In this month's ;edition, check out Ravi's take on summer vacations, learn about procrastination and ;what's new with India Can. Also covered- ;Ravi's talk at IIT Ropar, ;latest social innovations and much more!
Food for Thought"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.”
~Wayne Gretzky
RAVI'S CORNER
That summer, this summer
"I have tried my best at choosing which of my summer vacations has been the most enjoyable. Unfortunately, have not been able to single out one. Each vacation has that one special memory that keeps it in the race. ;When...” ;Read more
SPOTLIGHT
3 books you must read ;
The Turn of the Tortoise: The Challenge and Promise of India's Future
Summary: Distinguished journalist T.N. Ninan answers several pressing questions around contemporary issues such as India's political trends, the make up of India's middle class, mores of the relationship between the state and the citizen, besides several other topics. Brilliantly written outlook of the next ten years for India.
The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time
Summary: This crisp book by Subash Chandra gives insights into the vision that drives him and his enterprises. His gritty journey to a net worth of $6.3 billion is well chronicled and peppered with anecdotes that make it an engaging read for anyone interested in understanding the magnitude of his success.
The Golden Tap - The Inside Story of Hyper-Funded Indian Start-Ups
Summary: One of the best books on why startups are valued so high and what consequences will follow, this is a must read if you are thinking of working in or having a startup of your own. It is very well paced and provides a global perspective on VCs and how to make most of the ecosystem, while outlining the pitfalls too.
A better You for a better India: LifeHacks
(No more procrastination)
Last month we figured out some techniques to remain stress free. A big reason for the stress is the work that we keep pushing to a future date, also known as procrastination! Everyone procrastinates, some more than others. ;Here are some highly effective ways to stop procrastinating: ; ;
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#1: Write write write! ;
If you cant measure it you cant manage it! And if you dont write it down, you cant measure it! ;A journal and a planner is the basic level of organization any successful person needs to have. Use the planner to record your goals for the month and year, ;reviewing at the end of each period. Recording your goals also helps filter out tasks outside your sphere of influence.
#2: MIT: Most important tasks
Evert night condense ;your goals for the next day ;into 4-5 ;MITs. Why so less? Because if you put 20 goals on a list, its likely none of them will ever get done. ;You might have accomplished a good amount of work but the unchecked ones will discourage you from appreciating your hard work!
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#3: Break 'em down
Take those MITs and break them down into a 'next action'. For example if you want to read more, put a next action to read 40 pages of a book you like the next day. Smaller goals add up to big ones, and your work will never feel daunting. ;
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#4: Calling out distractions
When it come to the execution phase, its easy to get distracted by the countless things happening round us. Whether its checking whatsapp, a coworker, a notification from an old friend ;or a call from home, a break in the workflow can really throw you off your rhythm. Call these out in your mind as distractions and schedule them for when you have time later.
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#5: Reward yourself
Remember all those distractions you scheduled for later? Use them as rewards! Promise yourself that you will only reply to your old college mate when you are done with all the next actions for your first MIT. That way you will gamify your day and get work done in a breeze!
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Of course there are days when you just don't feel like working no matter what- on such days, embrace the unproductivity. Take a break, detach yourself from work and unwind! Remember stressed work leads to poor output!
A medical bracelet that helps monitor babies' health and suggest ;interventions ;
What: ;Bempu- a bracelet that monitors temperature of babies and beeps when it falls below a threshold Who: ;Ratul Narain, Stanford alumni ; Notable: ; Very simple interface is designed to reduce a ;mother's worry, device ;offered by several ;state governments now
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This team made boxes that keep food fresh on non-AC trucks
What: ;Collapsible refrigerated boxes that can be rented by transporters ;of agricultural products Who: MIT alumnus Naren Tallapragada Notable: Uses phase change materials that keep food fresh for 3 days without requiring AC or electricity
EVENTS
IIT Ropar- I Can, India ;Can
Apr 11th ;2016: IIT Ropar's hosted Ravi for a talk on his book where he motivated students to work towards nation building using social ;entrepreneurship. The session was attended by several students and saw exchange of several dynamic ideas to solve India's challenges.
IIT Ropar- Mission, Vision, Strategic Plans for Indian Institutions like IITs
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Apr 11th ;2016: Ravi also addressed the faculty and senior leadership ;of IIT Ropar, outlining a ;strategic vision for this new IIT that has broken into top 10 rankings in record time.
The Climate Project, India
Apr 22nd 2016: Ravi along with 34 envoys from different countries planted a sapling to celebrate Earth Day in New Delhi. This Al Gore led initiative has been a key driving force behind the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
