Make a life
One day a colleague of mine came up to me and asked “What keeps you going, nonstop?” That was quite an extraordinary day and it seemed a very obvious question. There was a challenge in a production system that kept me up for 48 hours (no kidding, without sleep and truly at it). My client stood to lose millions of dollars if I couldn’t fix that. For two days my partner saw me at my desk motionless when he left really late at night and when he came back very early next morning. I didn’t have a very convincing answer that day; said something about motivation and being young.
A few years later I think I know what keeps me going and the things that help me keep going. This blog is for that partner who asked me the question a few years back and for others who ask me the same question even today.
Winston Churchill once said “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” My client paid for my daily bread. He wanted me to do something to stay in business. I had to give him that. I had to 'make my life'.
But what helps me keep going? Many things, but I wanted to list the top three
1. Take care of yourself
2. Travel
3. Keep learning
I pushed myself for 48 hours. I have repeated that feat many times, but learnt to put the breaks and save it for the day when it’s most needed. Take adequate rest (6-8 hours). Six is better than eight. You get a couple of hour head start. Talking about a head start, try to get up early. Keep yourself fit, both mentally (read something that enriches you, meditate) and physically (exercise). As Ben Franklin noted “Get up early, there'll be plenty of time to sleep when you are dead”. I think he was a pretty smart guy.
Eat something that nourishes your body. Eat a balanced diet. Learn to experiment with food. Try something new, try something that’ll keep you interested and nourish your body. If you like Indian food, then try French for a change. If you like French try Japanese and so on.
Avoid bad habits. Give up smoking. Don’t touch drugs. Do not do late nights. Don’t get hooked to the Net or the television. Get out, meet people and get a life. Take care of yourself – life is precious.
Travel as often as you can. This energizes your mind and broadens your perspective. You get to see different cultures and meet interesting people.
And most importantly keep learning. Do what ever it takes. Read, surf the net, learn from a Guru. Stay alive. Keep your mind alive. Learning is great fun; it helps you travel without having to move an inch. Let your mind travel, and feel the excitement.
A few years later I think I know what keeps me going and the things that help me keep going. This blog is for that partner who asked me the question a few years back and for others who ask me the same question even today.
Winston Churchill once said “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” My client paid for my daily bread. He wanted me to do something to stay in business. I had to give him that. I had to 'make my life'.
But what helps me keep going? Many things, but I wanted to list the top three
1. Take care of yourself
2. Travel
3. Keep learning
I pushed myself for 48 hours. I have repeated that feat many times, but learnt to put the breaks and save it for the day when it’s most needed. Take adequate rest (6-8 hours). Six is better than eight. You get a couple of hour head start. Talking about a head start, try to get up early. Keep yourself fit, both mentally (read something that enriches you, meditate) and physically (exercise). As Ben Franklin noted “Get up early, there'll be plenty of time to sleep when you are dead”. I think he was a pretty smart guy.
Eat something that nourishes your body. Eat a balanced diet. Learn to experiment with food. Try something new, try something that’ll keep you interested and nourish your body. If you like Indian food, then try French for a change. If you like French try Japanese and so on.
Avoid bad habits. Give up smoking. Don’t touch drugs. Do not do late nights. Don’t get hooked to the Net or the television. Get out, meet people and get a life. Take care of yourself – life is precious.
Travel as often as you can. This energizes your mind and broadens your perspective. You get to see different cultures and meet interesting people.
And most importantly keep learning. Do what ever it takes. Read, surf the net, learn from a Guru. Stay alive. Keep your mind alive. Learning is great fun; it helps you travel without having to move an inch. Let your mind travel, and feel the excitement.
posted by Anirban Ray at
11:47 PM
1 Comments:
I can still recover that day from my memory. It was about 3 A.M. and there were two workstations still active in the 4th floor. I asked for your advice to change one criteria of Hibernate. And I was trying to make sure that whether you will guide me at 3 A.M. But I was surprised that after 30 hours of continues design you were still looking fresh.
I was surprised that I have never seen a person with this kind of dedication to his work. I didn’t get any complain from you on a single day for the work pressure of projects. This dedication really motivated us.
You have proved that discipline and dedication can make a man perfect. Thanks Anirbanda, We have learned a lot of things from you and still learning.
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