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I had this annoying habit of using fillers like ‘you know’, 'I mean', and 'right' while talking. But accidentally, I got rid of these fillers. And the way I did that is also how you can get better at anything. This is what happened: At the beginning of the pandemic, I...

The recipe for making a joyful year is simple: build good habits and cut down on toxic stuff. But here is the obstacle that may sink your plan – we often misunderstand habit-building. We think of habit building as a destination – build a habit once and it is there for...

The most powerful skill, which we also underrate the most, is 'connecting the dots.' Here is an example. In today's news, you might have seen this shameful brawl on a Thailand-India flight, where one guy is being assaulted in front of a whole crowd. We might just...

The biggest problem with WhatsApp is that it is neither synchronous nor asynchronous. In a synchronous communication system, e.g., phone, when the call is over, the matter is over -- you don't have to keep checking your phone. In an asynchronous system like email, if...

If you want to lose weight, become fit, or add some muscle mass, the internet has an unlimited menu of diet plans, nutritional supplements, and hacks. But why not look at what the world’s fittest people eat? Arguably, the US Navy SEALs go through one of the most...

I once was visiting the parents of a friend and batchmate in the Civil Services. Their drawing room shelf was overflowing with medals, cups, and trophies won by the kids in their school days. The trophies and cups had all yellowed and lost their shine – but not in the...

A friend of mine is super-wealthy. And he has created all his wealth in the last decade or so through smart investing. But when I met him recently, he seemed quite dissatisfied with his life. He said, “If I look at my last 5 years, what did I do? There is nothing I...

Worrying does NOT cause all anxiety. In fact, there are two types of anxiety and they have different solutions. One type of anxiety is caused by worrying (i.e., thinking negatively about the future). When our ‘thinking brain’ (especially, the prefrontal cortex) starts...

4-Hr work week -- is not real. It is a fantasy that sells. Please don't blame yourself for working 8 or more hrs every day. That is what real life is. You are doing nothing wrong. You are not a ‘corporate slave.’ You are not missing out on a fabulous life, living on...

In my first job with the police, one of my bosses would constantly find fault with me and haul me over coals for some mistake or the other. Almost every letter from him would warn me of disciplinary action. And very sadly, this fault-finding boss was a very upright...