Is WORKSLOP Now Slotted In Our Daily Life?

 

Is WORKSLOP Now Slotted In Our Daily Life?  BUT before we get bogged down with it, let us align with its definition, referring to a very recent coinage [just this year in fact] referring to LOW-quality, AI-generated work contents [e.g. emails, reports, codes, slides] that, on the surface, looks damn impressive and polished BUT in reality, lacks substance, creating more work for colleagues WHO have to fix OR redo it all over again.  And the consequences?  Wasted time.  Redundant effort.  Damaged credibility OR trust in terms of delivery things the quality way✅✅✅

NOT to heap unnecessary blame on all these creeping technologies BUT WORKSLOP has surfaced in terms of its vagueness, verbosity and even meaningless jargon.  You might challenge me with WHY BOTHER WITH WORKSLOP?  YES dude, I am seriously bothered because WORKSLOP can unduly influence every Tom, Dick and Harry with regard doing and performing something, and that could even be household chores❎❎❎

Even the Harvard Business Review has came up with a report categorically acknowledging that WORKSLOP is destroying productivity.  BUT my bigger concern goes beyond productivity because if we fall prey to WORKSLOP in a chronic way, that quality issue arising from WORKSLOP will go way beyond the workplace.  And I have seen things gone from bad to worse and I'd admit they end up more than just pitiful😡😡😡

And WHAT happens if WORKSLOP permeates across the different facets of our life?  NOT to scare, the ramifications and consequences can be more than just serious and severe because anyone WHO lives life with that WORKSLOP mindset because even if they purportedly achieve their goals, the likelihood is that the very quality of the output and results will leave much to be desired❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  You and me should easily agree that we DON'T want half-baked cakes OR even half-cooked dishes [UNLESS it's intentional to a point].  WHY?  It is for our best interest and even in the interest of the parties to be impacted by the results of our pursuits [LIKE our loved ones and immediate family members] for us to lead, live and breathe a life that is enveloped with the most optimal quality mindset we can ever imbue😊😊😊

Threading RIGHT Versus WRONG

 

Rightfully, we should NOT spend time talking about RIGHT versus WRONG.  BUT alas, if we look around, either locally OR even globally, there's just one too many things evolving OR happening WHERE the RIGHT versus WRONG becomes one of the key variables that would tend to tilt the balance either in one's favor OR NOT.  True, there is a certain sense of RIGHT and WRONG placed by nature in our minds.  YES, we know by conscience that this moral sense is in us, and it would be vain to try and demonstrateit by argument💚💛💜

It becomes analogous to the intuitive perception of truth WHICH is the basis of our knowledge OR to the sense of taste by WHICH we distinguish things.  And just as we should have no notion of truth OR falsehood, if that intuitive sense of truth were taken away nor any of notion versions without that sense of perspective💥💥💥

Even as we speak now, many things have gone awry, all because of differing dimensions, perspectives and appreciation of WHAT is RIGHT versus WRONG.  And to make things murkier, at times, the RIGHT FIX is being proposed for a twisted understanding of the issue at hand.  So, obviously, even if one were to apply that supposedly RIGHT FIX even in good faith, if there is a gap OR that disconnect of the issue at hand, that RIGHT stuff will never RIGHT the WRONG at all.  WHETHER it pertains to family matters or global and geopolitical issues, it behooves that all the protagonists should be aligned with a clear and common understanding of the issue[s] at hand😁😁😁

So, WHAT separates the men fro the boys here?  It's that earnest and sincere desire to stick to the legitimate truth of the issue at hand alongside that good faith to resolve things based on WHAT is RIGHT as against WHAT is WRONG.  For obvious reasons, it is self-serving to attempt fixing an issue based on WHAT is favorable to you, much to your advantage.  Call that a fax paus from a verbal perspective❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  Let us cut and cut things cleanly.  WHEN we're guilty of a misstep, RIGHT it out.  WHEN we're the culprit triggering an issue, let's NOT even wait for more than a minute to express our MEA CULPA with all the sincerest intentions.  Mother of all worst things to happen if in our everyday life, we will carry on our own version of WHAT is RIGHT versus WHAT is WRONG.  CAN'T we all align on the same page, dude???

How Far Should We Be Risk-averse?

 

WHEN we hear RISK, WHAT's the next words we often hear?  NO WAY.  That's BAD.  That's NOT GOOD.  So, this leads us to this recurring question:  IS IT GOOD TO TAKE RISKS?  Allow me to reply with an absolute and resounding YES!  Simply put, taking RISKS is neither good OR bad.  BUT WHETHER it is a good OR bad move will hinge on the type and severity of the RISK itself and the circumstances.  BUT in more cases, taking a RISK is the very key towards increasing one's self-confidence and even opening you up to more opportunities down the road.  Try being RISK-averse every step of the way, let's see if anything progresses???

Obviously, there are times WHEN taking a RISK is and will NOT be in your best interest.  YES, do steer clear of RISKS that could likely harm you OR other people and YES, never take RISKS that may violate your very own personal boundaries OR worse, if it will even endanger your personal mental OR even physical health.  It's beyond debate that your personal physical and mental safety is of utmost paramount BUT most of the RISKS we do avoid in life DON'T really cause that extent of harm.  Instead, the RISKS we sometimes run away from usually AREN'T about real and legitimate danger BUT often, they seem to be grounded in fear.  THAT FEAR of of making a mistake.  THAT FEAR of people judging your choices.  THAT FEAR of failure.  THAT FEAR of NOT being good enough.  Experts have tagged all these more as our emotional fears💥💥💥

IF there is a common and most prevalent RISK we would witness everyday, it is the RISK WHEN one is considering to embark into a totally different field, like kickstarting a new business venture.  If one is as raw as a rookie, that RISK of getting into a business foray can indeed be daunting.  BUT the key question one has to ask is to establish one's threshold.  LIKE HOW much capitalization are you committing?  LIKE HOW long can you go before you even hit break-even😃😃😃

YES dude, those are key questions that must have crystal clear answers way beyond you reach that informed decision.  I've witnessed someone abandoning his new business after a year way before hitting break-even.  I've seen businesses fold up because things get messier before churning out even drips and drops of revenue in a bucket.  I' also bear witness to entrepreneurs WHO had an auspicious start in their business venture and was just too eager-beaver to expand by branching out OR even literally expanding his current business way before things even would stabilize.  BUT that's more on doing things TOO much TOO soon WHICH is another form of RISK❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  Let's dissect words here sans all the complexities.  RISKS AREN'T about jumping out of an airplane OR betting one month's salary on horse racing OR running in front of traffic on a dare.  Calculated RISKS are WHAT really helps us reach our dreams.  Taking calculated RISKs are WHAT we can reach and achieve our dreams.  Frankly, without even a little RISK, let's NOT even utter the word REWARD.  Simply put, NO RISK equates to NO REWARDS dude!!!

A Shot In The Arm [WHEN Motivation Is LOW]

 

A Shot In The Arm [WHEN Motivation Is LOW] is always the obvious fix BUT that's easier said than just buying an over-the-counter aspiring, right?  Stress.  Anxiety.  Sleep Deprivation.  Irregular meals.  One too many superficial manifestations triggered by LOW MOTIVATION.  And in the old school, we are taught that either FEAR or FINANCIALS can fix things WHEN one's MOTIVATION is LOW.  BUT those old school fixes have been torn into pieces, proven to be all wrong, at the very least, purported fixes that only exacerbate LOW MOTIVATION❎❎❎

Years back, I had a tete-a-tete with our company psychometrician as I tried to seek counsel in addressing issues of LOW MOTIVATION amongst our workforce.  And pronto, he pitched towards tricking ourselves by acting AS IF we were motivated.  Seriously?  BUT he supported that proposal with research studies that proved it works most of the time.  LIKE for example, rather than sit on the couch in your pajamas all day waiting for MOTIVATION to strike,  get dressed and get moving.  I tried this and it works, promise!!!

And at times, I'd play devil's advocate and argue the opposite.  LIKE WHEN I was struggling with my MOTIVATION, I'd try to come up with a long list of reasons WHY I should NOT take any action.  LIKE "It will be too hard" OR "I'll never get it done anyway".  And NOT to scare you, those kinds of negative questions will keep you stuck, surely.  So, I'd try the opposite LIKE WHEN I think I'll fail, I'll argue all the reasons WHY I'll likely pull things through💥💥💥

Trust me, arguing the opposite can help you see both ends of the whole spectrum.  Furthermore, it can even remind you that an overly pessimistic outcome ISN'T completely accurate.  YES, there's that chance that things might work out much better than you expected, in fact.  And we might even find that developing a more balanced outlook will help you feel more motivated to try.  From a practical perspective, I also learned that so called 10-minute Rule.  LIKE WHEN you dread doing something, like even walking on the treadmill for three miles, you'll lack motivation to do it.  YES, you can reduce your feelings of dread, however, by proving to yourself that the task ISN'T as bad as you think😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  All through the years, I always strongly advocated MOTIVATED as something that's just there up in our sleeves.  THAT it is up for our taking.  THAT nothing can impede us from pulling out the aces amongst our cards.  Except of course if you're really seriously ill.  BUT other than stuff symptomatic of one's health issues, nothing should ever be singled out as a reason for your MOTIVATIONAL gauge to breach the threshold. Easier said than that but the frank truth is that IF YOU CAN trigger a SHOT IN THE ARM to change your MOTIVATION's trajectory, DO IT and DO IT dude😀😀😀

Course Correction OR Course Change?

 

Some people measure success by the wealth they have amassed and accumulated OR even in that selfish combination of power they attained and wield.  Icing on the cake is the title they achieve in society.  YET, even though they have reached the pinnacle of their success [sometimes way beyond their wildest dreams], some of them still have that empty feeling, that something is missing from their life.  Think of a bloated tummy with lots of air inside😗😗😗

So, WHEN is it time to CORRECT THE COURSE?  Given the thousands of permutations of life shaping itself, there are one too many iterations as well as to WHEN do we CORRECT THE COURSE?  For the exalted people now perched at a high pedestal OR even in an ivory tower, the common symptom often heard is that it's LONELY AT THE TOP.  Many are obsessed to go up the totem pole and WHEN some did arrive atop, it DIDN'T seem all cracked up to be.  Until one realizes that one's continual pursuit of advancement seriously compromises one's ability to spend quality time with one's family and build meaningful relationships💚💛💜

Sometimes it's because ENOUGH IS NOT ENOUGH.  Heard of a rich kid WHERE one of the ways to keep score in life was to compare one's toys with his neighbor's toys.  Surely, that will feel good ONLY FOR A WHILE but each 'HIGH' just DIDN'T last.  YES, I should know better hehehe because I realized that if we're NOT careful, the game of life can become an obsession, a misplaced one at that💥💥💥

As we live in era of extreme rapid change, succeeding in life requires that unqualified willingness to adapt, sometimes quickly and even at the spur of the moment.  And WHILE one quality we need is that ability to see things through even WHEN the going gets tough, experts say that the most commendable quality is recognizing WHEN it's time to CHANGE THE COURSE [BUT they warn us that that is never easy] because one can be far less likely to find yourself having to rise from the ashes]❗❗❗

Our takeaway:  Opportunities for improvements do abound.  Knowing WHERE those best ones to explore improvement opportunities requires quite an understanding of WHAT's going on in the larger context of one's circumstances.  WHEN you can see your own direction, you should be able to find both opportunities and potential perils down the road.  Knowing the "WHY" of change is a great motivator for our COURSE CHANGE😋😋😋

People-pleasing, Anyone?

 

PEOPLE-PLEASING, anyone?  Oh YES, you might challenge me, WHY do we need to spend time just to dissect PEOPLE-PLEASING WHEN we have many other things much more important in life than this?  Agree and disagree.  IF you hardly fall into that trap, yes, you may please ignore and skip this discourse BUT I'll still be egging you to join the fray because this is worth a fraction of our time.  Likely, even the most demeanored and disciplined person, at times even IF you're hardly into PEOPLE-PLEASING, you can be on the receiving end dude💚💛💜

Supposedly, PEOPLE-PLEASING is no big thing to bother us BUT generally, these behaviors are often manifested by individuals WHO fear abandonment, isolation OR resentment from others.  And WHILE this manifestation could be in its chronic state for some, experts advise us that healing from these tendencies are very much worth it to pursue.  BUT before going to the possible FIX[es], are we aware that 'PEOPLE-PLEASERS' tend to be known [BUT NOT famous on a positive note] to many more compared to the typical person WHO runs his ship tightly?  And IF we are known to a lot more people for doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to make others happy, it's NOT the best way to be known, right dude😉😉😉
 

WHILE a PEOPLE-PLEASER tends to put the needs of others ahead of their own, that type of person is highly attuned to others and often seen as agreeble, helpful and kind BUT PEOPLE-PLEASERs can also have trouble advocating for themselves, WHICH can precariously lead to a potentially harmful pattern of self-sacrifice OR worse, even self-neglect.  Experts say that PEOPLE-PLEASING is associated with a personality trait known as sociotropy❌❌❌

The bigger question that may pop-up here is IF we are challenged as to WHY we're spending time on this PEOPLE-PLEASING thing WHEN there are more important things to cover in life?  YES dude, this all boils down to the fact that although PEOPLE-PLEASING ISN'T necessarily a bad thing, it can potentially become a problem IF the real reason behind is that we are trying to win 'approval' [OR acceptance] to shore up our weak self-esteem OR worse, if we are pursuing the happiness of others at the expense of your very own emotional well-being😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  The mother of all ironies with PEOPLE-PLEASING is that at the end of the day, we ourselves will end up 'depleted' WHEN we redirect most if NOT all of our energy and mental resources toward making sure that others are happy.  Even some research studies suggests that as our willpower and even resources get depleted, it might feel like you are NOT living your life authentically and worst, it may even mean that you have very little left, if at all, to devote to your own needs.  The deepest ramification of all these is that this may lead us to have weaker relationships as putting the needs of others way ahead of yours may mean that one day, you will find yourself resentful adding salt to an open wound, others will take your kindness and attentiveness for granted.  PEOPLE-PLEASING anyone???

Speed & Adrenaline Versus Comfort & Peace

Allow me to share this Quora.com post by Tiwari:  A French Dassault Rafale jet slows down, flies alongside the Airbus and calls the airline pilot over the radio:  "Hey bus driver!  Boring flight, isn't it?  Fasten your seatbelt and take a look at this:  He does a barrel roll, accelerates, breaks the sound barrier, climbs vertically up to a dizzying height, then dives down to sea level in a breathtaking spin.  Returning to the Airbus, the Rafale fighter jet pilot asked, 'Well, how was that?'  The Airbus pilot says, 'That was very impressive BUT look over here. The Rafale fighter jet pilot looks at the Airbus BUT nothing happens.  It keeps flying calmly in a straight line at a constant speed and after five minutes, the Airbus pilot calls back on the radio and asked 'WHAT do you think?'  The puzzled fighter jet asked, 'WHAT did you do?'  I got up, stretched my legs, walked to the back of the plane and used the restroom, had a cup of tea and had a cinnamon roll'📗📙📘

Moral of the story?  WHEN we are young, speed and adrenaline seem to be the best things in life.  BUT as we grow older and wiser, we learn to value comfort and peace much more than anything. BUT please DON'T misconstrue me.  I DON'T mean we should push ourselves to be in that laidback and passive state, NO sirrrrrrs.  Instead, it is more about intentionally slowing down through our mindfulness, setting our priorities and boundaries [LIKE having the courage to say 'NO'] and even disconnecting from digital overload, focusing on single tasks [and NOT multitasking]❎❎❎

This is NOT to mean that we should embrace more the Airbus pilot as compared to that Rafale fighter jet pilot.  BUT instead, let's always go back to our priorities.  If today we are indeed in a Rafale jet fighter pilot, then by all means, that frenetic pace of that pilot is the one we can aptly embrace now.  BUT in life, let's embrace that 'balancing act' and align it with our priorities either for the day OR for the long-term.  Even if assuming your pace of likfe now is comparable to that Rafale jet fighter pilot, it DOESN'T mean that that should be your constant pace, day-in day-out.  And that's WHERE your 'balancing act' gets into play💧💧💧

Of course, we can all admit that till to date, that is something we're still figuring out as this is the very key to productivity, confidence and success in everything we do.  YES, it's our own pace.  IF at all we were born to be a slow learner, life itself will push us to become faster.  And IF we were born a hesitant neurotic, life pushes us to slow down.  YES dude, eventually, life balances things out.  BUT knowing your own pace of work, knowing HOW you like to operate and NOT letting other people's way of life interfere with yours, is the very key❗❗❗

Our takeaway:  I've heard this many times, that society wants you and me to be a certain way and that the best worker is the one WHO's always anxious about WHAT others will think of them.  In the end, we tend to keep pushing ourselves to the limit because we want to make a good impression OR at the very least, to keep in pace in that damn rat race.  So, WHETHER you will go for the SPEED and ADRENALINE versus the COMFORT and PEACE, it's your call dude😀😀😀

A Man Is What He Thinks All Day Long - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

American poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson was known for so many things insightful and picking his brain, allow me to quote WHEN he said:  A MAN IS WHAT HE THINKS ALL DAY LONG.  BUT to be fair, this train of thought does NOT come from Ralph Waldo Emerson alone.  I'd like to draw a parallelism with Buddhist teachings WHICH, to quote, says:  YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE, showing and proving just HOW powerful thoughts can actually be as it can indeed influence and dictate the outcomes💚💛💜

Once I came across that mind-body connection, highlighting that indeed there is that CAUSE and EFFECT with both.  Frankly, I can attest to this.  IF you are thinking positive thoughts in your mind,  that will get reflected on the body with an upright posture, a smile on your face, and a general all-round positive demeanour.  And YES, that works conversely as well [and I can attest to that as well]💧💧💧

Try slouching and add frowning to it, WHAT happens next is a giveaway because it will reflect in your overall low mood and add your poor posture to that.  WHAT happens next?  Sad and often depressing thoughts will overwhelm you inside out.  Multiple researches, though, have NOT totally accepted that mind and body connection due to conflicting and inconsistent research findings.  BUT I WON'T wait for a consensus across experts.  Instead, I'll lean on my actual life experiences LIKE those times I was feeling low one day and before I know it, I was feeling depressed NOT until I took a conscious effort to extricate myself from that morass.  That makes me concur when Ralp Waldo Emerson says that A MAN IS WHAT HE THINKGS ALL DAY LONG💥💥💥

Just to share my own 2-cents here.  The other way in WHICH I tried to improve my mood [even with the least efforts exerted] was through making myself look and feel good and that could mean to as simple as being cleanly shaven and my hair groomed [IF NOT styled].  Of course, dressing up smartly are the toppings of your dish OR dessert.  Over time though, before finding these simple techniques to change HOW I thought, I would often be thinking of myself as either pitifully useless OR inadequate enough.  And NO matter WHAT I did OR said to reinforce these beliefs and those comments that I received from others, I would make them fit into my own way of thinking about myself.  Admittedly, there were numerous times WHEN I felt I was utterly useless and in the process of that thinking, I felt I had made myself useless during those times❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  One instance that triggered my realization was this poetic one-liner:  YOU CAN THINK YOU'RE A PORCUPINE ALL DAY BUT YOU WILL NEVER BECOME A PORCUPINE.  The idea behind this statement is that you can think of many and even all things BUT that DOESN'T mean that they are true.  As the sentence goes, just because you think you're a porcupine DOESN'T mean you are one.  Thinking that I was kind of useless DIDN'T necessarily mean that I was that useless.  At the end of the day, I'll always claw back and cling to that old cliche that says LIFE IS WHAT YOU ARE [and that includes your thoughts.  Yes I agree with Ralph Waldon Emerson that A MAN IS WHAT HE THINKS ALL DAY LONG😀😀😀

Reality Is NOT Out There!

 

HOW many times have we heard someone blurt, LIKE 'GO OUT AND GET OUT BECAUSE REALITY IS OUT THERE!!! Seriously??? I just DON'T buy that though.  So WHAT's the fuss about this?  ISN'T it enough that things are as they are?  The plain and simple answer is a flat NO because we are sometimes deceived.  We need to tell the difference between hard ground amd marsh land that only looks hard📗📙📘

Often, we need to know WHETHER something is a bear OR only a child with a bearskin rug over its head, right?  YES, we seem to have evolved tl tell the real from the false.   Injure the brain and the victim may lose their sense of reality.  Oh YES, when we catch flu, the familiar world can indeed seem unreal.  And you might even ask, WHAT is the nature of 'upright'?  Truth is, the real is the genuine, the reliable, WHAT we can claim we can rely on and lean on💚💛💜

This is all akin to the truthful, valuable and even deligthful.  BUT it's opposite is NOT illusion BUT the fake, the counterfeit that WHICH CAN'T be trusted, has [frankly] NO cash value.  True, stuff like the theater, paintings, television and even social media and literature, most of them deal in illusion BUT can be real in the sense that they nurture and enlarge us, helping us to make sense of experience💥💥💥

In our day-to-day life, once we turn all our sensory functions to full throttle, it is ironic that instead of us embracing the true, real and genuine REALITY, sometimes WHAT we embrace as the REALITY is the unreal, the untrue, the fiction side of things.  WHY?  Blame it on our perceptions and biases.  As the old cliche goes, many times, we see WHAT we want to see, we find the version of REALITY we believe is the REALITY😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  From my limited viewfinder, I have witnessed first-hand numerous disconnects and gaps even in the most petty and minor discourse.  And the common culprit?  That disparity in the very REALITY of things, WHEN at times, we would end up with two OR even more versions of REALITY.  To complicate a supposedly simple scenario, some of us humans tend to be 'ALL-KNOWING'.  In fact, NOT once in my life did I hear someone admit like "I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE HEADS AND TAILS OF IT'.   More often, they seem to have it???

Of Pilots And Donuts

 

Of PILOTS and DONUTS.  WHAT's in there we can dig in for a quick discourse?  YES, it's a no-brainer to draw the parallelism between pilots and life itself.  Just to get a pilot license, one has to go through the long and circuituous process.  Starting from acquiring the private pilot license until one becomes a commercial pilot, the required flying hours starts at 150 hours until one acquires about 1,500+ flying hours to become a commercial pilot.  Let's think about life.  NOT far different from a pilot's path💚💛💜

Much as I am NOT into those pilot stuff, let's agree that the life of a pilot is a journey like NO other journey.  And once an aspiring student starts to aim to become a certified flight instructor, the road becomes ten times much complicated and even more difficult after the checkride.  YES, I heard narratives that there is so much pressure to keep going💥💥💥

Take several notches higher as one aims to become a commercial pilot, the complexity just skyrockets ten-fold.  And that is no far different from the way we approach our life.  At our early age, life seemed so plain and simple.  All you need to bother are your meals, your school uniform and there you go to school.  Fast-forward WHEN one either plunges into his business forays OR gets into the workplace, our situation is no different from the pilot's ladderized approach for him to progress through his steep trajectory that needs to be hurdled.  Think about it, if we're an aspiring pilot and have completed our basic flying school and after having acquired our basic pilot license, will you just turn your back and abandon things WHEN you hit the halfway mark?  Of course, right dude❓❓❓

Oh yes, you might retort, WHAT has DONUTS got to do in our thread today?  NOW, just as pilots need fuel, pilots need food, right?  And DONUTS are one of the more popular ones because it is popular enough as an easy choice, regardless you are in-transit, in layovers OR delayed flights.  So, yes dude.  we must have the 'counterpart of DONUTS' in life because from time to time, we need DONUTS😋😋😋

Our takeaway:  Regardless WHETHER by sheer coincidence, one is really aspiring to be a pilot OR not, the truth is, in life, we can always easily draw that parallelism with PILOTS and DONUTS.  NOT to forget WHEN one becomes a successful pilot, YES dude, the rewards are simply enormous.  Such is life.  The hardest part is all plotted up every step of the way, like landmines that remain incognito to the best ammunition experts you can deploy to detect it.  BUT once you reap the rewards of the successes, things can ricochet up sometimes way beyond WHAT we can fathom.  YES dude, PILOTS and DONUTS are worth it to draw its parallelisms to our life💥💥💥