Aruna Gobalan's Blog, page 18

Solving the Wrong Problem Is Unhelpful. Even If the Solution Is Brilliant.

“Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions” is a common refrain we hear from managers. One of the most sought-after skills in the workplace, or for that matter, life in general, is the ability to solve problems. Often though, we fall into the trap of coming up with brilliant solutions by solving the wrong problem. […]

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Diminishing Returns: Why That Sixth Slice of Pizza Does Not Taste As Good

The law of diminishing returns is the threshold at which productivity (or happiness) starts to plateau and may even reduce. It is related to what economists refer to as the point of marginal utility—where more input does not necessarily produce a corresponding increase in output. A lesson from historyThe Byzantine (Roman) empire was possibly Europe’s […]

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The Monkey Mind: Why It’s So Easy To Get So Worked Up

What separates us from our primate ancestors is our ability to think (hopefully intelligent thoughts.) But that comes at a price—we don't just think. We overthink, thanks to our monkey minds. Our thoughts are constantly shifting, swinging, vacillating, like monkeys from one branch to the next. Here's the 64,000-dollar question: Is the monkey mind a […]

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Precrastination: Why Rushing To Complete Tasks Early Can Be a Problem

It's easy for productivity gurus to judge the procrastinators (those who believe in never putting off till tomorrow what can be done even later.) But many of these efficiency experts are plagued by an affliction themselves—the problem of precrastination. Their tendency to finish tasks early can be equally dangerous, and dare I say, counter-productive. How […]

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Color Outside the Lines: Why It’s Okay to Break Some Rules

There are three categories of people in this world: rule followers, rule benders, and rule-breakers. I firmly belong to the first camp—the followers, the kind who would rather not color outside the lines. You draw lines; I’ll stay well within them. You tell me what is and isn’t acceptable, and I’ll do my best to […]

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Color Outside the Lines: Why Its Okay to Break the Rules Sometimes

There are three categories of people in this world: rule followers, rule benders, and rule-breakers. I firmly belong to the first camp—the followers, the kind who would rather not color outside the lines. You draw lines; I’ll stay well within them. You tell me what is and isn’t acceptable, and I’ll do my best to […]

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You Are What You Eat: In More Ways Than You Think

After religion and politics, food is probably the most contentious subject out there. The truth, though is, you are what you eat. Not just literally, but metaphorically too. We are influenced and molded by what we ingest and imbibe. What we watch, who we spend time hanging out with, the content we read —all add […]

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This Too Shall Pass: Maybe Like a Kidney Stone, But It Will

Trivia for the day: A memomagnetist is someone who collects fridge magnets. Of all the things you could collect, I suppose fridge magnets aren't that wacky because they can serve as constant reminders for essential life lessons. Especially lessons we need to remember but tend to forget. Such as this one: "This too shall pass." […]

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Everyone Needs Deadlines: Use Time as a Tool and Not as a Couch

The English dictionary has more words than can fit in this paragraph to describe what happens when we don't have deadlines. My favorites, off the top of my head, in no particular order, include the following: dillydallying, loafing, loitering, dawdling, wandering, squandering, and the catch-all term procrastinating. As an expert practitioner of all flavors of […]

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Never Too Late: To Learn, Play, Or To Do Just About Anything

Is it impossible to teach an old dog new tricks? I researched this question a little too literally. It led me to a quote from an actual dog trainer, an obedience training director at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA.) "Any dog can be trained. With some, you just have […]

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