Life

There are 17 posts tagged Life (this is page 4 of 4).

The Best and Worst Case Score Tactic

The Best and the Worst Case

The Best and the Worst Case

This is a tactic which I use whenever I have to make a choice, take a tough decision or to do anything which gets me thinking. I call it the “Best and Worst Case Score” tactic. I have been using this tactic for quite some time now and it has made many of my decisions an easy choice which otherwise would have looked daunting. I have used it to handle choices/decisions ranging from professional life to family / friends related issues to just day to day small choices. Normally we tend to regard situations as more important and serious than they actually are. Using this technique has helped me differentiate between the seemingly important decisions and the really important ones.

The Tactic
When faced with any situation where you have to make a decision or choice and you are confused or stuck somewhere –
  1. On a scale of 10, give a rating assuming the best case scenario that can happen if you go ahead with the decision. The scale of 10 reflects what impact will the decision make in your life considering your long-term ambitions, values, etc
  2. Similarly, rate out of 10 the worst case scenario that can happen if things headed in the wrong direction.
  3. Now compare the scores, and you will know the answer to your confusion

Let me illustrate this with an example. I was thinking of buying a bike since I came to Bangalore. The only bike I wanted to buy was a Bullet, which are very expensive ones. And I had doubts regarding whether I would be able to handle it because of my build. People always advised me to look for a lighter bike which would be more suitable for me. But I only wanted this bike! The dilemma  (or what I thought) was that the bike cost upwards of Rs 1 Lakh and all that money would go down the drain if I am unable to manage the bike. I kept on deferring this decision for around 10 months due to the uncertainty, doubts, and all the confusion.

Then finally, I decided to use the “Best and Worst Case Score” tactic. What could be the best case scenario that could happen after buying the bike? The best case was that I would be able to easily handle the bike. I would go on long rides and travel to different places, and can have the experience of a lifetime. I rated this as a 8/10. Then I looked at the worst case scenario. I might not be able to handle the bike due to its weight, and it would be a waste of money. In that case, lets say after 1 year of unsuccessfully trying to ride the bike, if I have to sell it off, it will easily sell for some 80k as Bullets have a good resale value. So the loss, even in the worst case, will be around Rs 20k. I would rate it as a 2/10 on the worst things that can happen to me.

After evaluating the choices, I think it is very clear what I decided. I did not want to miss a possible 8/10 best case experience due to the fear of a 2/10 worst case scenario. The problem was that I was overestimating the fears in the worst case scenario. And this is very typical human behavior, whenever we seek something new, we tend to over-calculate the negative sides and play it safe. But I made the right choice and have some memorable experiences in the 10 months that I have owned the bike so far.

One can use this tactic for big decisions like changing a job or starting a regular exercise regimen, to small choices like whether to call a friend on his/her birthday, or whether to go home early to spend some time with your family. Sometimes it is amazing how clearly and objectively this tactics presents the picture in front of you. If you use this tactic, sometimes you will think that why the hell were you deferring this decision when the benefits are huge and risks/losses are minimum.

White Space in our lives – Need and Importance

White Space is a commonly used term in the industry I work in, the Internet industry. White Space is the space that is left between text and images on a web page. It is often said that the more white space you have, the more prominent your text becomes. For example, Google.com has a lot of white space while Naukri.com has a drought of it….

Looking at life and ourselves, I want to apply the “White Space” principle in our daily lives too. We live in a world where we strive to be busy. Workaholic people, who spend 12-15 hours at the workplace are celebrated like martyrs in our society. Being busy has become a parameter for measuring success. We have filled up our lives with friends, work, projects, dreams, aspirations, and so on. When we pack our calendar from 8AM to 6PM, more often than not we will find no time for lunch, or re-group your desk, or reply to a mail from an old friend…

Applying the “White Space” principle to our lives, we need to realise the two kinds of white space that we find in our lives. One is which we don’t choose. Like time spent when traveling to work, waiting outside the client’s office for a meeting or waiting for your turn in a queue. We get this white space daily in our lives and more often than not we don’t make use of it and just let it go by. The other kind of “White Space” is what we decide to put into our lives. Taking some time off for ourselves just after getting up from bed, taking a few planning breaks in between, or a introspection break at the end of the day will not only help us relax and plan our lives better, it makes room for people and things that really matter.

Coming back to first kind of white space, I always try to make proper of whatever white space I get in my routine. If I am stuck in a traffic jam, I normally take out a book or article (which I always carry) and read some pages. It could be anything from business to jokes. If waiting for somebody for a meeting, I sometime just sit back with my eyes closed for 5 minutes which believe me, can really help focus better afterward. We will always get these unexpected white spaces in our lives daily and rather than being frustrated and honking on the roads, we can take this time to relax and rejuvenate for the rest of the day. Make use of this break by turning it into an energy booster, not an energy drainer.

The second kind of white space comes when you keep a little more breathing time in your calendar. Giving our self even a few minutes of breathing time everyday can make a huge impact in our lives. Begin small. Take 10 minutes out for yourselves every morning. Try to visualize your day ahead and how you plan to go about it. What tasks you want to be over by the end of the day? Or just do some breathing exercises and prepare yourselves for the day. During the day, take time between meetings. Go for a walk, and connect with your body, your breath and nature. It might be difficult at first, but we need to let go of the feeling that everything needs to be done right now. This way of thinking is embedded in our society and is very unproductive.

The point is to slow down and reconnect with yourself. How many times have you been too busy with your day-to-day schedule that you don’t even have time to think what you are doing? Learn to say “NO” to unimportant things, don’t try to “fill” time by doing something, just sit back and relax for a while. Try sometime to put your head in your mother’s lap for 10 minutes and relax. It feels great. Now remember the last time you did this!! Ever since I started taking time out for myself, I am feeling more rejuvenated and fresh. My anxiety and resentment are gone, I know what is happening with my life, and I am able to contribute more to those really close friends and family, as they are the ones who really matter.