Hey there, how are you all. I am wondering what to write today. There's a bit of intention that's being lost. It's been a bit too chaotic. Today and yesterday, I was going back and forth with a part of the code and was being a bit too chaotic. I think structure is still something we need. There might be days where we will need to go to the right and sometimes to the left. But the context switch part is still something we need to be aware about. The more context we switch, the worse it is for our productivity. Today we are going to talk about anchoring things that help us bring back to structure. There are certain things for an example, that might lead us to chaos. There might be certain things that might bring us back to structure. We are going to talk about those things. After all when you are structured, you will be able to deliver things much faster and better. That's where you really want to be in. Let's say you want to be the structure around the chaos. That's where we really need to slow down a little bit and think from the larger perspective.
Structure around chaos
No matter how much chaos gets around you and me, we should not lose structure. I know it's easy to get associated with chaos. Now it's time that we bring structured work back in the game. So that way we will be able to verify the important things. Now that we do have context. In order to have structure in a chaotic situation where people are running to the right and running to the left, what we really need is an anchor. What is an anchor? An anchor is something that grounds you. That slows you down. I personally believe discipline is my anchor. It slows me down. The discipline of being silent for a period of 1hr. I believe is tough. I also think that understanding certain things in depth is tough. That slows you down. And just breathing slow can slow you down. But the idea is this. If you are able to discipline yourself more. Speak less. And most importantly anchor yourself to the ground then there's nothing like that. We need to be more anchored and grounded at all times. That should become an identity. That is what a principal engineer does.
Gym
Go to the gym. That is another anchor we can have. Like I said, sitting here and writing for one hour is extremely difficult. It's even more difficult to study for one hour. Similarly, even gym is difficult. The idea is that you do not do any context switch and move in the right direction. That's what we really want. Alright, so gym is an anchor. It stabilizes things for you that you want to stabilize. So gym is a stabilizer. Its your energy directed somewhere.
Reading
Another idea is to read. I think rather than watching shorts, reading really helps you slow down and grounds you to the right thing in life. I know it's difficult but that's what you should be doing in order to keep yourself up in the right direction. So read, read a lot. Understand concepts. Difficult. Good. Bad. Worst. Read. Read. Read. Moreover, studies also show that reading calms your brain down a bit. So reading is a greNerat hobby that we can have.
Silence
One also has to be comfortable with silence. Like I said, it's important to stay with yourself, especially in difficult situation. That silence is where clarity is formed. Sometimes its our impatience where we become unclear. But silence gives us clarity. Clarity of thoughts gives more stability to what we are doing. Responding to teams messages. Silence also gives technical depth. I think reading anything in silence helps your brain form connections that you need. So here we are. We need to be finding the right space of silence for us. That's where we want to be in. More and more silence. Silence will also give us space to think and move in the right direction.
Slowing down your breathe
Another thing is that you need to slow down your breathe. When you speed up your breathe, you appear nervous. When you slow down your breathe, you will slow down your speech. If you slow down your speech, you naturally appear more clear and thoughtful. So please work on slowing down your breathe and thoughts. Slow down everything and move in a non rushed fashion. That is the sort of grounding that you should bring.
Value
Your value is not your code. Your value is not your speed. But your value is the clarity that you bring to the table. That is the best part of you. For a man, who is disciplined, and clear and knows where he or she is going. There is nothing like that. We have already delivered some critical features but we should not get too excited with it. We need to keep on delivering and keep on doing some good work out there. After all, value is clarity and clarity is value.
Discipline
Another masculine skill, that's highly highly valuable is discipline. When you are disciplined, there's nothing that can stop you in life. The discipline of sitting for one hour and writing. The discipline of clearly defined goals. The discipline of understanding everything to the depth. The discipline of going to the gym. The discipline of time blocks. The discipline of breaking difficult problems into smaller manageable goals. I believe that area is very important.
Nervous system regulation
Another thing that a man needs to care about is nervous system regulation. This comes from breathing. From staying in silence. From staying in discomfort. From not walking away from pain. Understanding that pain helps you rather than distracts. So all of these things are what will make us. These are important areas of life. Another way of nervous system regulation is time blocking. For me when I time block, that also helps my nervous system. Reading helps my nervous system.
Take your time
Like cricket, one has to take some time out in the middle at the batting crease. The more I take time on the batting crease the better we get. We are more comfortable at the pitch by taking time on the pitch. So what I would say is take your time on the batting pitch. Otherwise, we will get too lost. That's why I say let's focus on taking time. Let's focus on time blocking. Let's focus on shutting down at 5:30. If we are able to maintain the discipline, there's nothing like that.
The hard days
One has to understand that there will be hard days. There will be days filled with chaos. There will be days filled with problems. There will be issues in the days. There will be days where we are going to be chaotic and there's a lot that needs to be done in very less time. During such days is where we need to keep our heads down and use one of the anchors to bring us back into a calm state of mind. The calmer we are, the more work we are able to do. The more work we are able to do, the better we are able to feel. So what I would say is don't stop anyone to give others a gift. The gift of clarity is what we really need to give.
5 minute breathe anchor
Sometimes when we are hurried we miss out on the important things of life. That is the breathe anchor. We would say things like 5 minute breathe anchor. Which means that for 5 minutes you just focus on your breathe. Don't do the work. Just breathe and grounding. That will make you feel a lot better. That will make you become the better version of yourself. So breathe and grounding. Breathe and grounding. Sometimes 5 minutes is also enough.
Practical tips:
1. Breathwork: I think breathwork is quite an important part of our routine. If we don't do the hard breathwork, we won't be able to ground ourselves. Everyday for 10 minutes just do breathwork. Sometimes in between work also you can do. Novak Djokovic is someone who does it.
2. Gym: No matter how good or bad your work day was. Go to the gym. Stop work at 5:30 so that you can start on time the next day and maintain the structure.
3. Clarity is the gift you give: I think silence gives us the space for clarity. The more clarity we can generate the better. That's how you go about working. More clarity. More easier the life.
4. Reading: As I have said multiple times, you need to read for 30 minutes everyday. That will calm your mind and give you thoughts that otherwise you wouldn't have gotten.
5. Depth: I believe that depth comes in when you really keep digging through what's going on. If you keep digging through. You will solve a difficult problem within a few minutes.
6. Time: You are paid for your time. When you have time and when you have clear boundaries around your time, that's where your time will become more and more valuable. If you are giving your time to everything, you won't be focusing on anything.
7. Boundaries: As a man, it's important to have your boundaries. If you are able to have your boundaries well, you will be able to move forward with your work well enough. So well, as I said, establish your boundaries. Make sure you are not being disturbed. But understand the concepts with clarity and depth.
8. Single-Task Like a Monk
No parallel tabs. No half Slack. No half code.
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Close all unnecessary tabs.
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Keep only one problem open.
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Write down the exact question you’re solving before you start.
If you context switch, you leak energy.
If you single-task, you compound clarity.
Rule: If it’s not the current task, it goes to a parking lot list.
9. Define the “Win” Before You Start
Chaos often comes from unclear finish lines.
Before you begin any task, write:
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What does “done” look like?
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What output am I producing?
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How will I verify it works?
Clarity before action prevents emotional chaos during action.
10. 3 Anchors Per Day (Non-Negotiable)
Pick 3 daily anchors:
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Gym
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Writing
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Reading
OR
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Deep work block
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Breathwork
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Shutdown ritual
No matter how chaotic the day gets — these 3 must happen.
When anchors are fixed, chaos floats around you.
When anchors are missing, chaos enters you.
11. The 5:30 Shutdown Ritual (Identity Builder)
You mentioned shutting down at 5:30 — this is elite.
Create a ritual:
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Write what you completed.
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Write the #1 task for tomorrow.
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Close laptop intentionally.
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No “just one more thing.”
Structure is not about working more.
It’s about working contained.
Boundaries regulate the nervous system.
12. Delay Reaction by 5 Minutes
When something chaotic happens:
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Urgent message
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Bug
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Emotional trigger
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Criticism
Do nothing for 5 minutes.
Breathe.
Observe.
Write down what’s happening.
Respond — don’t react.
This alone separates chaotic engineers from senior ones.
13. Build Friction Against Chaos
Make distractions slightly harder:
Willpower is weak.
Environment design is strong.
14. Track Your Energy, Not Just Tasks
Some chaos isn’t task-related — it’s energy-related.
Ask yourself:
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Did I sleep well?
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Did I eat properly?
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Did I move?
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Did I sit too long?
Regulated body → regulated mind → regulated output.
15. Weekly Chaos Audit (10 Minutes)
Once a week ask:
No judgment. Just observation.
Structure improves when examined.
16. Embrace Slow Starts
Like you said — cricket.
You don’t hit a six first ball (unless you're feeling like MS Dhoni finishing a chase).
Take guard.
See the pitch.
Watch the swing.
In work:
Rushing creates rework.
Patience creates depth.
17. Identity Over Outcome
Instead of:
“I need to be productive.”
Say:
“I am someone who works with structure.”
Instead of:
“I need to calm down.”
Say:
“I am grounded.”
Identity reduces friction.
The Deeper Pattern
What you’re really saying is:
Chaos is external.
Structure is internal.
Your value is not speed.
Your value is regulated clarity.
That’s leadership.
And you’re right — discipline is an anchor. But not aggressive discipline. Calm discipline.
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