Understanding Human Psychology

Are You Scanning the Boundaries of Your Work? I was reminded of something very simple the other day. Someone who works at my home was talking to me about something that came up, and she casually mentioned, "You know, if the house help doesn't come, there are now mobile apps and online services where you can call someone for even one or two household tasks, or for the whole day. There are different packages available." I stopped for a moment. She knew. She was aware of what was changing around her work. She knew what her alternatives and competition could look like. She knew that the way people get household help is changing and that there are new options available. And I thought — isn't that exactly what we mean by scanning the boundaries of our work? Whatever field we are in, there is a world around it that is constantly changing. New technology, new ways of working, new competitors, new expectations, new skills, new tools and sometimes completely new ways of doing t...

I often wonder who reads my blogs. I write because I genuinely love writing. I enjoy putting a thought together, reflecting on something I've experienced, or simply sharing an idea that has stayed with me. Yes, I post them on LinkedIn and sometimes on other social media platforms, but I have never really written with a very deliberate goal of making the blog popular or turning it into something commercial. So, naturally, I have wondered many times "does anyone actually read them?" And then, one day, at a family gathering, something happened. A very distant relative met me and, after the usual greetings, she suddenly said, "Hey Shazneen, I love your blogs! I follow them on one of the platforms you post on. I actually read them. They give me some great new topics to think about and some interesting insights." I was honestly flattered, because someone had praised my writing and that too someone I least expected was quietly reading something I had been putting out i...

  There is something interesting about growing older. When I was younger, I thought getting older meant losing something, youth, time, perhaps even a little bit of the excitement of life. Today, I look at it very differently. With every passing year, I seem to understand myself a little better. I have more experiences to look back on, more people to remember, more relationships to value, more lessons that were not taught in any classroom. And strangely, life seems to be getting more exciting, not less. Maybe it is because I am becoming more comfortable with who I am. As years add, I'm doing more exciting work professionally. Challenges keep the interest and curiosity burning. I don't feel the same need to explain every decision I make. I don't feel the same need for everyone's approval. I have become more aware of people, situations and the realities of life. I can see that not everything is black or white. Some things need patience. Some need firmness. Some need you to...

I have often heard people say to me, "How do you get it all right?" How do you manage a child and your career? How did you do your PhD while working? How do you study, work, write a book, keep learning, and still manage your family? How do you make your child study while managing your own work? Sometimes I smile because the question itself assumes that I have figured out some secret formula. I haven't. In fact, I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect work-life balance anymore. I think it is more about work-life integration. The boundaries are not always clear. While helping my child study, I may also have my laptop open. While working, I may take a call from home. While I'm at work, I may suddenly wonder whether my child has reached home or what she must be doing at school. And when I am finally in bed, supposedly in my "personal time", my mind may already be planning what needs to happen the next morning. That's life. We try so hard to sepa...

There was a time when, if someone had asked me to stand on a stage and speak, I would have wanted to disappear. Once upon a time, it was me. I too was a shy child, constantly wondering whether people accepted me. Whether I was good enough. Whether I belonged. It took me years to realize that not everyone's acceptance matters, and even among those who matter, only to a certain extent. Some lessons cannot be taught. They can only be experienced. This was one of them. For many years, I was just one among the many. Today, I know I am the one among the many. Not because I am better than anyone else, but because I have found my inner strength and my own reassurance. I still remember where it all began. I was standing on a stage for an elocution competition. A frightened little girl looking at a room full of teachers and students. I could feel the judging eyes on me. The expressionless faces made me even more nervous. I hated every second of that moment. My body gave up before my mind did...