life

challenge

Don't listen to the specifics

your problem is uniquely yours. Because the solution has to work for you, and cannot be generalised. Dropping out of college is generally a bad idea, except when it is not.

discussion

Rocks, Pebbles, Sand 2.0

But its fundamental flaw is in fooling you that you can fit everything in. And in telling you that you should aim for that. You cannot. You should not. Fuck this hustle culture.

discussion

Choosing experiences

you could choose to have coffee in Blue Bottle in SF in the morning, go to your favourite dive bar in New York in the evening, and watch football in the Bernabeu - all from your home, and all in the course of your day.

dont quit

Solving the maze

Do you remember trying to solve a maze? You start and then you come to a place that forks. You have a choice to make. You make a choice. More forks, more choices. You are deeper into the maze. And then, a dead-end!

challenge

Friendly fire

Your family and friends are not sabotaging you because they are secretly jealous. They are not in alignment with you. Because you are disrupting the homeostasis of how things are going - of the party, of an evening out, of regular family life.

life

Traditions and Celebrations and Deepavali

As I think about uncomfortable things (finally!), it comes down to what helps me sleep at night. As self-centred as that might seem, that's what it is. What are my values? What is my stance? On what all?

coaching

Your fitness journey as a mass movie

It does require a hero's journey to make it here. You have to conquer your demons. You have to solve your problems and solve them well. You just cannot keep running away from them and hope it will go away. And so, when you step up, you find that you can beat it.

daily9

My eating is out of control

Know that the real issue is not your food. But something else in your life where you have relinquished control. But need to take control back.

mindset

What makes you tick?

The more perspectives, the more stories, the more we can grow our worldview. But more is not the answer. The idea, I think, is to see which strikes a chord deep within us. And to make our own weird concoction out of all that we see, and by listening to us deeply.

discussion

break the rules

"You cannot have ice cream for breakfast", for example. What kinda stupid rule is that?!?!

guilt

The villain and the hero

Most of the time, I am an ass to myself. The amount of criticism, the self-doubt, the analysis paralysis - sheesh, it is overwhelming. If a friend did that to me, I would stop being friends with that ass****.

activity

is sitting the new smoking?

When we frame the problem differently - not as sitting too much but (a) being inactive and (b) sitting for an extended period at a stretch - we can sort this problem out

coaching

the ever-expanding universe

You realise that some things were scarier in your head than in the real. But now, with more years under the belt, you see better. And when you were bored, you were just not challenged enough.

habits

learning to pause

Nothing good comes out of flying into a blind rage. A regrettable decision, a loss of mental peace, a few minutes/hours of agitation.

life

on crazy commutes and efficiency

To the couple that trains with me who also happen to be startup founders, the commute is when they get to de-stress and talk about their dayThe hour they train with me is the only part of their day that is solely about them.

coaching

meet The Hacker 3/4

After sort of getting the hang of a thing, he or she is willing to stay on the plateau indefinitely. He doesn't mind skipping stages essential to the development of mastery if he can just go out and hack around with fellow hackers

coaching

meet The Obsessive 2/4

The Obsessive starts out by making robust progress. His first spurt is just what he expected. But when he inevitably regresses and finds himself on a plateau, he simply wont accept it. He redoubles his effort. He pushes himself mercilessly.

discussion

on keeping score

If you could go back to school and tell yourself, would you seriously tell yourself to score MORE marks? Or to learn some skills that you did not know needed to be learned back then?

framework

the 8-fold path

I was reading my favourite philosopher, Bruce Lee, and he talks about Buddhism's eightfold path. Well, can we use that to think about our fitness and health? Absolutely!

dont quit

on being a bit angry

There's that clarity that comes from being pissed. Being angry at yourself and yelling/criticising is you acting. Instead, be productive with it. You'll immediately stop with the act. And move on to action.

Getting Started

on a rite of passage

In almost all cultures, we see a traditional ritual or a rite of passage where "boy becomes a man". Whether it is going on a hunt once you turn a certain age, or getting circumcised, or land diving, it signals a huge transitional moment in life.

framework

4 actions you can take to handle work stress

Are you a bit too stressed at work? The day is a blur and you are constantly working but work also never ends? Well, I was there and I have some ideas for you to look at.

coaching

on looking ripped and getting a 6-pack

What do you think is going to change? Why do you want to get into the shape that Instagram tells us is all around us, the shape that magazine cover models and celebrities look like? Join me on this discussion, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

challenge

on road rage

As an unnecessary stressor in my life, road rage has always featured. Having the occasional small-win here has shown me that it is possible to chip away at any problem. It requires awareness and it seems to require a process. There will be a failure and that's the way it is.

coaching

student story: having the clarity to reject a path

A student of mine got what they wanted - they got thin. And then realised that was not the goal they really wanted as it made them unhappier. The courage to reject it and find their own path, that's the story.