<ol><li>Respect for the elders</li><li>Topping the Number of Festivals</li><li>To Value and Save Money</li><li> The Joy of Eating with Hands</li><li>Spirituality & God</li><li>Atithi Devo Bhava</li><li>Adapting Abilities</li></ol>

7 Things To Learn From India!!🇮🇳

Talking about deep rooted traditions in India, the culture of joint families still persists in the society here. Even with strong western influence on Indian lifestyle in today’s time, there are few age old traditions that still survives. Respecting elders (in the family or outside) goes to such an extent that most of the major decisions are executed only after thorough discussion and permission from the eldest member of the family, till date

1) Respect for the elders

All thanks to the huge number of festivals which gives a huge number of holidays. Only Indians know about the most random festivals throughout the country and whether they believe it or not, celebrate them with great enthusiasm. Also, have you seen the bliss of having a holiday fall on the weekend? Scenes sorted!!

2) Topping the Number of Festivals 

Saving comes to Indians naturally. No matter how much we already have, we still like to save some bucks every now and then because obviously who knows about the future. The other skill involved in this is bargaining. We Indians are pro at bargaining and can do anytime anywhere and with any item

3) To Value and Save Money

We Indians generally take pleasure in trying majorly all the dishes with our hands. The people of India even like to cherish eating while sitting down, on the floor and in metal dishes/banana leaves instead of porcelain.

4) The Joy of Eating with Hands

The land of India is totally different. Here, God and spirituality play a very important role in almost everything. The world's four major religions; Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism are originated in India only. Our rich philosophical heritage is definitely something the world should learn.

5) Spirituality & God

The golden rule India follows is, “Atithi Devo Bhava,” which translates into, “The guest is God.” Hospitality in India is something unquestionable. Be a guest to someone in India and you will see how seriously these words are taken.

6) Atithi Devo Bhava

India is a diverse land.Be it, the culture, religion, languages or the climate and every Indian is adaptable to all these new changes and unfamiliar situations just like a proSundar Pichai - CEO, Google Satya Nadella - CEO, MicrosoftParag Agrawal - CEO, TwitterArvind Krishna - CEO, IBM GroupEtc. Etc.If you liked this topic. Please like this post and Do visit INDIA once in your life!!🇮🇳

7) Adapting Abilities

#India #Knowledge #Culture #Religion #Countries #Respect #Guest 

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

communication

Communication

Amazing things to learn from india

If we procrastinate over a long period of time, we can become demotivated and disillusioned with our work, which can lead to depression and even job loss, in extreme cases.

Cons

<ul><li>﻿95% ﻿of all people procrastinate. </li><li>We all have to deal with it to some degree </li></ul>

You are not alone

Procrastination is an active process – you choose to do something else instead of the task that you know you should be doing. In contrast, laziness suggests apathy, inactivity and an unwillingness to act.

You are NOT lazy

You need to understand the reasons why you are procrastinating before you can begin to tackle it. Motivation is a formula.

Derive the problem

Surprisingly, perfectionists  are often procrastinators. Often, they'd rather avoid doing a task that they don't feel they have the skills to do, than do it imperfectly. ﻿Allow the world to be imperfect. Some is better than none, always.

Perfectionists: allow yourself to be okay with imperfections 

<ul><li>Forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past. Studies show that self-forgiveness can help you to feel more positive about yourself and reduce the likelihood of procrastination in the future.</li><li>Commit to the task. Focus on doing, not avoiding . Write down the tasks that you need to complete, and specify a time for doing them. This will help you to proactively tackle your work.</li><li> You</li></ul>

Focus on the problem

Most of the time when people procrastinate because it's something they don't want to do themselves. Align yourself with the task and the end result and make sure that you want it

Make sure you want it

Procrastination can damage your potential, your career, and your mood. Use these strategies to overcome it and take back control of your day!

productivity

Productivity

timemanagement

Time Management

How Can I Stop Procrastinating?: Overcoming the Habit of Delaying Important Tasks

There are generally two kinds of people in your life: those that comfort you, and those that help you grow. You may get lucky and have a few friends that are both, but most people fall into one group or another.

Comfort and growth come from different people

“We find comfort among those who agree with us, and growth among those who don’t.”

First, it’s how people respond to bad decisions you make. Some will help comfort or justify the decision you made, while others will be a bit more straightforward about it. Many politicians and leaders have too many people on the comfort side that say “yes” too often, and not enough challengers to push them forward.

Bad Decisions

Second, it’s how people’s opinions help shape you. I’ve talked before about <a href="https://www.mickmel.com/seeing-both-sides-of-the-aisle/">some of my friends that are able to see both sides of the aisle politically</a>, and the advantages that this brings. I try to be very intentional about listening to my friends with whom I disagree about something, as that’s the best place to find growth.

Shaped By Opinions

It can be a tough thing to balance, particularly from the growth mindset. If someone makes a bad decision, piling on with “advice” isn’t likely to do much good, but neither is justifying the mistake that was made. Understanding and unpacking why the decision was made is likely to be more helpful to everyone involved.

There are generally two kinds of people in your life: those that comfort you, and those that help you grow. You may get lucky and have a few friends that are both, but most people fall into one group or another. Frank A. Clark put it this way: "We find…

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

problemsolving

Problem Solving

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

<ol><li>Be confident. </li><li>Match their reasoning - If they are emotional appeal to their emotions, if they are logical, give them logic</li><li>Make it seem beneficial and use repetition</li><li>Choose your words carefully</li><li>Use flattery</li><li>Decide when to talk slow and fast</li><li>Nod in front of someone you want to convince, they will also end up nodding, hence agreeing with you</li><li>Mirroring the body language of the person</li><li>Foot in the door technique </li><li>Door in the Face technique</li></ol>

10 Psychological Tips To Convince Anyone

Talk fast when your audience is tough to please, it will make it harder for them to find your flaws and actually listen to you. Talk slow when your audience likes you and give them time to accept what you are saying.

Decide when to talk slow and fast

Persuade someone with a smaller request or favor first and then ask for the bigger favor, they will agree to the second request as they agreed to the first one and are obliged to agree to the second one.

Foot In The Door Technique

This is the opposite of the Foot in the Door Technique. Start with a bigger unreasonable request first which will not be accepted and then come down to a smaller and more reasonable request . The person whom you are trying to convince will automatically comply because you have scaled down your request from being too unreasonable to acceptable.

Door In The Face Technique

It's important to have Convincing ability for any field. If you have the power to convince others, you will be accepted and heard more. These tips will help you build your persuasion skills! 

Confidence is easy to fake and hard to distinguish.

teamwork

Teamwork

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

6 ways to persuade anyone of anything

Your actions define who you are. Our habits are a reflection of our identity. The more we repeat a behavior, the more we reinforce the identity associated with that behavior.For example: if you make your bed every day, you are reinforcing the identity of someone who is organized and tidy. If you exercise regularly, you are reinforcing the identity of someone who is fit and healthy.James Clear argues that the best way to change our identity is to focus on changing our habits. By starting with small, easy habits, we can gradually build up a new identity that is more aligned with our goals.

Habits Shape Your Identity

Habits exist in order to help us do repetitive things automatically.PROBLEM PHASE:1 - Cue: the cue triggers the brain to a certain behavior, like you walk into dark room.2 - Craving: this is the motivation behind the habit, like you want to be able to seeSOLUTION PHASE:3 - Response: this is the action to perform, like you flip the light switch.4 - Reward: it has two purposes - to satisfy us and to teach us, like you satisfy your craving to see.

The 4 Steps of Habit Change

“If you can get 1 % better each day you will end up 37 times better by the time you’re done. If you get worst 1% every single day end up reaching nearly 0"

Good Habits have certain characteristics: <ul><li>Obvious: Put your gym bag by the door so you see it first thing in the morning.</li><li>Attractive: Listen to your favorite music while you work out.</li><li>Easy: Start your day with a 10-minute walk.</li><li>Satisfying: Write down your progress in a habit tracker.</li></ul>Bad Habits can be broken down by making them:<ul><li>Invisible: Hide your cigarettes so you don't see them every time.</li><li>Unattractive: Think about how bad your breath smells after you smoking.</li><li>Difficult: Set a goal to work for 25 minutes, even if you don't feel like it.</li><li>Unsatisfying: Remember how bad slacking off feels.</li></ul>

Good & Bad Habits

“A habit needs to be enjoyable for it to last.”What is instantly rewarded is done again. what instantly punished is ditched.To get a habit to stick You need to feel instantly successful, even if in a small way.

It's easy to get discouraged when you're trying to change your habits, especially if you don't see results immediately. But if you keep taking small steps forward, even if they're not huge, you'll eventually reach your goals.For example: if you're trying to lose weight, you might be tempted to skip a workout or eat a unhealthy meal. But if you do that, you'll be setting yourself back. It's better to make small, healthy choices that will help you reach your goals in the long run.

Walk Slowly, But Never Backward

If you can do an action in two minutes or less, tackle it at the moment — and don’t delay. The rule was created by David Allen in Getting Things Done & James Clear recommends it for habit building as well: When you start a new habit it should take less than two minutes to do.Any habit can be scaled down into a 2-minute version:<ul><li>Read before bed each night becomes read one page;</li><li>30 minutes of exercise becomes take out my yoga mat;</li><li>Fold the laundry becomes fold one pair of socks;</li></ul>

The 2-Minute Rule

We will instinctively choose the path that requires least amount of work. This is a universal law that has huge implications in habit formation: <ul><li>Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.</li><li>Reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. When friction is low, habits are easy.</li><li>Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. When friction is high, habits are difficult.</li></ul>

The Law Of Least Effort

Bad habits are not easy to break, especially if you find them satisfying. But it is possible. Read here how.

health

Health

How To Break Bad Habits

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 3 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: • make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy); • overcome a lack of motivation and willpower; • design your environment to make success easier; • get back on track when you fall off course; ...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

habits

Habits

books

Books

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 10 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: <ul><li>make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);</li></ul><ul><li>overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;</li></ul><ul><li>design your environment to make success easier;</li></ul><ul><li>get back on track when you fall off course;</li></ul>...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

James Clear is the author of "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" He writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement at jamesclear.com. His website receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.His work has appeared in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Learn more at jamesclear.com

James Clear

Atomic Habits

"When one person is in control of another, love cannot grow deeply and fully, as there is no freedom.”

Boundaries are just like a 'property line in one's life'. Just like in real life you have a property and the property line. Whatever is inside the property line is your responsibility and you have control over those. If anything bad happens there then you will feel sorrow for that. Boundaries are imaginary lines which mean these are not physical border. So you can decide what to come inside and what to throw out.

What is Boundaries

“Anger is frustration at the fact that we are not God, and do not have control over reality.”

<ol><li>Say 'NO' to bad</li><li>Avoid saying 'NO' to good.</li><li>Respect other's boundaries (when they say 'NO')</li></ol>

Creating Boundaries

"The most basic boundary-setting word is “no.” It lets others know that we exist apart from them and that we are in control of ourselves.”

<ol><li>The Law of Sowing and Reaping</li><li>The Law of Responsibility</li><li>The Law of Power</li><li>The Law of Respect</li><li>The Law of Motivation</li><li>The Law of Evaluation</li><li>The Law of Proactivity</li><li>The Law of Envy</li><li>The Law of Activity</li><li>The Law of Exposure</li></ol>

10 Laws of Boundaries

“You reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit” Sometimes, however, people don’t reap what they sow, because someone else steps in and reaps the consequences for them. If every time you overspent, your mother sent you money to cover check overdrafts or high credit-card balances, you wouldn’t reap the consequences of your spendthrift ways.You just need to stop interrupting the law of sowing and reaping in someone’s life.

#1: The Law of Sowing and Reaping

Many times when people hear a talk on boundaries and taking responsibility for their own lives, they say, “That’s so self-centered. We should love one another and deny ourselves.” Or, they actually become selfish and self-centered. Or, they feel “guilty” when they do someone a favor. The Law of Responsibility includes loving others.“Love each other as I have loved you”

#2: The Law of Responsibility

<ol><li>Confession: You have the power to agree with the truth about your problems. </li><li>You have the power to submit your inability to God. </li><li>You have the power to search and ask God and others to reveal more and more about what is within your boundaries.</li><li>Repentance: You have the power to turn from the evil that you find within you. </li><li>You have the power to humble yourself and ask God and others to help you with your developmental injuries and leftover childhood needs.</li><li>You have the power to seek out those that you have injured and make amends.</li></ol>

#3: The Law of Power

“True intimacy is only build around the freedom to disagree.”

We fear that others will not respect our boundaries. We focus on others and lose clarity about ourselves.If we love and respect people who tell us no, they will love and respect our no. Freedom begets freedom.

#4: The Law of Respect

These false motives and others keep us from setting boundaries: <ol><li>Fear of loss of love, or abandonment. </li><li>Fear of others’ anger.</li><li>Fear of loneliness. </li><li>Fear of losing the “good me” inside.</li><li>Guilt</li><li>Payback.</li><li>Approval</li><li> Overidentification with the other’s loss.</li></ol>Freedom first, service second. If you serve to get free of your fear, you are doomed to failure. Let God work on the fears, resolve them, and create some healthy boundaries to guard the freedom you were called to.

#5: The Law of Motivation

You need to evaluate the effects of setting boundaries and be responsible to the other person, but that does not mean you should avoid setting boundaries because someone responds with hurt or anger.We need to evaluate the pain our confrontation causes other people. We need to see how this hurt is helpful to others and sometimes the best thing that we can do for them and the relationship. We need to evaluate the pain in a positive light.

#6: The Law of Evaluation

“Things can hurt and not harm us. In fact they can even be good for us. And things that feel good can be very harmful to us.”

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."Do not try to get to freedom without owning your reactive period and feelings. You do not need to act this out, but you do need to express the feelings. You need to practice and gain assertiveness. You need to get far enough away from abusive people to be able to fence your property against further invasion. And then you need to own the treasures you find in your soul.

#7: The Law of Proactivity

Your envy should always be a sign to you that you are lacking something. At that moment, you should ask God to help you understand what you resent, why you do not have whatever you are envying, and whether you truly desire it. Ask him to show you what you need to do to get there, or to give up the desire.

#8: The Law of Envy

When a baby bird is ready to hatch, if you break the egg for the bird, it will die. The bird must peck its own way out of the egg into the world. This aggressive “workout” strengthens the bird, allowing it to function in the outside world. Robbed of this responsibility, it will die.We must not shrink back passively. Our boundaries can only be created by our being active and aggressive, by our knocking, seeking, and asking

#9: The Law of Activity

A boundary is a property line. It defines where you begin and end. We have been discussing why you need such a line. One reason stands above all the others: You do not exist in a vacuum. You exist in relation to God and others. Your boundaries define you in relation to others.The Law of Exposure says that your boundaries need to be made visible to others and communicated to them in a relationship.﻿

#10: The Law of Exposure

This book will tell about how to set boundaries to our mental world.

Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: - Can I set limits and still be a loving person? - What are legitimate boundaries? - What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? - How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? - Aren't boundaries selfish? - Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

Dr. Cloud has written or co-written twenty-five books, including the two million-seller Boundaries. His most recent books are Boundaries for Leaders and Necessary Endings. He has earned three Gold Medallion awards, and was awarded the distinguished Retailers Choice award for God Will Make A Way.As president of Cloud-Townsend Resources, Dr. Cloud has produced and conducted hundreds of public seminars around the country. He speaks on relationships—marriage, parenting, dating, personal growth, and spirituality. His seminars are often broadcast live to over two thousand venues at a time.

Henry Cloud

John Townsend is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. John Townsend has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. John Townsend's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

John Townsend

Boundaries

Did you know that guilt can affect your health? Negative emotions and thoughts will elevate your adrenaline and cortisol. These are stress hormones that cause our bodies to respond when we encounter threats. But when high levels of these hormones last too long, we get high blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat and inflammation. Don’t do this to yourself! <ul><li>If you’re struggling with this issue , particularly relating to writing, here are 13 ways on how to deal with guilt: </li></ul>

Guilt

<ul><li>And base them on analysis rather than hope or guesswork.</li><li>Setting unrealistic — or unexamined — goals is a huge barrier to success.</li><li>Make your goals small and then hit them out of the park.</li></ul>

1)Make sure your writing goals are reasonable. 

<ul><li>Writing is time-consuming and make sure you allow yourself a reasonable amount of time to get the job done.Instead, as the old expression goes, “under promise and over deliver.”</li><li>Track how long it takes you to write and build in plenty of extra time for researching (first) and editing (later.) </li></ul>

<ul><li>Striving for perfection is totally unrealistic. And, most important, mistakes help us learn. You will learn far more from every screw-up than you will from any laudatory achievement</li><li>Allow yourself to see how a mistake that made you feel guilty has helped you become a better, more skillful writer. Remind yourself that today is a great day to make mistakes. </li></ul>

3)Appreciate the mistakes you make

<ul><li>These people will always find more than one way to make you feel guilty. </li><li>If this person is your boss, seriously think about looking for another job. The market currently favours job seekers over employers.</li></ul>

4)Avoid people who blame, shame and judge. 

<ul><li>You are you. This makes you different from everyone else around you. Decide how much time you’re able to spend researching, writing or editing and start smaller than that. Yes, smaller.</li><li>Even a five-minute-a-day writing habit is infinitely superior to a no-writing-per-day habit. (And five minutes a day is also superior to 35 minutes once a week, even though the volume of time is exactly the same.)</li></ul>

5)Don’t accept the standards and expectations of other people

<ul><li>If you think guilt is stopping you from writing, consider whether the real problem might be fear. Or impatience. Or anger</li><li>Deal with the real problem and the guilt should dissolve.</li></ul>

6)Look for the emotions beneath the guilt. 

<ul><li>If you’ve made a mistake, then apologize for it and figure out how to avoid repeating the problem in the future. Everyone makes mistakes. We’re all human beings.</li></ul>

7)Stop magnifying your guilt. 

<ul><li>We’re all different and we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Looking at what another person can accomplish will not help you in the least</li><li>Break the bad habit of comparing yourself to others and, instead, focus on competing against the old you</li><li>Did you used to be able to write a 500-word article in 60 minutes? Try to do it in 45. Or 30. That’s the only type of comparison that’s going to be meaningful and useful to you.</li></ul>

8)Stop comparing yourself to others

<ul><li> If you feel guilty about your lack of productivity, you’re not going to be productive at all — you’re far more likely just to be busy.</li><li>Productivity means doing what you really need to do to reach your goals</li></ul>

9)Understand the difference between “busy-ness” and being truly 

<ul><li>I’ve always loved the quote (that’s been attributed to a wide variety of writers): “I believe in inspiration and I see that it’s available at 9 am every day.</li><li>Set up the conditions under which creativity can thrive.</li></ul>

10)Understand that while you can’t force creativity, you need to

<ul><li>Most guilt simply makes us feel bad about ourselves. Instead, figure out how to build a sustainable writing process, so that you can do what you say you’re going to do. </li></ul>

11) Make changes, instead of wallowing in guilt

<ul><li>Of course, you’re responsible for your actions but they don’t make you a bad person. Or a bad writer. In fact, the belief that you’re bad is precisely what contributes to your “bad” behavior.</li><li>Change and learning occur when you recognize you’ve made a mistake, and when you develop a strategy for correcting the problem. An attitude of self-compassion will help (while guilt will usually interfere.)</li></ul>

12)Stop calling yourself a bad person (or a bad writer). 

<ul><li>Torturing yourself won’t make you a better person. Learning will. You may resist examining what you did wrong but performing a thorough analysis of your mistakes is what will help you to stop repeating them.</li><li>Remind yourself: I don’t need to do good all the time to be a good person. </li></ul>You’re a smart, capable person. If you learn how to deal with guilt, you’ll become a much more effective writer.

13)Ask yourself, “what can I learn from this situation?” 

If you’ve never learned how to deal with guilt, make doing so one of your most important goals for 2022…...

writing

Reading & Writing

How to deal with guilt in 13 ways | Publication Coach

Finally, after years of thinking I was merely odd, I have a diagnosis: I'm a "precrastinator".We precrastinators don't put things off until the last minute (well, actually, in other moods, we do that, too, but never mind). Instead, we do things sooner than they really need to be done, even if it costs us more time and energy that way, simply for the feeling of having them over with. I sometimes worry that that'll be my epitaph: "He crossed a lot of items off his to-do list."

What Is A Precrastinator

In the experiment that inspired the term, US researchers gave participants the choice of carrying one of two heavy buckets to the end of an alleyway. One bucket was positioned closer to the finish line, but most people chose the other bucket – the one nearer to them – even though they had to carry it farther, which meant expending more effort. The reason, according to the study's authors, was that the task they'd been given weighed on their minds; they wanted rid of it. "By picking up the near bucket, they could check that task off their mental to-do lists more quickly than if they picked up

And yet those emails do need to be answered, living rooms do need tidying. The best solution I've discovered is to stick to a simple rule: don't clear the decks first, clear them second. If your job permits it, schedule a daily deck-clearing hour – but at 4.30pm, not 9am. Switch your weekends around so that chores get done last (but assign a specific time, otherwise they won't get done at all). And whenever you catch yourself thinking, "Let me just get these little things out of the way first", consider the possibility that you'd be better off not bothering. Some don't need doing at all, while

'The special danger of precrastination is that, unlike procrastination, it doesn't feel naughty,' says Oliver Burkeman

This column will change your life: precrastination

At the beginning of every year, everyone makes resolutions, but it all dies down by early March.  Resolutions have been proven to not work. One reason for this is that they are decided upon by looking at other people's expectations. Resolutions look good on the surface but they are built on what you think you should be doing instead of what you really want to do.

Derailed resolutions

Many resolutions fail because they are not the right ones. This happens because they're based on societal ideals, not yours. They're not specific enough and not supported by a measurable plan. To achieve success, your goals should be reachable and connected to what you value. Be honest with yourself about the reasons behind your desire for change. This will make it easier to commit for the long term.

Get clear on what you want most

After an especially tough year, it's natural to think restarting in the New Year will solve all our problems. This makes it more likely that we'll try to go all-in, causing us to sabotage our efforts. For example, wanting to eat perfectly healthy in the new year and training every day. A smarter approach is to plan ahead. For example, if you want to exercise more, commit to only three days.

Don't mislead yourself with your goal-setting

We enjoy the allure of wanting to excel at something new. However, change is hard, and feeling overconfident does not help. You may find yourself unprepared or ill-equipped to face the reality of the situation. Instead, try to be realistic. Acknowledge that delayed gratification is tough and push yourself when you're tired. Be okay with trying your best.

Don't aim for perfection

Resolutions don't really cause us to change our habits. Instead, it causes us to focus on a specific result rather than addressing the underlying thinking that leads to unhealthy habits. Before starting a new goal, take the time to reflect on the big picture. The changes you make should align with your values.

Do a perspective check

New mindsets to approach New Year's resolutions

Andrew Chen writes in his book, The Cold Start Problem: Using Network Effects to Scale Your Product, how companies like Google, Uber, Dropbox, and Tinder use network effects to break through the competition and reach viral growth.
Network effects describe how the value of a product or service depends on how many users engage with it. The more users engage, the more desirable it becomes.

How tech giants get so big

Many Silicon Valley startups have become so big because their products connect people. Products like Zoom, Dropbox, GitHub, even Microsoft Office are all different versions of this.
Network effects have been around for a long time. Theodore Veil, the chairman of aT&T, stated in 1905 that the phone is useless. Its only value lies in letting you connect with people. 
It means that you can build a product with all the right features, but if you don't build the network alongside it that lets people connect in the right way, if your coworker's don't use it, your product will not be successful.

The key is to connect people

If two companies both build a note-taking app for personal use, it is one product vs another. But if it's collaboration, whenever one company wins a user, they possibly win their whole sphere of influence as well.

Scaling a minimum viable community

Networks have different underlying structures. The growth of companies like Uber is bound by geography. They are very successful in San Francisco, but that does not help them to gain popularity in London. Companies like Airbnb have a global network effect. A B2B example would be Zoom vs Slack. Zoom is used across organizations, but Slack is within an organisation. Ask yourself what your network looks like. Then consider how many users you need to make the network valuable.

Understanding context

Design your network features thoughtfully. You need to understand what you think your network will look like first. Is it a local network? Or a network more like marketplace companies like eBay?  Decide on how many users you need before the network is valuable. Zoom might be useful with two or three people, Slack with five or ten people in a team. Something like Airbnb or Uber needs hundreds of network participants in a hyperlocal region to work.

Don’t copy-paste other people’s features into your products

Products powered by network effects often follow an S curve. When growth slows down, you will need to find a new product. The Cold Start Theory stages:<ol><li>The problem. How do you get a team to use your product and get excited?</li><li>The tipping point. To get momentum, figure out how to get one team excited about your product so that they spread it to others.</li><li>Escape velocity. Consider how to build your product to spread inside of a company automatically.</li><li>The ceiling. Growth eventually slows down, and you hit saturation.</li><li>The sustainable moat. When everyone has network effects, how will you compete?</li></ol>

Following the S curve

First, you have to figure out the new network product that drives the rest forward. Big companies can easily get millions of people to a product launch, even if it is a bad product. But they may discover that it won’t stick over time.  The solution is to get small groups of people excited about your product, then move from network to network.

Hitting the ceiling

How to get past the "cold start problem" of zero users and build the networks that make your product successful.

Software may be eating the world, but building and scaling products is still quite a challenge. So how do you get past the awkward “cold start problem” of zero users and build the networks that make your product thrive? Andrew Chen, partner at Andreessen Horowitz and author of The Cold Start Problem, joins Intercom Co-Founder and CSO Des Traynor to discuss.You can also listen to Andrew's previous outing on Inside Intercom here: https://www.intercom.com/blog/podcasts/andrew-chen-on-growth/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How tech’s giants drive growth with network effects

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