feel calm.
5. Write – Write, Journal, Give gratitude. Identify any five things you are proud about. Jot down any five things that have made your life beautiful. This might seem silly to some people but go ahead and give it a try.
1. Grab a quick bite – Take a break and eat your favourite comfort food. Its is proven to reduce stress and make you feel better. Well do avoid sugary snacks if you can help it.
1. Laugh – Watch something funny or be around someone who can make you laugh. Even if you don’t feel like laughing, do it deliberately. This immediately reduces stress and you will experience a sense of peace and joy.
These were some ways that we feel might help you pull yourself together quickly. All you need is to take those couple of minutes from your schedule, so you don’t ruin your entire day. Uplift your mood quickly, release all the stress and have a great day!

Let us know in the comments below what you do to pull yourself together.

To see how to get back on track after burnout from over work see this post here

See this post from Huff Post on dealing with setbacks.

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How to make Self care a priority?

By Vaishnavi Kumar

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
– Buddha

Self care is extremely important in today’s life, where every second person suffers from burnout, physical as well as mental health issues. But the question that bothers most people is, how to take out time for self care when we are unable to finish the things already on our to-do list?

Self care is something that everyone should prioritise, irrespective of their daily routine. This will help in fulfilling work and other commitments more efficiently, as you will be in a better physical and mental state. People often don’t realise how important the “me-time” is and the role it plays in our lives.

There are a lot of ways you can practice self care. You can engage in reading a book, hit the gym, meditate, run, dress up, dance, sing, journal your thoughts or call up a friend. Basically, self care is anything that makes you feel good and helps you reset. This boosts your mood as well as health and gives you more energy and motivation to complete your commitments.

Here are our 4 tips :
1. Set up a schedule – Scheduling your daily routine is the solution to almost all our time and energy problems. Waking up a little early, avoiding procrastination, and realizing that our well-being is equally important can help us make time even for self care. When you set up a schedule, you will notice that there is a lot of time which you don’t even know you’re wasting.
1. Identify your priorities – Know your priorities and make sure to add self care to this list. When you have a lot on your plate knowing what is important helps you stay on top of things. Figure out what your Top 3 – 5 priorities are in your life.
1. Break it up – Practicing self care for one hour straight when you are incredibly busy seems impossible and impractical. So, it is advisable to indulge in your favourite activities in small bits of time. Even if you find a few minutes of free time, use it to check in with yourself. And ask yourself how you are feeling? You may think what difference will 5 minutes make? But try it once and you will see how relaxing and therapeutic it is.
1. Take it as a challenge – If you are a person who loves challenges then this is the best approach for you. Challenges appeal to most people. When all the approaches seem to be a failure you can resort to this method. Give yourself a challenge! Say you will take out at least half hour for yourself, may it be in one stretch or in intervals. The satisfaction you’ll experience after doing this is unimaginable!!!
These are some simple hacks which may help you incorporate self care in your daily routine.

Struggling with burnout? Read this article for our tips on dealing with Burnout.

Also we love this post from Deepak Chopra’s website, read it here.

Practise self care and be the best version of you!

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5 ways to deal with criticism

By Anusha Bapat

A tough but essential part of everyone’s career is receiving feedback. It can be difficult to hear that you haven’t succeeded at a task especially if you have put a lot of effort into it.

However it’s important to realize that sometimes criticism is delivered not to attack you but to help you improve. It’s perfectly normal for negative feedback to bother you but it will keep coming and you need to learn to come to terms with it.

Here are 5 ways to deal with criticism:

1.Listen to what the person is trying to convey – We are quick to cut them off and defend ourselves. Remain calm and avoid getting aggressive. Evaluate the person’s intentions honestly and then politely offer your side of the story. It is important to be respectful at all times or you might end up saying something you will regret later.

2. Avoid taking it personally – The majority of the time, they’re criticizing your work, not how you are as a person. One comment does not mean they dislike you. Thank the person for giving you feedback to improve and tell them you will work on it even if it hurt you on the inside.

3. Take constructive criticism as an opportunity to learn – This is a cliche but no one is perfect. You have to keep improving in life. Acknowledge the criticism and decide whether it is constructive without a bias. For all you know, your work might instantly ameliorate after taking their suggestion.

4. Allow yourself to feel disappointment and anger – Give yourself a break and try self-care techniques like journaling. If it bothers you too much, go to someone you trust and vent about it. Don’t allow criticism to affect your self-confidence. Remind yourself of all that you have achieved and that one setback does not mean you’re incompetent.

5. Schedule a follow-up a week or two after you’ve received criticism – This can give you a chance to show that you have made an attempt to improve and inquire whether you need to change anything else.

At the end of the day, criticism is inevitable. You will receive it in some form nor the other. You need to distinguish between the constructive and destructive, take it with a grain of salt and focus on improving.

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Dealing with Failure

“Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s a part of success.”

All of us strive to fulfil our passions and achieve those dreams inside us. Isn’t that what success is usually defined as? We each have created different paths to reach these destinations. Nevertheless, most of us do not see failure as an important stepping stone in this process.

Failure and success are 2 sides of the same coin. Both are essential experiences in the walk of life. In this article, I share how to deal with failure.
- Failing Forward
This concept of failing forward means exactly what you see – it uses the power of failure to propel you further on your path. This is an extremely hard process as it requires you to consciously understand your failures to make sure you get a headstart for the path ahead. Taking on risks and challenges, learning from your mistakes and not holding yourself back is exactly what failing forward helps you do.
- Don’t make it personal – rather try to see it objectively.
The perception of failure as a personal drawback in life never got anyone anywhere. Understand that it is completely okay to make these mistakes and take risks – it’s what you learn from them that matters. Seeing it from an objective view helps you to analyse the occurrence. It also helps you predict future failures that await you to use your experience to deal with it if not avoid it.
- It hurts, so allow yourself to feel your emotions.
Failure does let out quite a few ugly emotions. Comprehending and accepting these emotions is also an important step. Not doing so may result in emotional baggage being carried around, which hinders professional settings, if not professional milestones. Understanding these feelings leads to a better introspective self and acquiring finer knowledge on how to deal with these emotions in the future when the necessity arises.
- Take on only what you are actually responsible for.
When a failure occurs we tend to blame ourselves for everything. Take responsibility but stop blaming yourself for everything. It doesn’t help. Be objective and accept responsibility for your part and allow space for others to take on their parts, don’t be the scapegoat.
- Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
Having a mindset fixated on growth rather than having a stagnant one helps in various ways. Growth is hard and uncomfortable most of the time, but it is always worth it. Having an open mind towards new experiences and lessons are always beneficial. Instead of believing you will always fail, tell yourself you aren’t ready yet but will be soon. That is a growth mindset.
- What people think is not important.
One of the most difficult things to remember during success or failure is that it does not matter what people think about it. Focus on your path and you’ll get where you intended to be in due time. People love to give their opinions on most things so know how to differentiate between unnecessary criticism and constructive criticism.
- Check your ego.
As hard as this might be to consider, sometimes our ego stands in the way of growing and learning. Figuring out this can take time. This can be one of the only hindrances for you on your journey – so identifying and regulating it is quite an essential task. Often the only thing hurting when we fail is our ego. Let it go.
- Keep moving ahead.
The art of never giving up. Perseverance to get where you need to. Bill Gates’s first company was a failure. Arianna Huffington was rejected 36 times before she could publish her book. To be resilient and believe in yourself, no matter the circumstances will help you attain your dreams.

Life is never perfect – it is always filled with ups and downs and it is up to us to make the most out of those adventures and experiences.

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What’s a good evening routine?

And why its important

Most of us have a set morning routine. Brush. Shower. Yoga. Join meetings. These rows of actions enable our mind frame to be much more relaxed and start the day on a positive note.

However, by evening we seem to run out of energy and turn to activities such as binge-watching your favourite show or order some takeout. Rejuvenation after work is necessary but the unhealthy tasks we do in the evening can have a long-term effect on our work and even our sleep.

In this article, let’s go over a few habits that can definitely make your evening routine a soothing period and get you prepped for the night!
- Note down your goals and tasks for the next day.
Doing so allows you to have a clear perspective of your priorities for the next day. It saves you from the morning rush where you scramble to see what the day entails. Make sure the most challenging task is completed first – so that your first bout of energy is allotted to that. This also frees you from worrying about tomorrow when you head out to sleep.
- Reflect on the day’s achievements and accomplishments.
Spending a few minutes at the end of the day to reflect can allow you to celebrate the day’s achievements and keep the drive going. You can also do this by keeping a gratitude journal. It’s beneficial to you, preserves your passion and provides encouragement for the upcoming days.
- Create a time limit for the amount of hours spent on screens.
Blue lights emitted from screens can dramatically impact the quality of sleep. Cut down on scrolling through social media or watching television. Pick a more recreational activity such as reading books or listening to podcasts – they engage your time much more productively.
- Practise a bit of light stretching or yoga
Sitting in front of screens the whole day takes a toll on your body. Light stretching and yoga in the evening not only relieves you of stress, but it also activates your parasympathetic system – which calms down your body and makes it easier to wind down.

Having an evening routine is equally as important as having a morning routine. It’s an extremely important string of habits to have – it makes your evening much more productive and relaxing. Here’s to hoping for the creation of several more evening routines!

Also read this article on 5 ways to relax when you are stressed

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Mindset

Getting Clear

Gravity Problems

Start Now

There is No One ‘Best’ Version of Yourself

Don’t Leap. Jump with a Parachute.

And why its important