Understanding Human Psychology

 I  was having a conversation with someone who admitted, “I procrastinate. I just don’t take action.” They told me they wait for the right time—the time when they can dedicate hours to a task and complete it in one go. If they don’t have enough time, they’d rather not start at all. I asked them, “But what happens when life puts a full platter in front of you? You can’t eat it all at once, right?” That made them pause. “Then what would you do?” I continued. “Wouldn’t it be better to take one bite at a time?” That’s the key—just begin. Start small and digest it piece by piece. Change your surroundings one step at a time. Tackle a project by breaking it into sections. If you want to build a habit, start with five minutes a day instead of waiting for the perfect schedule. I could see the shift in their perspective. The weight of the task wasn’t the problem—it was the mindset of all-or-nothing. Taking smaller steps makes any challenge feel manageable. By the end of our...

  I’d be honest in stating I’m struggling. In what? In sorting the endless tasks, I have put up for myself in life, and the journey I have set out to have. I have my family, my work, my learning, my routine tasks and myself as an individual to attend to. I often get to hear from my coachee’s during a coaching conversation the similar struggle. And its but natural to feel overwhelmed. Its but natural to not feel at peace and calm when you have multiple things to attend to. A usual coaching conversation also states that at such times, they procrastinate, that is postponing tasks till the need to do it becomes dire. Isn’t that too so obvious. I mean when we are overwhelmed, we generally don’t know where to begin from. So just wait for the right time, right setting, right people to be with you, right support mechanism, right frame of mind. Just the ‘right’ of everything. Who knows when ‘right’ will come. But hope is there that it will. But then there is a catch, the moment which is ‘...

Today is the day I've been waiting for—my PhD convocation. It feels surreal to finally be here, wearing the coveted doctoral shawl at TISS that feels like a cape on my shoulders. I'm filled with a sense of empowerment and accomplishment, a feeling that's been years in the making. This moment isn't just about the degree. It's a culmination of countless hours of research, writing, and perseverance. It's a testament to the resilience and determination I've developed throughout this journey. My PhD has taught me so much more than just academic knowledge. It has shaped me into a more confident, capable, and well-rounded individual. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is the importance of building relationships. Collaborating with others has been instrumental in my success. I've learned how to work effectively with diverse teams, negotiate deals, and foster mutual respect.  Setting and achieving goals has also been a key component of my PhD journ...

2020 Homebound After much commotion and fuss, we have finally spent 50 days under lockdown. These 50 days have changed our thoughts, impacted our emotions, and transformed our lives almost irreversibly. Blessed are most of us who have safe homes, family, and access to good food and other amenities. Having many luxuries of life, we have spent our lockdown time in varying ways. Apart from doing the mundane tasks of home and office, there are enormous opportunities for engaging in a productive manner that people have found in the comfort of their homes. Taking to social media platforms people have announced their passions. By shares, comments, and likes they receive, they find solace of being connected with the outside world. Although the internet offers us many more ways to be involved and busy. We may not practically be able to do a lot of things considering they may not fit our lifestyle. In these days I have seen people doing some of the following tasks: a) ...

It's 3.15 am, I wake up from my slumber. I see my husband engrossed in his cell phone, the light of the screen flashing on his face in the darkness of the room. I walked towards the window and saw the lights of the row house opposite my house switched on. I wondered what's happening at this time of night when people are supposed to be sound asleep. It's late in the afternoon and we are still not hungry, as we've had a late breakfast. It's 4 pm and I still haven't got done with cleaning, sweeping and swabbing. These, and many such delays in daily activities, I am sure you are also observing in your routine. Is this procrastination? Not really. Procrastination is when we put off things which are to be done right now or at this very moment, to be done another day or later. But this delay or putting off is not an effect of only procrastinating our activities. Moving out of the house, going to work, getting ready for a meeting, sending children t...