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· One min read
Gaurav Parashar

Observing weather and mood​

Temperature, humidity, wind, air quality, sunshine/radiation play a very important role in how I sleep, feel and focus during the day. Observing the extremes in daily life is easier:

  • Winters in Delhi NCR and Gurgaon lower the mood due to the smog and temperature
  • Hot wind (loo) and extreme heat in summers of Rajasthan increase the stress in my body
  • A super cold blast from air conditioners reduces my focus on work

Weather or Seasons by City​

Looking back, the weather of Bangalore throughout the year or Springtime in London has been the most satiating weather I have experienced. The reasons are:

  1. Mood is upbeat throughout the day
  2. Productivity per hour is high
  3. Deep work is easier due to higher focus

Ideal City Hopping for me​

  1. Spring in London
  2. Summer in Bangalore
  3. Fall in Gurgaon or Dubai
  4. Winter in Jaipur

Bluewaters Bay, Dubai 2019

Bluewaters Bay, Dubai 2019

A unique experience was meditating at Langkawi Sky Bridge - I could feel that the curved cable-stayed bridge vibrates/oscillates ever so slightly.

· 2 min read
Gaurav Parashar

While I wait​

I wait for many chunks of 15 minutes during the day, these slots are not sufficient to start a new task/work but sufficient to engage in superfillers. For example, I might wait during the day:

  • For household helps (cook/maid) to complete their task at hand.
  • A meeting or call to start in 20 minutes
  • A friend is late to meet at the coffee shop

Superfillers​

A superfiller is an activity or habit that has the following characteristics:

  1. 10 minute atomic Habit
  2. Asymmetric long term benefits due to daily compounding
  3. Aligned with personal goals

How I wait​

I have found a few things to be highly satisfying superfillers. In the last 1 year, the top of my list would be:

  • Reading a few pages of my current book on Kindle while I wait
  • 10 minute meditation while I wait
  • Walk in the office/society/hall while I wait
  • Return calls to friends or family while I wait

While I wait - Meditation at Langkawi Sky Bridge 2022

Meditation at Langkawi Sky Bridge 2022

A unique experience was meditating at Langkawi Sky Bridge - I could feel that the curved cable-stayed bridge vibrates/oscillates ever so slightly.

· One min read
Gaurav Parashar

Who cares about Handwriting?​

I have always had a below average handwriting. I did not write like doctors but the letters were ill shaped, flow zig zag and consistency missing. And indeed it did not obstruct work in any manner, but it definitely could be 10X'ed.

What to do about Handwriting?​

In 2022, I started a simple practice on pen & paper with the aim of improving my handwriting. It was a 5-min exercise of writing alphabets, patterns, and passages/poems.

Improve my Handwriting Practice 2022

While I do not see any measurable improvement in my handwriting yet. I do feel happy about reading some poems again. Poem in handwriting above - All the world's a stage

· One min read
Gaurav Parashar

Daily Content Stream​

It is estimated that we consume roughly 34 gb data and information a day and it has been increase exponentially. If we are not mindful, no wonder we forget stuff. Be it forgetting the airpods, that happened this morning for me or forgetting your friend's birthday. We need to consciously choose what we consume to improve daily life.

What content do I consume frequently?​

  1. Music via Spotify
  2. Netflix and YouTub on TV
  3. Reading via paperback or Kindle
  4. Push marketing like advertising in lift lobby, on internet

Saying No​

A few areas which I have struggled to completely streamline are:

  • Giving up on my TV, I successfully gave up the tablet in January 2023. I gave it to my mother.
  • Fine tuning Spotify to suggest music which drives me to a flow state

· One min read
Gaurav Parashar

Why think with writing?​

I have always found writing to a good extension of thinking. Throughout my childhood, I felt super charged when thinking along with writing on paper with a pen/pencil. The process of writing helps me to identify patterns and themes in our thinking that I might not have noticed otherwise, and can lead to new insights and perspectives on ourselves and the world around me.

Paper vs Screen​

I find writing on paper more wholesome than writing on a screen. A massive difference in my opinion is the Backspace Effect. Writing on screen can be edited later and at a meta level affects how I think. Writing on paper is deeper as you cannot be distracted from the internet.

Public Writing​

Public Writing definitely makes me feel a bit conscious. As a non-social-media individual, I find writing publicly a bit revealing. As they say, if it is meant to be it will be!

PS: Read a well written article on the same topic. It was trending on Hacker News. - Why write?