What are some examples of lists that you find useful?

 

Some of my current lists:

1. Shopping list
2. Packing list
3. Things to do list
4. Christmas gifts list
5. Travel list (things I need to do for a domestic or overseas trip)
6. List of future posts (I maintain a list of future posts, some finished and some unfinished, to publish on my Minoo Jha Life Strategies blog)
7. List of commission analysts (I am a commissions analyst freelancer and I meet new commission analysts and sales compensation managers on every assignment. I keep a running list of their names and titles)
8. List of health check-ups and blood and urine tests: I did not have medical insurance for 12 years, so I would make a list of health check-ups, and blood and urine tests I needed to do. Eye check ups and mammograms were on a separate overseas list.  I was able to buy the blood and urine tests in the open market through Life Extension. And I was also able to stock up on a few tests the during the Annual BloodLab Spring Sale. I had some tests such as urinalysis and CBC, ready for emergencies.
9. Rabbit hole list: I maintain a running list of links and URLs to check out or revisit

In addition, I maintain lists for things such as:

1. Shortlist for apartment renting
2. Shortlist for buying a used car
3. Shortlist for passing a smog test

and so on and so on.

I love lists of all kinds related to finance, nutrition, health, tourism, retirement, quality of life.

So note to authors:

Articles with titles like “10 happiest countries in the world”, “Top 100 universities”, “10 best places to retire”, “10 best credit card offers”, “Forbes' 100 richest men in America”, “10 foods that can reduce inflammation” are an instant draw for me!

And note to readers:

Many of my popular Quora answers are lists. Like this one:

Minoo Jha

 · 3y

How much of a feminist am I?

How many boxes can you tick - How I Went From A Girlie Girl to A Strong, Independent Woman IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU STARTED, WHAT MATTERS IS WHERE YOU PLAN TO END I learned to live alone. I learned to drive. I learned to make my own decisions. I learned to manage money on my own. I learned to value myself outside of a relationship. I learned to value what was in my head and heart, over the way I looked. I changed my focus to what I did, and how I acted. I stopped measuring myself against traditional ideas of ‘feminine’ success. I stopped identifying myself with my child’s successes and failures. I started setting boundaries on what I would, and would not, accept. I stopped being passive-aggressive, and learned to speak up. I started handling more things on my own. I became more self-sufficient. I started getting involved in things I used to hand over to men. (While I do not know how to fix my car, I get fully involved with every repair – researching the facts and becoming knowledgeable – whether it’s the blend door actuator on my air-conditioner, or a rack and pinion steering issue.) I learned to take charge, and make choices which made the most financial sense, covering all the bases - my housing, my car, my taxes, my insurance, my investments, my utilities, my child’s education, my health. I learned to make my voice heard through my blog. I learned to stop second guessing myself, and beating myself up for flaws or slips. I learned to take risks. Finally, I learned it does not matter where you started. What matters more is where you plan to end. So this is my advice to you: Sit at the table. Take smart risks. Seek challenges. Pursue your goals with gusto. And know, you can do it, exactly as you are. You are enough.

What are the dangers of leisure activities?

Depending on the activities, they can result in relationship losses, financial losses, injuries, and even jail time.

Different leisure activities have different levels of potential harm.

If drinking is your leisure activity, for instance, then you will run all these risks:

DUIs and catastrophes associated with drinking under the influence

Less resistance to temptation

Hangovers and the inability to function at 100%

All the money you will lose on drinking

And the biggest risk of all…addiction

A leisure activity like reading, on the other hand, has the least dangers and risks.

Any leisure activity, which takes time away from your responsibilities to job or family, should be evaluated.

It may seem harmless to play video games, or watch sports incessantly, but if you are doing that at the cost of family obligations and family bonding, it is harmful to your life.

Choose your leisure activities carefully.

And if you are getting ready to enter a stage in your life, when more responsibility will be required from you, switch to more suitable leisure activities.

It’s going to be hard in the beginning.

But you will be glad you did.

Minoo Jha

 · 4y

Why are good habits so hard to create?

Hi, You asked, Are good habits difficult to develop? I have written a post about this before on my blog. Reprinting it here because it is relevant. The 15 Laws of Habits 1.It's easier to start a new habit than to give up an old habit. You can see all the habits people find hard to give up – smoking, drinking, doing drugs, playing video games, criticizing. Knowing that, you should steer clear of them. And if you are already into any of them, get out as fast as you can. 2.The company you keep, the places you hang out at, and where you source your information and advice from is key to picking up habits. Spend time at bars, you are likely to drink, spend time with video game players, you are likely to play video games a lot. Join a book club or a walking group, and you will read books and walk more. Learn to discern. 3.To develop a new habit, you have to take the first step. If you’ve never been to a gym, you have to sign up and go. 4.There are alternatives to many habits. For example, therapy, exercise, meditation, yoga and sleep can be an alternative to prescription medicine for stress and insomnia. Low carb diets, intermittent fasting and weight loss programs can be an alternative to metformin and glucophage for diabetes. 5.Alternatives that do not work when you first try them may well work when you try them later. I tried to meditate several times in my life starting from my 20s, but I succeeded later in life. 6.It is okay to be nervous about a new habit. Some new habits are more nerve-wracking than others. Driving is nerve-wracking in the beginning. Public speaking is nerve wracking in the beginning. Understand that many things which are nerve-wracking become less and less nerve wracking as you develop confidence and do it again and again. This was true for me with learning Excel when I switched from an advertising copy career to a commissions administration career. It was also true for me when I learned driving and I learned public speaking, just to name a few areas of my life which were nerve wracking. 7.Besides being nerve-wracking, everything is tough in the beginning. Remember how tough it was for you to learn to ride a bicycle. Or to learn to swim, or to skate, or to golf. What’s tough in the beginning, gets easier as you become habituated to it. 8.People ask me, “Minoo, how do you write and publish a blog post every week?” The answer is: I have been at it for 8 years and more than 450 posts. So I have gotten better and better at both coming up with ideas and writing. People also ask me, “Minoo, how come it is so easy for you to meditate?” The answer is: I have been meditating for the past 8 years. The more you do something, the better you get at it. Take a page out of my book. Better still, take a page out of your favorite athlete’s book – keep doing something, and you will get better and better and better and better and better at it. 9.There are tools to give up habits. If you have a spending problem, you can create an expense tracker and track all your expenses. If you have a hard time being on time, you can use the alarm on your phone, or set your clock back so you are always on time. If you have an addiction, you can join AA. If you have been unsuccessful in giving up a habit without tools, then there's no question about it - you need to use tools. Do not resist this or procrastinate on this. 10.A habit can be liberating. A regular exercise habit liberates you from gaining weight and being less healthy than you want to be. A reading habit liberates you from boredom and ignorance. A purposeful writing habit or community service habit can liberate you from the "now what" feeling that happens after you achieve any milestone. 11.Some habits you should take up just because they are character building. I have a friend who regularly cleans the bathrooms of the Buddhist temple she goes to. This is an example of a character-building habit. 12.It is easier to give up a bad habit if it is inconvenient for you to continue it. I once met a person who told me she used to smoke when she lived in India, but she gave it up soon after coming to America, because she did not like to have to go outside to smoke. If you want to give up a habit, make it inconvenient for you to continue it. For example, if you want to give up alcohol, live far from a liquor store, avoid social events where liquor is served, and avoid people who enable your addiction. Make it inconvenient. If you want to give up cakes and ice-cream and anything else that’s bad for you, don’t stock it at home and if you know it's going to be served at a party, eat before you go to the party. You will have an easier time of giving up an unhealthy eating habit this way. Do you know after I went low-carb, I stopped buying potatoes and rice and bread altogether. Take a leaf out of my book. 13.Repetition is the key determinant of success with new habits. You have to take the first step. Then you have to do it again. Then you have to do it again. Then you have to do it again. Then you have to do it again. People who excel at things often do so only after they have been at it for 10,000 hours. Repetition is essential and it is powerful and rewarding. 14.Good habits lead to great habits. The more you exercise, the more you can exercise. The further you can go. And the more challenging things you can attempt. In yoga - you may find yourself starting with the easy Lotus pose and eventually being able to do the difficult crane pose. The 2 mile walker becomes the 5 mile walker. The 5 mile walker becomes the 10 mile walker. The 10 mile walker becomes the 13.1 mile walker. The 13.1 mile walker becomes the 26.2 mile walker. 15.Finally, we become associated with our habits. Depending on when and how you know me, you will associate me with this blog, or with the Fiesta advertising campaign I created, or with wearing sweaters in the Chennai heat, or with wearing sunshades at night, or with drinking till I passed out, or with playing my own compositions on the guitar. For your information, of the above, this blog is the only habit which still stands. Hope this answer inspires you to give up any habits that are bad for you. And more importantly, to succeed in developing new habits to replace them, which are good for you.

Do people tend to quit their job, if they fail to get a promotion?

If they were expecting a promotion, and failed to get it, yes.

I have seen people address the promotion issue with their managers, and succeed in getting promoted, if not immediately, then definitely, within a few months.

It never hurts to speak up.

It is important you speak up in the right way, however.

To understand the difference between speaking up the right way, and speaking up the wrong way, I recommend you read Mika Brzezinski’s book, “Know Your Value”.

When Mika, co-host of the show Morning Joe, tried to advocate for herself the first few times with her MSNBC manager, it had no effect, even a negative effect.

She was doing it the wrong way, as she explains in her book.

As soon as she she advocated for herself the right way, she was able to get “her completely unfair and unjust pay” situation corrected.

Women, in particular, are often conflicted between being demanding, and being pleasing.

There is absolutely no harm in demanding for yourself, what you deserve.

Go ahead, and demand what you deserve, or believe you can step into, and are equipped to do.

What motivates you personally?

I am motivated to eat right, so I can avoid, or postpone getting diabetes, and other chronic health issues (which may or may not be in my genes). I have pre-diabetes, and diabetes may be just around the corner, but I am doing all I can to avoid it.

I am motivated to walk regularly. It is not only fun to walk - since I usually have the company of friends or pets to walk with - but walking also helps me stay as fit as I can.

I am motivated to read, to listen, to watch, and to hear, so I can keep learning more about the world in which I live in, and to think thoughtful questions to find answers to.

I am motivated to keep writing, and to answer questions on Quora. I do this, because I hope it will help me become clearer about my thoughts and beliefs, and also help me with questions I am still searching for an answer to, or direction and determination for the future.  Maybe, my writing will help other people do that too. This is what keeps me going. And of course, sometimes I write, just to entertain you. It is wonderful when inspiration strikes me for a lighter piece, which is entertaining, humorous, or whimsical.

I am motivated to think about, write about, and speak about, things which I feel need to change, or improve, in the world that we live in:

Minoo Jha

 · Thu

What are some examples of how empowering women leads to social change and inclusivity?

In too many parts of the world, women are denied many of the basic rights that men take for granted: * Education * Dignity * Opportunity * Respect * Safety * Security * Freedom * Property rights * Empowerment * Voice Women’s activities are largely restricted to the home. What’s more, they have to follow oppressive social and religious rules both inside the home, and outside the home. Risking severe punishment, if they dare to break any of those rules. This has to change. Women should have the choice to be included in whatever men are included in. The laws that apply to men should also apply to women. The freedom that men have, is the freedom that women should have. Even in the most advanced societies, women will have to shake off what they have been socialized to do….which is “settle for second place”, “use feminine wiles and guile to get what they want” and continue to depend on men to do things as much as possible Women who do not confirm to this standard are called names, “man-haters”, “cat ladies” and more. Women have to stay strong in the face of all of this, and keep taking steps towards greater and greater equality. Raise the bar on what you want for women. Raise the bar. You, me, we… You, me, we.. Can do hard things.

I am motivated to strengthen my friendships. Friends can make one feel blessed and rich.

Minoo Jha

 · 2y

What three things make your life 1000 times better?

For me it’s just one thing. This piece I wrote tells you what it is… I Am The Richest Person In America I am the richest person in America Richer than Bill Gates Richer than Elon Musk or Mark Cuban It's okay if you are going, wait, what, wait. Richer than Warren Buffett Let me be even geo bolder Richer than that Zara fellow and the owners of Ikea Richer than the Vatican for all I know. Richer than all the richest kings in history And richer than the richest queens too Richer than the richest celebrities Yes Oprah and Sean Combs - it's true. Richer than the richest sports women and men Michael Jordan or Conor McGregor Richer than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Richer than Roger Federer. Why am I the richest person in America, dear reader I'll tell you now my poem is coming to an end I am richer than everyone in America, and in the world, Because I am rich in friends! And so I say thank you to you, past, present, and future friends. And thank you to family or relatives, who have become friends I am the richest person in the world, and in history Because the rich tapestry of your friendships has enriched my life from end to end. Gracias, Shukriya Deu borem korum, Danke sehr Tak, Dziękuję, Khop Khun Mak Kha Nanri, Salamat Shukran, Dhanyavaadhamulu Arigato, doh jeh Merci becoup!

I am motivated to become more and more self-aware, and to meditate on the things I have to work on, which self-awareness makes me aware of.

I used to be a person who was quick to get angry. Self-awareness and meditation is what helped me get over this.

Minoo Jha

 · 5y

Why is it easy to get angry and hard to stay calm?

Hi Kashif, You asked, Why is it easy to get angry and hard to stay calm? Because of the amygdala. I talked about it in my post How Many Times A Day Do You Visit Ireland? Reprinting it here for people who want the answer to this question. Out of the millions of people we live among, most of whom we habitually ignore and are ignored by in turn, there are always a few who hold hostage our capacity for happiness - Alain de Botton How many times a day do you visit Ireland? By Ireland, I am not referring to the idyllic country. The one that’s across the Irish Sea from the country that’s across the pond. The one we associate with loved, celebrated and revered traditions such as… River Dance. St. Patty’s Day. Guiness. Waterford Crystal The Ireland, I am referring to is something else altogether. It’s “Ire”-Land I used a play on words to get your attention. “Ire” Land is the opposite of an idyllic country. It is the hell we create for others when we get angry and lose control of our words and actions. When we are in “Ire”-Land, we let our Amygdalas hijack our brain. And behave as a caveman or angry baboon would. What’s an Amygdala Hijack? The Amygdala is the part of our brain that controls the flight or fight reflex. When it is activated, a flood of stress hormones is released into our blood and we react with fear or with anger, or both, to a stressful event. Our Amygdalas hijack our brains before the rational area of our brains – the neocortex - can process the stressful event. Thus no sooner does the event enter as sensory input through our eyes and ears, when we completely and instantly lose it. From The Best-Selling Book On Emotional Intelligence It was Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, who coined the phrase, Amygdala Hijack. Your Amygdala has hijacked your brain, if normally a civilized person, you become brutish, mean, cruel, insulting, hurtful and angry, possibly even ridiculously so -- in response to a stressful event. And you do or say stuff which you later regret and feel awful and foolish about and wish you could take back. Some Typical Situations In Which Our Amygdalas Hijack Our Brains: * Someone makes us jealous or mad * Someone humiliates us in public * Someone disturbs our concentration * We don’t get our way * Someone takes something we cherish without asking us * Someone causes us a loss of some kind * Someone cuts us off – drivers let their amygdalas hijack their brains all the time. Here an example of what a horrible outcome that can have. * Someone interrupts us, or tests our patience * We find out someone has wronged someone we love * We find out someone has lied to us, cheated us, or made a fool of us These are just examples. Everyone has different hot buttons. What We Should Do In These Situations The appropriate response in these situations would be for us to: * Show forbearance * Walk away * Ask someone who is in a calmer state of mind to intercede for us * Express how we feel later when we are in a completely calm state of mind But Instead What We Do Is: * Use bad language * Scream and rant and rave * Raise our voices and make verbal and physical threats * Scare young children and others around with our demeanor * Hit below the belt * Say or do something destructive, abusive or obscene * Act recklessly * Hurt ourselves * Hurt others * Damage property Is this you when you are angry? What can you do about it? * Can you enroll in anger-management classes? * Can you talk to a friend or family member about it? * Can you ask someone to correct you every time you start to get that way? * Can you try to cure yourself through meditation or yoga? You bet you can! Here’s why… I did it. I actually cured myself of amygdala hijacks (temper tantrums in plain English), even though I probably hold a record of sorts for them. (also my tirades would have made McEnroe’s tirades appear like the woofs of a dreaming puppy). In fact, almost everyone who knows me closely remembers at least one of these exhibitions of amygdala hijacks (it sounds so much nicer than temper tantrums, doesn’t it?). But miraculously, I’ve changed. Amygdala Hijacks Begone! I’ve cured myself of these amygdala hijacks through meditation. Honestly, a while back, if you had told me I would be able to conquer my anger management issues and put them behind me, I would have dismissed you with an “Oh, yeah!!!!!” and laughed you off, secretly thinking you had no idea what a tough nut I was when it came to losing my head. But guess what – you would have been right. Even tough nuts to crack (like myself) can conquer their anger management issues. I am living proof of it! What’s My Method? It started with observing myself. And noticing all the little things (and frankly, everything is little once your neocortex has had the time to process it) to which I have a hair-trigger anger response. Doing this turned out to be an interesting and revealing, if humbling exercise. I found out there was a ridiculous number of things which could set me off. And some of them were truly weird. I found out, for instance, that we even get angry just because someone made us angry. Look At What You Made Me Do Meaning anger is a two-step thing. First we get angry with someone over something. And then we get angry with them because they made us get angry and made us do foolish, angry, destructive and ridiculous things as a result of getting angry. This was just one of many revelations. By making it my business to observe myself during the day… and discovering the triggers to my anger… I was able to then meditate on breaking the cycle. Observation and regular meditation were the two prescriptions I wrote for myself. And they cured me. What’s the dosage for this completely free, completely healthful medicine? I meditate once every morning immediately when I wake up. And then at other times in the day as needed. A Picture Helps… Also, when I meditate, I find it helpful to have a picture in my head of people who do not have anger management issues. Meaning I try to channel peaceful, easy-going role models and internalize them. In my very own family, there are many role models for me to choose from. And you should easily be able to find role models as well. Conquering Anger Has Been Life-Changing For Me And I know it will be life changing for you. So if you are tired of doing and saying things that you later regret and are ashamed of, I urge you… Get serious about anger management. Let’s stop the madness and the sadness we cause from our out-of-control anger. P.S. Thanks for reading. You know I was thinking…there’s out-in-the-open sadness. The homeless, the poor, the beggars on the street, the starving, the physical and mental illness we see around us – all these come to mind. That’s sadness we can see. Then there’s Behind-The-Closed-Doors Sadness. The sadness people cause each other behind closed doors. The sadness no one knows about. If you are contributing to this Behind-the-Closed-Doors Sadness, make a new resolution today to get a hold of yourself. Like I did. Like me…I’m sure you’ll be glad you did. And others around you will be relieved and gladder still. P.S. 2 Meditation has become a daily routine for me. I got started after reading this wonderful book called How God Changes the Brain. P.S. 3: While you try to mend your ways, it is important to have compassion for yourself, so that when you slip up (and you will), you don’t lose heart, give up and revert back to your old ways; you need to forgive yourself for your slips and move on. P.S.4: Links to the 2 books mentioned in this post, Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence and How God Changes the Brain are featured below. I also thought you might enjoy this video on Forgiveness. Remember, the first person you have to forgive is yourself. And finally, here's a link to an article by the author of Narnia, C.S. Lewis on Forgiveness - where he makes a valuable distinction between excusing and forgiving.

Now, I want to achieve other things through self-awareness and meditation:

Minoo Jha

 · 1y

Why do some people have a hard time with self-reflection?

Because you will find out that you are not as smart as you think you are, as nice as you think you are, as ethical as you think you are, as honest as you think you are, I could go on and on…. In this piece I wrote, I share my own humbling discoveries about myself - I Thought I Was A Flower I thought I was a flower. Silly me. In so many respects, I am still a bud. And have growing to do. In spite of the sunlight. In spite of the soil. In spite of the water. In spite of the many years I have been on the stalk. I am still a bud. In this respect and that respect. In so many respects. I am still a bud. And I still have growing to do. __ That being the case… Be patient with me. Be patient with me. __ I thought I was a tree. Silly me. I now see. I am just a branch. Of a very big tree. Called humanity. It will take some time. To shake off the idea. That I am not the tree. I have to chip away at the bark. That kept me in the dark. That kept me from seeing all this time. That I am just a part. Of this very big tree. Called humanity. __ Which is why, I ask... Be patient with me. Be patient with me. __ I thought I was the ocean. Silly me. I found out I am just a drop. Among drops and drops and drops. In a vast expanse. That's as wide as it is deep. Beyond what my naked eye can see. When I think about that. I pause. And lift up my hands. And express awe. And then some more. At this amazing vastness I was not aware I was a part of. Isn't it amazing, to think. This little drop that's me. Is part of drops and drops and drops. So vast, it's more than my naked eye can see. And to think I have been living in a bubble that was so tiny. I am glad my eyes have opened. But I have to get used to this. __ So please… Be patient with me. Be patient with me.

Minoo Jha

 · 1y

What do you know about yourself? What do you still have to figure out?

That I have a better angel. What I have to figure out is how to make sure it is more active in my life. I wrote this piece because this is what I believe: Even in the most challenging situations of hurt pride or feeling wronged, if we rely on the better angels of our nature to guide our thoughts, our words, and actions, we can conduct ourselves with dignity, compassion, and reason. Wake Up Better Angel Wake up Better Angel I need you to be alert So that no matter what the situation I respond in a way that does not hurt. __ Stand guard Better Angel of my nature When I feel the urge to speak my mind Help me get my point across Without gloating, being rude, or unkind. __ Be ever ready Better Angel When someone says I did something wrong Instead of arguing and defending myself Make sure I can say a genuine sorry and move on. __ Be on the watch Better Angel of my nature For those times when my ideas and beliefs are under attack Help me not pursue the desire to win and be right To the point of being harsh, stubborn, or striking back. __ Look out Better Angel For the times when people don't keep their word Help me to be kind, understanding, and forgiving Instead of being cutting and absurd. __ Pay utmost attention Better Angel of my nature On occasions when I feel slighted, overlooked, or snubbed Help me not give into the temptation to over-react By responding in a shabby way, or carrying a grudge. __ Be loud and persistent Better Angel When no one knows the wrong I have done Make sure I confess, atone, and make amends Before my time is done. __ Better Angel of my nature, it's only with your active presence I can be a blessing in my own and other people's lives With you, I am a force for dignity, compassion, and reason Without you, I am prone to unkindness, divisiveness, and strife. __ Time and time again, I find, Better Angel Yours is the one voice I most need to hear Because without you, Better Angel of my nature I would be little better than a brute, I fear. __ Dear Reader…this post is dedicated to the Better Angels of our nature. Even in the most challenging situations of hurt pride or feeling wronged, we can rely on them to guide our thoughts, our words, and actions, so we conduct ourselves with dignity, compassion, and reason. If we make the Better Angels of our nature an active presence in our lives, it will be good for us, good for our families, good for community, good for society, and ultimately, good for the world.

There.

I have told you about some of the things, which personally motivate me.

Your turn - what motivates you personally?

It's time to write your own list.