About
Hi, I am Arunkumar Rajasekaran
Just “Arun” would be fine though. No idea who that kid is, though. Kidding…He’s a paid model.
I was a banker for about 10 years before I stepped out and co-founded a firm that’s into financial consulting for companies (very original). Been doing that for 10+ years since.
The firm helps clients, among them start-ups, develop business and financial models that help them raise funds and grow as a company. This meant working with smart people on a variety of bright ideas and seeing how they turn into efficient businesses.
That’s how my personal interest in productivity and digital workflows started to grow. I was always the annoying guy in the team pushing everyone to try new productivity tools, redesigning workspaces or adopting the latest collaborative platforms.
I’m also a husband and a hands-on dad with an active interest in cooking, writing and photography. All this coupled with a comically poor memory. It meant that I had to rely on systems to keep me efficient (and sane) while I try to balance all of it on a daily basis.
The most effective systems evolved when the best practices of my work and my life inspired each other.
It’s still a work in progress. So I’m betting that by committing to this journey of improving productivity and sharing it through this blog I can find more people like you and make this a rewarding experience for everyone.
So, what is the link between a haphazard closet, the second reminder mail from your client, help in homework your child has been asking you for and the pending photography project you had promised yourself would be your weekend unwind?
In a word...Time
Time..the currency of our life. The finite resource against which every organic and inorganic transaction of our days are measured.
Bringing this realization into focus can change how we approach our day, our week and every small and big project that seeks a share of this precious resource.
A structured approach to how we dole out Time across all our activities can mean the difference between “a fulfilling life” and “the daily grind”
To set it out broadly, our time is constantly engaged in a trade with the Big Entities of Work, Home, Family/Friends and Leisure.
In return, we hope to receive money, resources, experiences and fulfillment. In an ideal world the trade should be profitable, at the very least a break-even scenario
But the process of this trade is most often chaotic and reactive. The trigger of the exchange is often initiated from outside rather than from within. This results in disproportionate returns, rarely in your favor. We’re all familiar with these conversations
That's how you spot the slippery slope
The Big Entities of your life are at war with each other and they start to show the symptoms
- An endless day of working with nothing completed
- Family and friends show signs of neglect
- Abandoned hobbies and side projects add to your guilt
But it doesn't have to be that way
So what is the alternative?
In fact, the clues are there in nature of the exchange. The more we let the entities decide the terms of the trade the less we control the outcome. You decide the priorities. You allocate the share for each entity. You plan for the unknown. You. Take. Control.
- Is it simple? No
- Is it worth it? Heck, yes!
- How do you do it?
You. Improve. Continuously
How do I go about it?
1 Take each element of the exchange between Time and the Big Entities that need it from you and understand the various transactions that take place between them and ask the right questions
“Is this step essential?”
“How can I make it more efficient?”
“How can I turn this into a positive input for the next Entity in the cycle?”
2 But these questions have to start with realistic objects and entities. So the questions start to look like,
“Is it necessary to cook every day or can I meaningfully prep for the week?”
“How can I up my email game to ensure no client tasks remain pending past the agreed due dates?”
“What work tasks can be automated so that I can find time to help my son with his algebra assignments ?”
3 Visualize the ideal synergy between the Big Entities of your life. Break it down into daily blocks of time and see if it fits your waking hours. Don’t worry about the order in which they would occur. Ask yourself, “How much time would I like to spend on (work/family/ leisure) each day?”
Once the the overall chunks of your day are divided you will be able to decide if you are happy with the amount of time devoted to each activity and if (invariably) not, start the process of fixing it
Sounds good, so how does this blog help?
I’m here to help you tackle these Entities as they manifest in all shapes and sizes.
- We’ll dip into resources of the best minds of the past and present
- Examine revolutionary industrial and corporate tools designed to improve productivity
- Extract practical tips and tricks in the early stages
- Tie them together into powerful concepts to dramatically change the output from each of our interactions with the Entities
- Apply and track learning from these to making the trades of our time more efficient
By coming along on this journey
Execute tasks sensibly
You will learn how to apply logical improvements to the daily tasks that have so far been performed the same old way and transform them into small but steady gains of time
Manage time efficiently
Efficient use of time ensures that activities most needing your attention become priority freeing you to pursue tasks needing your creativity and attention, delivering extraordinary returns in the bargain
Own the tools of Productivity
Soon, you’ll develop the structured mindset to tackle problems that aren’t even covered in articles and forums but use the fundamental logic to forge your own solutions
Become a "positivity" beacon
Once you start looking at each object and workflow through the eyes of time, cost and output, you transform from being just a consumer of efficiency to a contributor, enriching the lives of those around you
Taking on "whole life productivity" is a big step
Let’s take it one little task, one little object at a time. I am excited to partner with you in this journey
