In Awe of a Yoga mat

I try not to indulge in endorsing products on this blog [other than shamelessly plugging for Apple of course, but that's a different story].

It probably sounds like a shopworn cliché but I do break the aforementioned rule when I come across something remarkable or different. Something readers of this blog should know about.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to practice on the new LiForme yoga mat.

Its name is a portmanteau of "Life For Me" and is the outcome of years of research by a team of seasoned Yogis (one of them is a friend).

Hellbent on pushing the envelope further than anyone else they decided to design their mat from scratch.

On hearing this, my immediate reaction was mixed. I mean, what's so special about a mat? Yogis throughout the ages practiced on soil, rocks, concrete, and all types of terrain, and did quite well without a mat.

But then it downed on me: I'm not one of those timeless yogis. My days are defined in 30 and 60 minute slots, I'm constantly plugged in and in flux—physically and mentally.

A good Yoga mat is indispensable for us mere mortals. It offers a sense of spatial legroom (physical and mental) and provides the grip we would otherwise miss when practicing on the lacquered wood floors of modern Yoga studios.

What's more, a yoga mat is something we spend hours with every day. There's a strong visceral element in play, as we come in close physical contact with the mat. A yoga mat is probably one of the most intimate things we carry and use.

So, having established the significance of Yoga mats, here is what I like about the LiForme gear I tried.

To begin with, it is adorned with special markers that assist the practitioner with correct alignment.

It is called "AlignForMe system" and plays a navigational role for the asana practice, i.e. helps me position my legs and hands with greater accuracy.

[I was relieved to hear those markers are not drawn using ink, but rather etched on the material itself, so no chemical and nasties to worry about.]

But what impressed me from the very start of my session was the grip. Despite the heavy sweat, my hands didn't slip as they often do with other mats. That gave me confidence to push further into my asanas.

To say that the Liforme mat is spacious is an understatement. It truly is the largest mat I've practiced on. That gives me that extra bit of assurance I'm not inadvertently encroaching on my neighbours' airspace during Halasana.

Clearly, this is not the most mobile, travel-friendly mat but it easily beats any other product I've tried (including the Manduka Pro) in terms of comfort, grip and attention to detail.

As of today, the LiForme mat will replace my Jade gear for my daily practice at home.

I am enamoured with products that are obsessively well designed: from the packaging, website all the way to marketing material and company websites.

I was truly impressed with the rigour behind the online presence of LiForme, as I think you will too. Give the site a visit, try the mat and enjoy their online community.

Apple forges ahead

Did you watch the WWDC?
 
It was—in my view—the most pivotal Apple Keynote in recent history, second only to the iPhone announcement in 2007.

This was Apple's first post-Jobs progress report. Tim Cook and his leadership teem needed to prove themselves and earn our vote of confidence. And boy did they do just that. For the first time, Cook even enjoyed some fan adoration—a passion previously reserved for Steve Jobs.

Mac Pro

The upcoming Mac Pro is a thing of beauty. It is probably going to cost several major organs and is only going to make sense for pro video editors and big budget production workers. However, by providing such hi-end machinery, Apple is reinstating their love affair with creative trend setters, and that can only be good for Apple's image.

Besides, those innovations will eventually make it to mainstream products too. Apple will be best placed to integrate and miniaturise high end architectures before any of their competition. And before you know it, all those super-fast chipsets will have trickled down to your MacBook Air.

OS X

The new OSX "Mavericks" is exciting too, mainly due to the breakthroughs in power consumption, namely a purported CPU usage reduction of up to 70%.

Running this new OS on the latest MacBook Air, for example, will push its battery life beyond the 12 hours it currently gets with OS X Mountain Lion. This means I wont need to carry a charger with me anymore. [It also means that Apple can afford to equip even more of their laptops with Retina displays, without penalising battery life. I think it's safe to predict that the next generation of MacBook Airs will sport Retina displays.]

iWork

Another overlooked but very key announcement was iWork. Very soon we will all be able to edit our iCloud documents right in the browser, using Pages, Keynote, Numbers et cetera. Think about it for a minute. PC users will soon be able to use Pages right on their PCs. They will play with it and get a glimpse of what it feels like to use an Apple product, some of them for the very first time. In that regard "iWork in the cloud" is a remarkably potent Trojan horse.

What's more, small teams and companies will start wondering: Why spend a gazillion on Microsoft Office licenses when they can do most things right in their browser? Hell, they can import Word documents with a simple drag and drop.

Yes, Microsoft is in for some serious pressure in their home turf. When it comes to their biggest bread winner—Microsoft Office—they now got both Apple and Google on their case.

iOS

As for iOS 7, I think it's a fantastic relaunch of Apple's mobile franchise. There was so much subtext in the presentation. Apple seemed relieved from having to deal with the traditions and restrictions of the old guard (see recently fired Scott Forstall). Craig Federicci, for example, cracked jokes at the expense of the previous leather designs, and appeared to be on a small crusade against Apple's legacy software interfaces.

This new design aesthetic represents a material cut-off from the past. A new page in Apple's history.

Don't buy anything just yet

The only disappointment is that all those new technologies won't be out until later this year. I would therefore advise against buying any Apple product right now unless you really need to.

Only MacBook Airs are equipped with the new Haswell processors, and yet they don't carry Retina displays yet. All other MacBook lines should get an update later this year, in tandem with the OS X "Mavericks" release.

Same applies to all iProducts. iOS 7 will launch at the same time with new iPhones and iPads, sometime this fall.

So hold your horses if you can.

2 Things You Should Know

Concentrated sugar tastes great but is not necessarily good for us, right?

Arguably you could say the same about knowledge. They often say it's not lack of knowledge that's keeping us from achieving. For example, we know we should exercise and eat well, but do we do it?

It often has to with quality though. Let's use food as an example.

It takes me twenty minutes to prepare pasta and another twenty to eat it. Forty minutes spent on filling my stomach and yet I get no nutrients (not from the pasta itself anyway). Preparing and eating an avocado, on the other hand, takes a mere two minutes . . .

Back to knowledge.

If I can get all the information I need in just a short amount of time—so I can then move on to getting some honest-to-God work done—then I personally welcome that.

In that spirit, here are a couple of resources you will find useful.

1. Actionable book summaries

It does what it says on the tin. It distills the knowledge of an entire book down to a page. Sure, you're probably missing on several good bits, but you can't beat the value per word you get in these summaries.

My thinking here is, if I like a summary enough then I might as well proceed to read the entire book. Very unlikely of course, as my reading list has swollen beyond recognition.

2. The most quoted bits in Amazon Kindle books

Now that is interesting. The more people read eBooks the more Amazon learns what the best parts of each book are.

Think about it for a minute. Every book starts with a seed, which turns into a thought and then becomes a pattern which leads to a book. Picking the most highlighted parts of a book is like reverse-engineering the author's work. Eventually you end up with the single most important paragraph in the entire book, which might as well have been that seed in the author's mind.

Why trust the crowds in picking out the best parts of a book?

Well, those readers are not exactly representative of an average crowd. Investing time to read a book, studying it, and making highlights requires intellectual rigour. Besides, the choice of book itself is already a strong indicator of its readers' demographic.

In the end it's down to you. Take the best and leave the rest. A great resource if you ask me. Most annotated book is the Bible, by the way.

Are your old buddies useless?

Should friendships be eternal? What is friendship? Over the years I've bounced from the somewhat misanthropic "I need no one" to a more watered down approach.

Today I am proposing a different way to measure friendships. I call it "the friend barometer".

According to this, we place an ever-changing importance to the people around us. The higher the mercury rises in this barometer, the more beneficial a given person is to us; good for our career, great in bed, they make us laugh or are conducive to our well-being in a whole host of other ways.

While this fragile balance holds, we can say that the sum is greater than the parts.

Friendships are lost when this barometer drops below a certain threshold. She hurt me, abandoned me, back-stabbed me, was rude to me, call it whatever you want. Bottom line is, hanging out is not mutually beneficial anymore, period.

Now, here is an important distinction. It's where ethics enter in the equation: how do we treat someone who is not a friend? How do we act towards a soul that has nothing to offer? He cannot make us laugh, sleep with us, give us a job promotion or anything. How do we treat this person when no one is looking?

This is an interesting question: If we cared enough to be of service to people who are not friends then the exclusivity and added value of friendship devalues, right?

Is friendship not compassionate enough then? Are such alliances ethically flawed?

But this is not my main concern today. I'd rather want to understand whether traditional, exclusive friendships can or should last forever. I increasingly believe that's not the case.

If your BFFs are the same as they were five years ago, then you probably haven't grown that much in those five years.

It is impossible for friendships not to diminish when people grow. Growing means changing. And if growth is substantial then we become this new person, who needs new friends.

So, when I inadvertently lose a great friendship it means I'm supposed to learn something and grow. It means I'm moving forward. It also means I need to re-calibrate my value compass and make sure I'm moving in the right direction.

Apple's CEO shows what he is made of: Brushed alluminium that is

Just finished watching the D11 interview with Tim Cook, in the wake of the tax congressional hearing only a few days back.

Apple could have easily screwed either event. Tim Cook could have changed the perceptions around Apple, and of him as a leader, to his detriment. Why? Because both events were outside Apple's obsessively tight (and rehearsed) grip of control.

In the end the outcome was a polar opposite of that. What I saw during the congressional hearing, and especially in the D11 interview, was very much indicative of what I love about Apple products. Control and restraint, coupled with a bit of shyness, sensitivity, intelligence, understatement and even some cheeky confidence at times.

Tim Cook—and any Apple leader—do not make themselves available to these types of free-form appearances often. I mean Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg kept pelting him with probes and prods in an almost desperate effort to extract some off-message response from him. Cook largely kept his cool throughout the session.

Same as an Apple product: A man of few simple words.

The Plan is the New Black

We are incapable of managing our own time.

Free time falls on our hands and, like a deer in the headlights, we freeze up. We lack the faintest idea of what to do with it. Unable to bear the risk of managing our time, we turn to employers who "employ" our time for us. We do this more than any generation before us:

"The last fifty years have been dominated by Baby Boomers and Gen X—two generations known for taking risks. As they retire, there will be a dearth of risk-takers, yet the need for risk takers will be increasing."

~ Penelope Trunk

Managing our time is harder than it seems. I often wake up and start wondering if I should exercise:

"Why not exercise in the evening?" my body says.

"Why not do it now and get it over with?" I think back.

"Why not make some coffee and catch up on emails instead?" the body says.

This back-and-forth can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. By then inertia has won by war of attrition. I've wasted vital morning time and energy. And guess what: exercise will not take place in the evening either.

Imagine if work was like that too. We'd get fired, right?

Planning

Planning involves figuring out what's best for us well in advance. By the time I wake up I already know what my next step is. No opportunity for internal debate: all I have to do is follow the plan.

Hey lighten up, you sound boring!

Look. You're preaching to the converted. I am all about spontaneous fun. Planning was my arch-nemesis for years.

I had colleagues at work who planned their family holiday twelve months in advance. Life was a well-rehearsed script for them. [Don't get me started. . . the sad truth is, large multinationals generally carry a huge underbelly of scared minions. Make the tinniest of decisions without weeks of due diligence (planning) and you're deemed too risky. Fail to inform all fifty-five stakeholders that you're planning a goddamn planning session and you're "failing to mitigate risks". Dull as dishwater. But I digress.]

We do need unstructured time. More than ever in fact. Our creativity needs it.

But guess what: creativity cannot flourish unless we are disciplined enough to show up at a specific time every single day. Creativity needs schedule and peace of mind. By scheduling our unstructured time well in advance, we create the ideal conditions for our muse to come out and play with us.

I recently put together a very regimented plan for my mornings (let me know and I can share). But I am nowhere near done yet.

I still find myself spending time on inconsequential and trivial decisions throughout my day: What to wear, where to work from, what to eat. . . areas I don't want to be spending grey matter on—we got bigger fish to fry, don't you think?

Do you have a daily regime? Please share it. Also check out these new books, complete with examples of how successful people plan their days now and in the past.

My morning with Astro Teller of Google

Just finished watching a Q&A with Astro Teller from Google[x]. Apparently his team is behind the self-driving cars, glasses and many yet unannounced "moonshot ideas" at the Googleplex.

I wasn't planning on attending this talk - I walked into it by luck. I'd just arrived at the Google Campus to do something else entirely. And boy, was I in for a treat.

Not many people get to start their day with a motivational talk from an industry leader of this caliber. Working from Campus London affords me this opportunity almost on a daily basis.

Now, there is one thing Teller mentioned that struck me and energized me for the day. It has to do with raising funds with a VC, but I believe it applies with most endeavours.

VCs receive a thousand pitches by 10AM each day. They've seen it all, he says. There is no being different or original with them. They've seen the roller-blades, the goatees and pony tails; you can't impress them easily. What they look for cannot be worn, bought or faked.

VCs don't care about a business plan either. Business plans can change. In fact business plans will change. And they know that.

What they are looking for is "that look in your eyes." That look which says: (and I'm using my own words here) we will do this with or without you.

There is no question about if: We are doing this, even if we have to move Mount Fiji. We're fully invested. There is no turning back for us.

That's what the VC's are looking to see, according to Astro Teller.

And that's what I saw in his own eyes this morning. I saw an inspired man on a mission. To make the world a better place, one geeky invention at a time.

The truth about decision-making

I read with interest (and somewhat dismay) a recent post on a productivity blog which suggested companies should hold more meetings, albeit lean ones.

Their reasoning is well written and plausible. In fact I'd go as far as endorsing it, if only it wasn't for my book—get.RID—in which I lambasted meetings as an office "disease".

I find consolation in that get.RID was published twelve months ago. Back then meetings were still bad. Trend-setting business books like Rework deplored meetings as toxic and suggested employers should let their people work from anywhere they pleased. Doing no meetings and working from home was the only way forward.

But fashion is turning a corner it seems. Face to face collaboration is once again heralded as the way out of the woods.

Take Marissa Meyer for example who made the controversial decision to universally prohibit work from home at Yahoo a few months back. She wants employees to bump into each other and strengthen company culture.

Apple is also moving towards greater collaboration, as evidenced in Scott Forstall's firing and the greater integration between hardware and software teams under Johnny Ive.

Truth is, there is no easy answer

We humans crave for easy, binary answers. We need those in order to function. If every time I scheduled a meeting I suffered from existential qualms, then my productivity would suffer.

Obama recently revealed he only wears black or grey suits so as to avoid spending grey matter on choosing his outfit. Steve Jobs only had one set of clothes, known as his uniform.

We need a set of constants to act upon subconsciously, without expending mental energy. We need to step upon something solid; otherwise progress is impossible. Hence the need for structure and routine.

Our decision about where to work from should be an easy one. Meyer chose to ban work from home altogether. There you go: Yahoos now don't have to spend time deciding where to work from; they can spend time working and creating instead.

That sounds good to me.

An upcoming experience you don't want to miss

Yoga has traveled me from the mountains of Northern India to the sprawling avenues of New York.

It has guided me through publishing two books, authoring a prolific blog, observing an ethical diet, volunteering with the elderly and assuming a renewed focus on what matters most in life. In 2012 I became a certified Jivamukti Yoga instructor. I feel blessed.

Amongst others, I am enormously grateful to the inspired and holy teachers at Jivamukti Yoga. But perhaps most of all, I feel indebted to the yogini who literally pushed me into Yoga some time ago.

"Max, you're ready . . ." I still recall her saying.

Danai is one of the most electrifying personalities I know. Her passion as a Yoga teacher (and a friend) is contagious. Danai's humble brilliance and spirituality is balanced by a tireless zest for life, music and partying. It's impossible not to be uplifted after her classes.

Now, as a rule I only endorse products and people I'm not affiliated with. But I can't help but break this rule for the first time, as I'm convinced this is of true value to my readers.

Danai has put together a week-long Yoga course at a stunning resort in Mykonos, on the 2nd of June. And she just informed me of a last minute cancellation, which means there is an vacant room up for grabs.

If you are ready for an exhilarating asana immersion taught by one of the best teachers around—all under the glorious mediterranean sunshine— then now is the time to act.

Public speaking: Need to give a talk?

Do you give talks? If not, then now may be a time to reconsider. Barriers have never been smaller.

I am sure I state the obvious when I say this, but public speaking really is an exceptionally effective type of communication.

Body language, eye contact—and all face-to-face cues—are literally multiplied in effect by the number of heads in your crowd.

What's more, you have at least 20 minutes to go deep, elaborate and construct your reasoning. Used in the right way, a talk can immerse an audience to your message and leave a lasting impression.

And of course, you meet people. Each time I give a talk my contact list grows. Inquiries grow. Opportunity grows.

So how do you do it?

I suppose you need a topic first. The good news is, most people have one. Over the years you are bound to have learned at least one thing you can confidently talk about for 20 minutes.

Then you need a venue. That's a bit harder but very doable. London offers a great range of facilities tailored (and priced) for start-ups. Check-out HUB Westminster or tech-hub for example. If  you're strapped for cash there are some free places too. And if all else fails, the weather is getting warmer and the parks are free.

To organize and communicate your event, use EventBrite or MeetUp. You will be surprised by how many like-minded souls will show interest in your topic. Some will come for the socializing element of it all. In any case you will never know if you don't try.

If you are an established authority in your field then use Eventbrite to sell tickets at a price of your choosing.

And then of course you need to prepare. Giving a talk is an amazing experience as long as you spend the time to rehearse it.

Keep your slides aesthetically minimal and clear. Don't hide behind the podium—make eye contact with everyone and engage as much as you can. Socialize afterwards.

Now, I won't pretend for a minute that I'm an expert in giving talks. While my recent talks went okay, I did face some challenges.

The night before yesterday's talk I didn't sleep a wink. It wasn't so much out of performance anxiety as much as pent-up energy. What I should've done is go for a run, or any other aerobic exercise. Here are some more lessons learned from the first talk.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out and talk. If I can help with anything please get in touch.