The Process of Exploring Out of the Box

There’s more to learning something new than simply thinking about it

On the long series of flights back home from Bhutan and Nepal last weekend, I came across an article on CNN Tech, “Mark Zuckerberg’s Bizarre New Self-Improvement Goal.” I haven’t really been a fan of the arrogant wunderkind, and the article didn’t sway me much, but this particular aspect of Zuckerberg did resonate—and the fact that CNN’s Heather Kelly would call it “bizarre” perplexed me. She wrote:

“Every year, the Facebook CEO sets some sort of challenge for himself. In 2010, he tried to learn Mandarin. In 2009, he vowed to wear a tie to work every day to show he was serious about Facebook’s growth (and possibly get a break from the signature T-shirt and hoodie he wears to every public event).

“The annual challenges sometimes make headlines, most famously in 2011 when Zuck vowed to eat animals only if he had killed them himself. That pronouncement led to a mixture of backlash and praise from animal-rights activists.

“This year, the famously introverted Zuckerberg is seeking out more conversations with actual humans.”

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Dive Deeper

Dear Kevin,

The key point of your post, my take away, is that to understand anything at your core, whether it's with Buddhist philosophy, learning a language, relationships or work, you need to take a meaningful deep dive i.e. go to the gemba. And, such a dive takes dedicated time, effort and discipline.

I don't have strong discipline; my mind is easily distracted -- it's obvious from my tweets. So, I have been making an effort to set aside time and put in the effort to develop my ability to focus. I regret that I didn't do this sooner, but better late than never. The benefits have been beyond expectation: my life has slowed, I listen better, my understanding has improved, and my sense of empathy has grown. I am now on a learning path.

I was inspired both by your conscious achievements and Mark Zuckerberg's approach. I will be working on incorporating the ideas you shared and restructuring my frame. It's always a delight to learn something that materially improves my life.

Best regards,

Shrikant Kalegaonkar (Twitter: @shrikale; LinkedIn: shrikale)

legend or truth?

India's indians say that the most valuable man's treasure lies buried deep in man's heart: this could be a 2014 exploration project, a voyage to the center of man. The means and tools would not be expensive and costly technological equipment, or media-oriented shows, the main ingredient of this recipe being humbleness. I wish you you a good journey, if and when you'll ever make it.