Splash on Complexity

- That which you call 'Complex' only seems complicated.

- Every complex task eventually gets accomplished.

- Yesterday's complexities always seem lighter than those in the present.

- Today will clearly be tomorrow's yesterday or simpler still..... Tomorrow, Today will be 'Yesterday'

- Often man complicates life, like the previous sentence.

- It is good to acknowledge complexities, but never let them stress your mind.

- If it does not seem complex, you may not put in your best.

- If it is complicated, it is surely an interesting challenge to take up.

- What seems complex to you may have been as complex to your neighbour, just that you do not know what really happened.

- Mechanical and Construction Engineering drawings seem extremely complex to me.... as complex as my Computer science seems to them.

- The word 'Complex' stands meaningless, the minute you begin to understand it.

- When you accomplish a complex task, the sense of contentment you feel is immeasurable.

- All simple things have complex theory to understand; this is especially true of life and its bountiful presents.

- You can't escape sensing complexity; you surely can begin to accept it, work your way through it with resolve, and dream to accomplish it.

- Believe it completely when someone says 'It is Simple.'... that is the first step to accomplishment.

WFH - Work From Home

Working from Home has become very common in corporates these days. Workplaces are looking to reduce cost involved in space and power. More and more offices are making this option available to the employees whose physical presence is not really required to get the work done. These people who permanently work from home are called 'Remote Workers' although I do not like the term much. I often realize that when I work from home ( very rare days) I work much more than I do at office. So, there must be a better term as I don't want anyone to register 'Remote worker' as 'Remotely working..'.

I chanced to have a conversation with a colleague who works from her home office. Surely, this sounds better than a remote worker. We were discussing about the idea of working from home in general. Here are what I captured and later realized:

When you work from home, work is always at the back of your mind, even after you are done with the office hours. It takes a very good disciplining of your mind to totally cut out work when you are not in front of your computer.

Work from home option gives you some peace and quiet that is otherwise a problem in most work places.

When you work from home, you do much more than when you are in an office building. However, it depends on the number of meetings you role demands. I believe discussion meetings are effective when in office and you meet people in person. If you are talking about meetings with people in different geographies, then there is no difference. Its anyways a remote meeting.

When you work from home, and there is a power failure, and your power back-up doesn't last long, then your work commitments suffer. The same applies to the Internet connectivity. At an office building there is someone whose job is to make sure that power and Internet works fine.

When you work from home, it is very difficult to draw a thin line between work and home life explicitly. You still have to answer the door. Any letter/post that otherwise waits till the end of your work day, lands in your hands mid-day, to make or break the rest of your work day.. Say, its a snail mail from an investment company with 'not-so-good' news...

When you work from home, you get to take quick breaks that in some professions boost your energy levels. For instance, in my field, if you write for more than thirty minutes, trust me, you will need to take five to ten minutes break.

When you work from home, if you do not have proper infrastructure, chances are that you might end up in posture related issues - back pain, shoulder ache and such ergonomics related problems. Most workplaces today have econometric conditions including lighting.

If you are a people person and do not like a lonely workspace, then you are better off working from an office building.

If you are in Bangalore and are commuting two hours on the road, one way to work, then Working from home is the best option your company can give you.I see people working from an office wanting to work from home permanently, just for this reason.

If you have a baby that demands your attention and your work can wait till you attend to your child, then working from home for a few months is a boon.

There are a lot of advantages when you work from home as much as disadvantages. It is just that we need to know both sides when we opt to 'Work from Home'. People who are working out of a corporate office should not complain about having to work from an office much, because, 'Work from home', among its advantages that you would certainly like to have, also has some disadvantages that are probably too hard to handle.

There is no right and wrong here, its just that what works for you finally matters. I wrote this post for those people who think working from home permanently is a very attractive option to have.

Paani Puri lessons

This post is not about the Paani Puri recipe. For those who don't know Paani Puri is a North-Indian chat item. Please google for the recipe and if you are in India, hop over to the nearest chat corner and have one plate of Paani Puri..

We were a group of six friends looking for a nice coffee shop after a very interesting afternoon. We saw a Paani Puri vendor on the way and one of us in the group suggested that we all taste this vendor's Paani Puri. I love Paani Puri, but had stopped taking Paani Puris anywhere outside. The scene around the vendor's Bamboo stall interested me. I decided to just take the Paani Puri with the confidence that shone on the vendor's face.

He served at least 10 of us in one go.. The speed was unbelievable. Before you knew there was a Panni Puri in your hand... There were some people who wanted some specifics ( spice, sweet, plain etc.,) and the vendor grasped all the specifications and served us exactly the kind of Puris we wanted. There were people making payments, ordering more plain Puri chats, along with the ten of us eating non-stop.

The potato filling got over in between and you should have seen the speed at which he refilled and spiced up the mashed potato and no one really had to wait. The sincere effort with which the vendor was doing his job caught my eye. He took care and attention to fill up every Puri just the way he did the first one... and did not skip any step or spice just because there were too many to fill up, or just because it was crowded or just because it was a monotonous job for him. There was a smile on his face, an intelligent way of answering questions, and a smartness in the way he noted what each one of us wanted.. He knew when one person was done and knew when one other wanted more paani puri.

There was commitment, speed, sincerity, smartness in this business that can easily pass off for a professional business tactic. I said a big Thank You that brought a Smile on his face, a smile of satisfaction that conveyed the importance of appreciating a job that is well done. :)

Somewhere, this vendor makes me think, we all need to learn much more when we take up a task to do, whether at home or work...

Looking back at Hostel life....

Top reasons why a hostel life experience is very important:

To be able to make friends with most people...
To be able to say Good Bye to friends...
To be able to sleep undisturbed with the lights on, the whole night...
To be able to share a bar of a favorite chocolate with five others...
To be able to take a quick bath...
To be able to make a sandwich for a friend..
To be able to attend to an illness...
To be able to break a bad news...
To be able to rejoice at a peer success...
To be able to appreciate a letter, phone call, or email...
To be able to focus amidst heavy music and loud noise...
To be able to crib about things and adjust with them, nevertheless...
To be able to make someones day with a joke, gift, or an honest compliment...
To be able to keep your stance, when you know it works you, no matter what any one says...
To be able to know what does not work for you...
To be able to love your neighbour despite all imperfections...
To be able to understand the other person's priorities better than self...
To be able to give a hug, lend a hand, and spread some cheer when needed...
To be able to hail a support system and hold the fort when things seem to fall apart...

I realized this yesterday when I was talking to a friend who has not been in a hostel and has no clue how to handle too many 'outside interferences' in life. :-) It is difficult to put this thought across to some people: You are in a community and circle and there will be a 'give and take' that makes your life as interesting as it can get.

You can learn all of these even without staying in the hostel, but it will seem a lot harder and will take a lot of time to come to terms with the life around you. Those who have not had a chance to be in a college hostel, may be able to support my statement better. No one said, its all-pink time i college, but hostel does add a rosy touch to college life :) although back in college most people dont realize.

Hostel life for a short time ,with a lot of people around, is one good way to learn more about walking your way through the maze of life... For a completely beneficial hostel life, it has to be in college and not in school.

What all can you save?

I spoke to a friend just now. Here are my thoughts soon after the conversation:

1. We know of a Savings Bank account for money.
2. We know of a Blood Bank that saves blood.
3. We hear about saving interest rates on loans.
4. Credit card banking offers some savings on purchases using specific credit cards.
5. We try to take a definite road to save travel time.
6. We constantly try to think about saving fuel.
7. We hear advertisements stating: Save the Earth, Go Green.
8. We see emails with the signature line: Save paper and environment. Print this only if you must.
9. We think about saving electricity.
10. We talk about rain water harvest which means to save rain water.
11. We want to save our energy and so have a listening ear towards Yoga, Meditation and Health care.
12. Technology has its own contributions for us to save time, effort, and our physical energy : All electronic items, software and automation around speak for this.

The best of all and the often forgotten till December of every year is the leave balance account. Most of us save leave also. That was part of our topic of discussion and here are my thoughts:

Your company gives you leave to utilize it when you need. You do not have to save it like you save money, so you can en cash it or carry forward to the next year. However, if you have some event coming up in the near future and you are blessed enough to know it before, it is okay to save a few days for the next year.

If you are not ill, there is no point in taking sick leave, but if you are unwell and are unable to sit through the day, it is okay to mark a sick leave day and get out of office.

You have been working very late hours; You are putting in long and focused effort at work; And you know you really need a break after that one major release work, take a causal day off. Its very important for a rejuvenated you and a fat pay cheque, the next year.

Remember, some people and occasions are hard to miss. So don't trade off the fun and responsibilities that you cant afford to miss, just because you have a job to do. If your work priorities are manageable ( workable/doable) , take that fun day off to be with your friends and family. If they are not, work your way to get that job done fast, so you can still take time off.

Companies give you sick leave, casual leave and Paid/Annual leave.. Spend them as wise as you would use cash and time.... Wait a minute..... You might want to read about Time and Savings here. Save leave, spend leave and think of encashing your leave balance as the last option.

You are getting paid for what you are doing. If you think, you are not, then change jobs, improve skills, speak to your manager, or do something on those lines.... but never think about leave encashment....if it happens on its own, good for you.

The leave balance is 'Avail'able. Avail adequate leave each year with some discipline and redefine yourself at work, if you think you are not taking enough time off your work and if your family/friends/health is cribbing about you being workaholic.

So here's what all you do save if you spend your leave with some discipline : Relationships and Memories, Blood pressure and energy, and most importantly, Yourself.