Shah Rukh Khan speaks at TED2017 – The Future You, April 24-28, 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Photo: Bret Hartman / TED
KARACHI: Every time a work week ends, we all tend to feel relieved and overjoyed. But that joy only lasts for two days because in exactly 48 hours you have to be back to work. Now, it’s up to you whether you want to sulk your way on the first day of the new work week fighting Monday blues and all that or you can take control and decide to do something about how you’re feeling.
I, for one, have a little ritual that does the trick. Every Monday, before I start working I always watch a motivational TED talk. This not only wakes me up and puts me in the right frame of mind but also provides as a buffer zone for my brain to go from weekend mode to work week mode. You can also do other things such as listening to music or reading a few chapters from a good book. But if you want to try out the TED talk routine then start with some of my favourites before you feel ready to browse away on your own:
1. Why the secret to success is setting the right goals by John Doerr
This TED talk by venture capitalist John Doerr is a must watch. He talks about an efficient system of setting goals, “Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)” that has been employed by organisations such as Google and Intel using which you can track your goals and not feel demotivated with a vague outcome. He also asks an important question: why should we set goals? Because without knowing what you wish to achieve with a goal, what is even the point of setting one?
2. Thoughts on humanity, fame and love by Shahrukh Khan
If you’re just going to click on this talk because it has been delivered by Shahrukh Khan, I suggest you keep scrolling because this TED talk in particular is more about seeing how the Bollywood actor’s journey, more than his acting or films, made him a star.
3. Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model by Cameron Russell
“Image is powerful,” says Russell. “But also, image is superficial.” If this quote isn’t all you need to hear today, what is?
4. How to make stress your friend by Kelly McGonigal
Psychologist Kelly McGonigal starts this talk with a confession: all throughout her practice, she has been telling people about how stress is the enemy. But when a study changed her perspective, she came to terms with how one can use stress positively. A practice we all must learn given how stress is part and parcel of our everyday lives.
5. How to gain control of your free time by Laura Vanderkam
You’ve got a million things to do but just can’t make the time to do any of them, right? Well, we’ve all been there. In this talk, time management expert Laura Vanderkam analyses how busy people send their time and talks about how many of us tend to overestimate and over-calculate our commitments each week, all the while underestimating the time we have to ourselves. If you want to learn a few tips and strategies about how you can overcome this problem then you’ve come to the right place.
