Closing the loop: My 2018 resolution.
Last year, this time. I made a resolution in addition to the usual ones of losing weight, travelling more, being fitter that I will watch one TED video, every day. It seemed the simplest way to check the box on the ‘self-development column. How difficult could it be to passively watch a short video every day?
But I failed. And failed by a margin. I could only watch around 160 odd videos in total.
However, looking back, the benefits of this exercise were far beyond what I had earlier imagined. Allow me to share the same with you.
1. It made my morning commute bearable, even enjoyable.
On an average, it takes me an hour from home to work by cab. Most unproductive time spent stuck in traffic which I used to dread, now it doesn’t bother me so much, at times I even find it enjoyable. Most TED videos are 15 minutes long and after finishing the video, I would just sit back and think about the talk, make notes and at times even re-watch it.
2. It made me a calmer person
Earlier, I used to spend morning checking and answering emails, or thinking about the day, now I don’t. I guess the psychological benefit of ‘learning’ or spending some ‘me time’ goes beyond what we understand. Instead of living weekend to weekend I was positively working on myself, every day.
3. Learned a few new things
I ended up seeing videos across all spectrums, from self-help to medicine, from dealing with anxiety to photography, from investing to environment. I consciously kept the spectrum broad. For example,
· I had read an article about how our creativity declines, after 25 and this was alarming given that I am in marketing but then I saw this talk about how your brain can completely rewire itself after a stroke, even in older patients
· I had difficulty concentrating for long periods of time, then I saw this talk about breaking tasks into really small actions and it seems to be working for me, especially my reading. I have managed to read atleast 3 times more books this year than the year before.
4. I now have a purpose, kind of
Buy land, grow a forest. Yep, that’s my goal. I have managed to get my wife on board too. But more on this later.
It’s important for me to mention that I did pretty much watch a video every day, just not a new one. I enjoyed some videos so much that I watched them over and over again and some videos needed multiple viewing for me to understand the message correctly. If I had to make a top 5 list, this would be it. You can find all of them on YouTube.
1. Life is easy. Why do we make it so hard? by Jon Jandai
2. How to Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals by Stephen Duneier
3. Speak like a leader by Simon Lancaster
Other notable mentions,
4. The first 20 hours -- how to learn anything by Josh Kaufman
5. This is what happens when you reply to spam email by James Veitch
6. Do schools kill creativity? by Sir Ken Robinson
7. How to practice emotional first aid by Guy Winch
8. After watching this, your brain will not be the same by Lara Boyd
9. Inside the mind of a master procrastinator by Tim Urban
10. How language shapes the way we think by Lera Boroditsky
I would be happy to recommend a video on a topic of your choice. Just message me the topic of leave it in as a comment.