Arif & Ali’s Blog

God is the ‘I’ of the Universe.
Ali mentioned this statement to me after hearing it in a seminar and is one of the more profound statements I’ve heard on God. God is the “I” of the universe. Wow. It’s had my head spinning for weeks since I’ve heard it. But to digest it completely, the context needs to be set. You have to realise who you are or more precisely, who you are not.

Who are you?
If you bumped into somebody who looks familiar at a coffee shop, you’re curiousity is just overtaking you and you’ve just got to ask him, “Buddy, you look really familiar, may I ask “Who are you?” ” How would he reply?

He would probably say, well my name is so and so, I currently work at this place and I have these people in my family etc. etc. Observe. The question asked was, “Who are you?” and the reply we usually give is, what my name is, this is where I work, this is who my family is. Dude, the question was on who YOU are. Sure we may be partially defined by our job, or who we are related with, but what if that changes? Tomorrow, what if you decide to change your name. You change your job (or business), and by getting a divorce (hypothetically speaking only) you can even change your family. But, have ‘you’ changed? You are still the same you. Aren’t you?

Who then, are you?

You are not your body.
I have heard Dr. Alidina, in one his speeches give a bit graphic yet effective example by standing in front of a crowd and saying, “Imagine my arm being chopped off. Now there are two distinct pieces of me. There’s me and there’s my arm, that would be lying on the ground. The arm would eventually disintegrate and dissolve into the earth. However the I in me has remained the same. Though I would be less by an arm, I still have the same thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions I did before losing my arm. If I were to lose each limb, the same way “I” in me would still not change. ‘I’ am not my body.
‘You’ are not your body.”

The fascinating this is that…
You have a body, but you are not your body.
You have a name, but you are not your name.
You have a job, but you are not your job.
You have a family, but you are not your family.
You have thoughts, but you are not your thoughts. (Because ‘You’ can change your thoughts)
You have feelings & opinions, but you are not your feelings & opinions.

I do hope you’ve got that. Because, recognising Who you are not, is the first step of knowing who you are.

God is the I of the universe ~ Alfred R Orage
Just like we are so much more than just our jobs, or relationships, or our bodies, next time you’re out of the office, have a Look around. The world is alive. It’s continuously pulsating with a force. It can’t be seen but it’s there. We feel it. Right from the trees, to the ground, from the birds to the mosquitoes. It’s alive. Moving. Towards a certain purpose. But does the world know that? When a flower creates pollen, does it know it’s creating sustenance for millions of bees? Does it even know that it’s creating pollen? Does the bee know that each time it’s feeding itself it’s from flower to flower it’s helping in crosspolinating the flower? Does the Lyre bird know it’s making the most complex mimicking of sounds? Even that of a camera, a car alarm and a Chainsaw!

Gosh, there are million such examples. Next time you see anything in nature performing a certain function, ask yourself, “Does it know that it’s doing that?” (Eg. Does the tree know that it’s taking in Carbon Dioxide to produce Oxygen to support us Humans?) The answer is probably not. Then who’s the I who’s directing all this to happen? Could it be the universe is merely the body of God? Could it be that God is the I of that body? The I of the universe?

[Quran: Chapter 2, Verse 255] His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not, and He is the Most High, the Great.

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Islam, Spirituality

I’ve recently upgraded to a Blackberry 8310 from a 8700. And when I did I sorely missed certain applications that I had installed in the earlier phone.

Concise Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus

I do most of my reading at home or at a cafe and I rarely am close to a dictionary then. But that’s when I need it the most. The Mobile Version of the Concise Oxford Dictionary has proved quite invaluable to me. It’s got a very good breadth of words and the quality of explanations is what you would expect from Oxford. Once you actually have this app you’ll be amazed the number of times you actually begin to use it. You see, you never really know when you are in a situation when you begin something to read & you come across a word you’ve not heard before. It could be when your reading the morning paper or flipping a magazine when waiting at the Dentist’s. Most of the time you can guess the meaning, but there are times you want to look it up. If there isn’t a dictionary around you, you just let it go. Having this application in your pocket never leaves you guessing what a particular word could mean. And that’s a learning opportunity one shouldn’t miss. Unfortunately like many Blackberry apps, it’s pricey. It retails at $40, but certainly worth it.

World Magic – World Time Software

Either when I have to call my aunt in UK or if I’m receiving a call from a client in New Jersey, this software saves me the mental workout of figuring what time (hence mood) would the person I’m speaking to be in. It has a very clean interface, which tells you the time of four different cities simultaneously. Not a bad app for $7.95.

Lygea Calculator

The default calculator installed in the Blackberries is quite lacking in usability and features. For eg Because of lack of the comma after the respective number of digits, I have often caught myself counting the number of digits on the calculator to see if the result is in tens of thousands or lakhs. And here enters Lygea Calulator that saves your head from needless number crunching. A very handy calculator, with a much more pleasing screen. It accepts 12 digits, (compared to 8 digits of the default Blackberry calculator), has the comma (number separator), great for working out interest calcluations and a host of other features.

Mobylo – MultiAlarm

Although the blackberry has a default Alarm Clock, I have found myself needing to set another alarm during the day quite often. Many times it’s early in the morning itself. For eg, once I’m up at 5:00 AM after I’ve finished my prayers I feel the need for another nap, but don’t want to be late for work, hence I need another alarm to wake me up at 7:00 Am. If I change the earlier alarm that I set from 5:00 to 7:00, I’m certain to forget to set it back at 5:00. Therefore, I use Mobylo – MultiAlarm. With Mobylo you can set five different Alarms, with different rules. So that, if I set a new Alarm I don’t have to lose the old one. Retailing at $29.99 is not exactly cheap, but you can download yourself a 30-day trial and see if you’re putting it to good use, in that period.

PocketDay

As David Allen from the GTD (Getting Things Done) World recommends I would just like to see my appointments and tasks for the day in one single screen. The default Blackberry Calendar Application does have the tasks and Appointments in one screen, when you select Agenda View. But the problem there is, each time I complete a task and I mark that task of as complete, it stays right there on the screen. It doesn’t hide the completed tasks nor does it distinguish betweeen completed and incomplete tasks.

Enters PocketDay. I love this app. When launched, Pocketday, would let you know your missed calls, emails, appointments, to-do’s, how’s your stock portfolio performing and if it’s gonna rain today or not, all in One single screen. I don’t need to know of all of the above, as long as, I get to see my appointments and tasks for the day in one single screen, Arif is a happy bunny. The downsides to this app are, it would make your blackberry slow. I use the Pocketday Personal edition, which is lighter hence faster than the Professional Edition, but still not upto par when it comes to speed.

QuranReader Pro

You can give it your best, but you can’t really be successful or effective without the Almighty’s help. And that’s were my last two apps come in. QuranReader Pro, is an excellent software for those of the likes of me. The Arabic font is displayed beautifully, and once you buy it for £14, you have the wide range of options of various translations by Pickthall, Yusuf Ali or (my favourite) M H Shakir. This application comes in most handy when attending a majlises or any religious seminar and the speaker gives reference to a particular verse. Since I’ve got this app, it doesn’t take too long for me to pull that out and see what context the verse was being referred to in. And also I’m currently trying to memorise the smaller chapters, having this in my pocket is good use of time when I’m waiting for someone.

PrayerTime Extra

Dad had a saying up on his wall which read,

“If you are too busy to pray, you are busier than God wants you to be.”

How beautifully put. Generally one does a fair idea when prayer time is, PrayerTime Extra helps to narrow it down to the exact minute. This application really proves its worth when travelling. All you need to do is select the city you are in and you get to know when to set your alarm for the morning prayers. Again with a very clean interface and also has alarms to alert you when it’s time to drop all your excuses and thank the Lord for His infinite blessings, though how little we deserve it. A Big Thank you to the wonderful brothers at GuidedWays Technologies for coding these last two essential applications. May Allah SWT reward you and your families immensely for your services.

Well there you have it, 7 applications that are a must-have for me. What about yourself? Is there anything here that you particularly fancy here? Or something better that you’ve come across? Do let me know. As always. Keep smiling :-)

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Blackberry, Islam

From all the email forwards I receive, I most look forward (pun not-intended) to the ones from Nahida Jumde co-founder of Jumde Arts Copy. Her email forwards are quite selective and it’s the really funny or thought-provoking that passes through her filter which then sends across. If interested, you can write to her by clicking here, she’d be pleased to add you to her mailing list.

Here’s a list of one-liners I received yesterday. You may have heard some of them, nonetheless you’ll still find gems in there. My personal favourites are highlighted in bold. Do let me know which you liked the most. Cheerio!

1. Regular naps prevents old age… especially if you take them while driving.
2. Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee.
3. Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband!
4. They said we should all pay our taxes with a smile. I tried- but they wanted cash.
5. A child’s greatest period of growth is the month after you’ve purchased new school uniforms.
6. Don’t feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.
7. Don’t marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot live without…but whatever you do, you’ll regret it later.
8. You can’t buy love… but you pay heavily for it.
9. True friends stab you in the front.
10. Forgiveness is giving up my right to hate you for hurting me.

11. Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.
12. Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.
13. My wife and I always compromise. I admit I’m wrong and she agrees with me.
14. Those who can’t laugh at themselves leave the job to others.
15. Ladies first…… Pretty ladies sooner.
16. It doesn’t matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss.
17. They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak.
18. Saving is the best thing…especially when your parents have done it for you.
19. Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.
20. Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books .

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General, Just for Fun

Quran: Chapter 57 (The Iron): Verse 23 So that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant at what He has given you; and Allah does not love any arrogant boaster.

It always bothered me. Why doesn’t God want us to be overly-happy? If happiness is a good thing, being overly happy would mean more of a good thing, wouldn’t it? Honestly, that’s all each and everyone of us is striving for anyway.
I can understand the first part of the verse. That we shouldn’t be overly obssessed in grief over something (even someone) that we’ve lost. That just leads to more stress, worry, anxiety and most of all it’s a plain waste of time. But if you’re overly happy leads to more endorphins, more adrenalin and a more positive, optimistic outlook on life.

Maybe Quran says that because:
Excessive happiness is like having a double-espersso, with piles of whipped cream drenched in hot-chocolate. It lead to an immediate all time high. But when the caffiene runs out, boy does the crash feel lousy. But I don’t think that’s the reason why God has advised against being ecstatic. Next time you’re going through a high, just observe yourself. One would think we become overly happy because circumstances around us have changed which now give us a higher quality of life, for eg winning a million dollars that would make you overly happy. However that has not been the case for me. Last couple of times when I was on a high, I realised, it was not because of circumstances but because of a super major achievement that I did. It was because I was so damn smart and intelligent, that my planning and strategy solved this major problem and it would not have happened if it weren’t for ME. It was the drunkenness of me, that was feeding my euphoria.

But how much of that is due to me really?
Even if I came up with a direction with which we should approach an issue, I did that because of the people, tools, circumstances that were around me. Even if it was some super ingenious solution that I had come up with, it was because of the training I received. And all of which (people, training, circumstances) I truly had no control over. If these were different, you can be sure my decision would be something else. Truly truly what do I have to be pleased about. If anything I should just be eternally grateful that this goodness that happened it was through me. It could very well be anybody else. Therefore gratefulness even if it’s excessive is a much more truer and apt expression.

Quran Chapter 3 (Family of Imran):Verse 145 and whoever desires the reward of this world, I shall give him of it, and whoever desires the reward of the hereafter I shall give him of it, and I will reward the grateful.

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Islam, Spirituality

Which school would be best for my son? Should we invest in that new business venture or use the funds to expand our existing business? Hmm…Should I marry the girl my parents are suggesting or elope with my high-school sweetheart?
When presented with such emotional dilemmas, how do you make the best possible choice. You have not gone through this scenario before. You don’t have complete information on the issue.

Using what you know, is there a way to make a choice so that you are dead-confident? So, then you just march forward on the decision you made, with not even a thought of glancing back. Well, you know what…there is such a way, I’ve been using it all the time. And it’s got a geeky name like, ‘the Natural Planning Model’.

What’s this Natural Planning Model thingy?
It’s the genius creation of David Allen of Getting Things Done (GTD) fame. It’s basically a set of questions that you ask yourself when confused about any matter. The key words here are ‘Any Matter’. The Natural Planning Model can be used for an everyday task like going to a restaraunt or even something as deep as what’s your purpose on this planet.  These questions are so apt and when asked in the right frame of mind they truly provide the solution you’re looking for.

And Here it is The Natural Planning Model:

1. PURPOSE:
- Why is this being done?
- This would be great, as long as…what?

2. WILD SUCCESS:
- What would it be like if it were totally successful?

- How would I know?
- What woould success look like for each of the parties with an interest?

3. BRAINSTORMING:
- What are all the things that occur to me about this? What is the current reality? What do I know? What do I not know? What ought I consider? What haven’t I considered? Etc.

4. ORGANIZING
- What needs to happen to make the whole thing happen?

5. NEXT ACTIONS
- What should be done next, and who will do it?

And here it is with an example:
I’ll run through a decision many of us may have struggled with i.e whether to buy a property or not? If we were to buy one, which one? And if we were to invest in one, which one to do so? There are so many choices available. What about the market which way is it headed? What about interest rates? blah blah blah.

What you’ve now got is a doozy of a decision to make and your stress levels have just begun to race Northwards. Let’s run through the Natural Planning model below and then let’s see where we stand.

1. PURPOSE:
- Why is this really being done?
Well there’s this really good offer that I saw in the newspaper today. I’ve not invested yet and it’ high-time I did so. Eventually I would need some home. Some friends are suggesting it. Would be great for my kids. Would need something eventually.

- This would be great, as long as…what?
The family is happy with the property. The builder has a decent reputation. Banks have approved the project. It’s close enough to the city/conveniences. I’d get a minimum 30% appreciation.

2. WILD SUCCESS:
- What would it be like if it were totally successful?
Me and my Family are really excited about the investment and are looking forward to it’s completion. Rates are increasing regularly. Don’t hear any disturbing news about the property.
- How would I know?
We feel like visiting the property often. I may get offers for me to sell it.

3. BRAINSTORMING:
- What are all the things that occur to me about this? What is the current reality? What do I
know? What do I not know? What ought I consider? What haven’t I considered? Etc.
Check legals, Bank rates, check online for opinions, ask around for advice on investing in property itself, ask about the builder and the project, ask elders for advice.

4. ORGANIZING
- What needs to happen to make the whole thing happen?
I’ll have to take some time out from my regular schedule to do have a look at the properties on offer.

5. NEXT ACTIONS
- What should be done next, and who will do it?
Well, my wife can call and take up appointments on weekends for the properties she shortlists. We can then keep ourselves free on weekends to have a look at it.

I hope you got to see that what started out as a complex issue, reeking with anxiety, within moments you are handed on a platter the next concrete actions that need to be taken.
The Two golden rules to make the natural planning model really work:
1. It doesn’t work by reading through the Natural Planning Model running the answers to the questions in your head. It ONLY works when you write those answers down. To quote David Allen,”I don’t care if you write it down on the back of your hand as long as you write it down.” That’s when you’ll see the magic happen.

2. It doesn’t work when you take a hypothetical situation to try it out. Take any matter that’s been bothering you. It’s got to be really bothering you. Not that it’s giving you sleepless nights, as long as you’ve been thinking about it. It could be something like which school to have your child enrolled to, or where to spend the year-end holidays, or whether to go to your inlaws or not. The simpler the matter the easier it is, the more complicated it may take longer, but you’ll arrive at a decision that’ll you’ll feel absolutely confident and excited towards.

A Final tip
I have found that Mindmapping is an even more effective way to use the Natural Planning Model with. But that’s a story for another post. For now have a look at the mindmap I prepared for the above example. I used the excellent mindmapping software Mind Manager for this. Click Here to open the enlarged mindmap in a new window.

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GTD, Personal Development

There’s spring cleaning happening at home, because of which once a while a a golden old memory in form a photograph await me, daddy and Ali when we return home from work. Have a look at the picture on the right. That was me 10 years ago, delivering a speech at a Toastmaster club (click here to see a complete picture). I was 76 Kgs+ in weight, with a 36 inch+ waist line and be it motu, fatso or fatty I’ve been labeled it all. The picture of the right is a much recent photo. Today I’m 67 Kgs, my 34 inch trouser falls off occasionally and now I get told again and again “Gosh Arif, you’ve lost so much weight.” and you know what…I can’t get enough of it ☺.

There’s magic in persistence. When the same mundane task of exercise, or learning or teaching is repeated over and over again, those are necessary ingredients of the potion of success being brewed by the gods in heaven.

Who’s a big shot? It’s just a little shot who keeps shooting. We’ve all heard of Edison’s tale of the 1453 times he failed to get the light-bulb to light up. Or you might have heard of Colonlel Sanders who offered his secret receipt to 343 restaraunts before it got accepted by one. Well, what’s your story? Do you have one? Which is the one boring, repetitive, traumatic task did you do over and over again till you were ready to puked; and then still did it once again. The moving of Tectonic Plates is slow. Really Slow. Painfully Slow. And so is the growth of tree, the development of a baby. But it’s truly before you even realise, time has gone by… and then you have a continent, a mighty oak, the smile of a beautiful child being returned to you.

Here are tools/tips/resources that have helped and are still helping me achieving many of my goals that involve same repetitive tasks. Each of this resource deserves a blog post of it’s own to do it justice. Some of them are so powerful that they’re would not just change your life but if implemented with the right goal they have the strength to change communities and generations for the better.

Power of Affirmations:
I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but just by repeating positive statements you actually do get to make HUGE habit changes in yourself. Yes it’s sound hokey-pokey silly, but blimey it’s effective. How do you make affirmations?

Step 1:
Well, just like an effective ad gets you for eg. picturing yourself driving that new car, in the same way, project a picture of yourself. Project a picture of youself after having made the habit change that you want and see how glorious it feels. Then write those feelings down. Eg.

- I feel Strong. I feel Mighty. Now that I am going to the Gym everyday in the morning.
- It feels wonderlful to be able to take full deep-breaths now that I my lungs are smoke and nicotine free.
- I’m the darn best salesman in the world. Just watch me make my next sale, baby. I rock!

Step 2:
Then keep it with you in a place, so that it is always with you or in the place where you are bound to read it everyday.

Step 3:
Attach reading of your affirmation to something that you do everyday without fail. For someone it would be their morning cup of chai, for others it would be waking up. Then just read through all your affirmations just once, picturing yourself in each affirmation. Do it day after day. That’s it.

Here’s the affirmation that got my teeth to sparkle more:
Wow, what a gleamingly clean feeling it is to have sparkly flossed teeth.

Since I’ve been repeating this, I’ve rarely missed a day of not having flossed my teeth for almost 6 months now.

Becoming a fitter me, having a fresher breath are just two of the many benefits I’ve experienced through affirmations. I was just as an unbeliever as you are now reading this. But try it out. Do it right now. Grab the closest pen and the closest piece of paper and right that affirmation that occurred to you when reading this and then stick that piece of paper in your wallet, so that it’s with you always. Go on, it’s alright to be a skeptic, as long as you are a healthy one. If it works good, great, super. If not, toss it out of the window and carry on with life. It requires no great length of time, no superman type effort, just a little discipline with tremendous results.

Ps. If you still don’t like making affirmations, make an affirmation that goes like, “I Love making affirmations and I love reading them every morning.” That’s the first one I made.

Tools to track your progress:
Once you’ve identified the activity that you need to do regularly, you would need a way to track how regular you are either to celebrate your progress or to get you motivated to buck-up if you’ve slipped. Here are 4 tools to help you stay on course. Any one of the below would be fine, see which fits your bill.

1. Online Web Solution:
In my opinoin this is the best tool I’ve come across to help keep track of habit changes. It’s a website that called Joe’s Goals. You can download a screencast here that explains how to use it. But it’s so gosh simple, just click here, open an account on the home page and start tracking your goals.

2. Offline Software to Track Tasks:
If you prefer an offline version to track your goals, and not in the mood to tinker around with Excel, then Sciral Consistency has a solution for you. Similar to Joes Goals, you put in your Goals in the left hand side coloumn and place a dot once you have done your deed for the day, everyday. That’s it. It has got some pretty good reviews too.

3. Tips on how to track Habits in Microsoft Outlook:
Michael has explained how he tracks his “Daily Disciplines” in this useful post. Quite handy for those who are on Microsoft-Outlook environments. Michael also explains how he automates the appearing of his “Daily Disciplines” into his Outlook tasks here. I use Microsoft Outlook to track habit changes and use the “Regenerate Task 1 day after completion”. That works for me well.
4. Paper based Solution
And if you would want nothing of this tech stuff, Productivity501.com have a prepared a sweet looking pdf that you can print and pin up on a softboard or slip below the glass sheet on your table-top. This pdf is available to those who subscribe to their RSS feed (which I have in my NetVibes account too), instructions on the best way to use this habit-tracker are available here. Here’s a small screen shot of the PDF:

Two really great books
The Dip. The War of Art. Enough said. Two of the best books (the best. No exaggeration) on overcoming your resistance and sticking to what you do & quiting what you don’t till you become the best.

These books are nothing short of being a hard kick where it’s deserve most (ie your backside) to drop all excuses and get down to business. For now I’m just giving a double-thumbs up recommendation for both. Looking forward to do a review of these in the coming weeks, stay tuned on this blog for it.

So, what is the one activity that you found too boring or painful to repeat yourself to do? Look back in your life. Was it exercise, learning a new art, some skill that you always admired in someone else, maybe it was to groom yourself to be able to speak well in public or maybe it was just to learn a language. Sure it’s boring, you bet it’s painful, but do realise that anything worthwhile achieving always is. Time flies. If you have been even half-motivated when reading this, don’t waste that boost. Get to making your affirmation immediately and make use of the first tool that your heart set upon. Good luck and see you tomorrow at the Gym.

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Arif & Ali, Personal Development, Productivity

 I often get asked from friends to help them troubleshoot their PC problems. It’s not a problem if they’re sitting in front, but more often than not they’re communicating from somewhere far and that’s when you wish there’s an application out there like Yuuguu!

Well here it is! Yuuguu is a free service allowing it’s users to share each others’ desktops. It means you can view/use your friend’s PC as if you were sitting right next to them. Imagine the uses:

1. Work remotely:
You’re at home and need to login to your Office PC. With Yuuguu you can remotely logon to your PC, and interact with colleagues as though they’re next to you.

2. Web Conferencing
I’d recommend using Yuuguu with skype. It’s a great combination to give anyone a presentation remotely and also speak to them live.

3. Troubleshoot PCs
IT Admins of small businesses can trouble shoot PCs in their offices which may be in their premises or somewhere else. All you need is an internet connection.

Any more uses of Yuuguu you can think of ?

Signing up is as simple as signing up for Yahoo Messenger or Gtalk. A user can control what level of permission and share your desktops with as many users as you want!

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Cool Products and Services, Interesting Websites, Web 2.0 & Ajax

Wouldn’t you like to have a system in your organisation so that:
- if a commitment is given (to submit a report or to complete any task within a given time) it’s achieved within that time?
- if anybody files a note, receipt or printed email it is retrieved within 30 seconds or less from the time you think about it?
- everybody is four times more productive than now but also with significantly less stress than they’re facing currently?
- all get to experience the other tons of benefits, mentioned at the bottom of this post?

Hey, but you are already there. Practicing GTD? Hell, no more practicing…you’re perfect. Papers filed, Project List is upto date, you’re constantly living in this blissful meditative state & experiencing mind-like-water. You’re the man. The GTD stud. But now you would like to get all those around you to experience the benefits of David Allen’s justifiably popular and successful Getting Things Done model. How would you get more people in your office to embrace this system?

Here are 10 points that will go a long way in implementing GTD at the work place:
(If you’re reached this far and don’t know what GTD is, you can to read my introductory post to GTD by clicking here. Or read this excellecent set of FAQs on GTD for beginners by, clicking here)

1. Set a high GTD standard for yourself.
Be super-passionate and set a high GTD Standard for yourself. Once you have done that and all those reporting to you and maintain that standard. Keep that standard measurable, so that you shall be able to know where you or your office stands as per that standard.

2. Set high commitments to the customers of your department or office :
To help you do that you can have a high level of commitment to outsiders of the organisation. Hence to maintain that commitment, your systems have to be really good to deliver that commitment.

3. Coach every opportunity that you get.
- In meetings, have an oh-oh signal that goes up in your head each time someone doesn’t write something down.
- When you undertake tasks assigned toyou, show the person you are with how you are capturing in your collection tool, to be put in your inbox, to be processed later.
- If somebody is passing by your desk, while you are doing a GTD activity, call them in and explain, how and why you are either, defining your work, clearing your inbox, project planning using the natural planning model etc.

4. Follow-up on everything
In GTD terms, to Follow-up means to put it in your Waiting For list. Some GTD-ers have only the important items on their “Waiting For” list. But when you follow-up on everything, sometimes even the mundane tasks that will 99% get completed the same day, the benefit is:
- An additional part of you psyche gets to relax and hence creating a greater “mind-like-water” feeling.
- When it’s everything that you’re following-up on, you don’t then need to ask yourself the question, “Oh do I need to put that in my Waiting For list or not?” Because it always goes on the list.
- Truly no task gets missed.

It goes a long way in coaching GTD, because when you follow-up on everything that one day you will be bound to be asked, “gosh, how do you keep up with everything.”

5. Formal Coaching Sessions on GTD
Begin a regular formal coaching session on GTD. You don’t need to call the expensive (but so worth it) trainers from David Allen Co. You can take the GTD coaching sessions yourself. Hey, if I can do it, anyone can. It seems time-consuming at first, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Getting those around you to read the book is not sufficient. Once the see the concepts in practice through you for you and then when you explain it in a training session, it’s then a no-brainer and a strong motivator to implement the GTD principles.

6. Use the below Syllabus for your Coaching sessions
So far we have had several sessions and in each session we have covered:
- Initial Concepts: Relaxation = productivity, Knowledge-work, Cranking Widgets
- The workflow chart to get ins to empty
- Effective filing system
- Doing a mindsweep with everybody
- Getting the email inbox to empty – We sat through and got one individuals entire inbox to empty.
- Weekly review – The process, hurdles, the do’s and dont’s, best practices.

7. Set targets such as during the coaching sessions
Each session can end with a target for all to acheive, which could be:
- Everyone is to practice capturing 100% of the items that come into their life for 1 week
- Everyone’s to get their ins to empty over the next week.
- Everyone’s to sit and identify all their projects in their life over the week.
- Everyone has to get the email inbox to empty.

8. Set up a GTD-buddy system
Pair up people in the organisation, so that one is to check-up on the other if he’s practicing what’s been coached the week before.

9. Perform one on one coaching
This is the single most effective and rewarding coaching exercise of GTD or anything else in the world. There’s no learning like On the Job Learning. People get-it immediately when they see GTD happening to their own stuff live. When they see their papers disappearing into folders in seconds and their Next Actions identified while being neatly categorised into lists, they become instant converts.

If you’re a GTD practitioner and have not sat with somebody and gently guiding them to get their ins to empty, or have their filing done, you’re missing on severe instant gratification.

10. Insitutionalise the weekly review.
Take commitments from everybody when they’ll do their weekly review and at regular weekly staff meetings, do a simple show of hands exercise if a weekly review was done or not. Once they start practicing weekly review, the benefits are so enormous it doesn’t take long to get addicted. And the weekly staff meeting checks will ensure that it sticks during those difficult weeks as well.

I’m having the time of my life, implementing GTD in Vakil Housing. We started with no intrays, no filing system, a culture of constant interruption. To all senior deparment heads now have their intrays in place, each their own respective general filing system and as of yesterday all emails ins were empty.

Well all this sounds like a lot of work Arif, man, is it really worth the effort?
Gosh, yeah it’s worth it! Before you know it, you will have a team that will:
- be completely clear, focussed and determined to achieve their life’s objectives and the organisation’s objectives.
- stop looking at work as work but being looking at as a game where it actually becomes fun
- become control of their work, rather the work being in control of them.
- whistle more often while having a constant smile on their face.
- work with the confidence that they’re doing what they’re dong because it’s the exact, most important, just the thing that they need to be doing to achieve their own as well as their organisation’s purpose.

Go ahead try it out and feel free to check with me for any inputs or feedback.

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GTD, Productivity, Vakil Housing

It’s that time of the year again at Vakil Housing, where everyone in the office is busy & excited about the launch of a new Project! This time we’ve got something very attractive to offer, and what’s even more exciting is that if you book a site before the launch you’ll get the advantage of booking it at the pre-launch price! Please read below fore more details about the project. If you’re interested to book a site, please call +9180-41193293 or email: info@vakilhousing.com

About Vakil Townscape:
Set in 25.79 acres, Vakil Townscape a BMRDA approved project is located in Bangalore’s quiet and green suburbia, Jigani. It will be a fully developed residential layout offering plots of 30×40, 30×50 and Odd size dimensions. It is close to the popular schools and offices, with Electronic City being just 12 Kms away.

Amenities include:
Club house – Swimming pool – Tennis court – Basketball court – Floral Parks and 24 hrs security.

Links:
Booking Form
Site Map

For Pre-Launch bookings call: +91-80-41193293

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Bangalore, Vakil Housing