Challenges are a part of life. We've all been there – just when things are going smoothly, an obstacle appears and stifles our progress. In the past my approach to obstacles was straightforward: put my head down and work my way out of it. Unsurprisingly, that approach created more problems than it solved. So if you've found yourself in a similar situation, here's an alternative three-step approach to guide you:

1. Recover

First take a step back to dedicate some quality time for yourself. Think of it this way:

If a car runs out of fuel, you're not going to get anywhere by trying to start the engine over and over again. You have to find a source to re-fuel to get moving.

Rest through actions that energise you, like meditating, journaling, or taking long walks instead of actions that exhaust you, such as aimlessly scrolling through social media.

2. Think Slow

Now its time to zoom out and identify what that obstacle really is and how you've got there. If you can't understand the challenge you're facing, its almost impossible to fight it. So ask yourself: Is it a mental block? Is it a lack of discipline? What's caused it?

Break it all down to its finest detail on a piece of paper. If its something you're faced with often, keep that paper someplace safe.

3. Act Fast

The final step is straightforward: action. But don't overwhelm yourself. Just think of the minimum viable action. If you can't focus, commit to just ten minutes. If you can't get started, break the action into smaller chunks. The aim is to make your initial action a no-brainer, create momentum and eventually breakthrough your obstacle with ease.

The art of meditation has been around for thousands of years and its popularity continues to rise. In fact, it's estimated that up to 500 million people worldwide practice meditation daily.

In order to get started with my journey, earlier this year I participated in a 10-week course called Mindfulness for Life and that shifted my entire perspective on meditation.

Since then I've been practicing on a daily basis (53 days and counting) and some of the lessons I've learned along the way have been absolutely life-changing. Here are the three major benefits I've observed during this time.

Greater Awareness

Since starting meditation, I've managed to rewire my brain. I've obtained a greater understanding of myself, and what I need to do to get to the next level: physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Taking a few minutes each day gave me an opportunity to reflect on my habits and even transform destructive feedback loops into more constructive ones. For instance, I managed to replace my unhealthy habit of aimlessly scrolling through YouTube, with a more fruitful habit of writing online.

Improved Attention Span

In the past, I would struggle to pay attention to conversations with friends and family. My mind would be scattered all over the place and I would often forget the names of people I met a few minutes ago.

Meditation has given me greater control of my thoughts and emotions. During conversations, I'm now able to actively listen and focus on what the other person is saying, rather than what's running through my mind at any given moment. In fact, this isn't limited to conversations. My day-to-day tasks are now met with incredible amounts of focus too.

Decreased Stress Levels

Being a medical student, stress is an absolute certainty. This was one of the major reasons I wanted to start practicing meditation in the first place.

Instead of being preoccupied with things out of my control, being mindful has shifted my mindset to focus on the things I actually can control. The same exams I would dread preparing for are now met with a more nourishing approach rather than a depleting one.

"Meditation is the process through which we get to know how our mind works & train our attention to remain where we place it"

In middle school, creative writing had always been one of my favorite tasks. I had the ability to create stories, fictional and non-fictional. But as time passed and my priorities shifted, I lost my touch and writing had become a thing of the past.

7 years later, I came across the bullet journal method and eventually made the transition to journaling into the Day One app. Writing for myself has taught me a lot and it was a key step to my transition to writing online. Today I want to share with you three important lessons I learned from my journey of writing.

1. Write like no one is reading

When I started writing once again, I struggled to put anything on paper. I was under the assumption that my writing needs to be perfectly edited, with the appropriate punctuation and sentences.

Soon enough I realized that this was the wrong approach. Once I let go of the shackles of formal grammar and began pouring everything on my mind with no hesitations, that's when my writing really began to take shape.

Start by writing for yourself - it doesn't have to make sense. It can be about your favorite meal, a reflection of the day, or even an elaborate to-do list. Just keep it simple!

"Writing to me is simply thinking through my fingers" - Isaac Asimov

2. Elevated mental clarity

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of to-dos on your list? Believe me, you are not alone. Writing itself is extremely powerful because it gives you the opportunity to streamline your thoughts as you put them down on paper. Many times, the same items I had on my to-do list, didn't seem as intimidating once I broke them down in my own writing. In fact, research shows that writing has a positive effect on your working memory as well as on your cognition and mood.

3. Unleashed creativity

Some of my best ideas this year have all been a result of writing them down. By simply breaking down an idea that was on my mind, I started making links and started to see a path as to how I could implement it.

Whether you're looking for a solution to a hundred-year-old question or want to make a million dollars, your first step should be to simply write it down and break it into actionable pieces.

"If you want to change the world, pick up a pen and write" - Martin Luther King

By now, we all are familiar with the Pomodoro method. It has become one of the most popular 'productivity hacks' in recent memory. With this technique, a simple 25-minute timer is followed by a 5 minute break. I've been using it for over 5 years now and recommend it to everyone looking to tackle procrastination.

Lately however, I've been experiementing with a new method which I call "The Reverse Pomodoro" and surprisingly ive been able to sustain focus for even longer durations of time. Here's how you can apply it into your workflow.

The Story

This summer I was working on my thesis for my final year of medical school. Unfortunately, with the deadline approaching within a matter of days, I realized that the stop-start methodology behind the pomodoro technique was only diminishing my level of output.

So I decided it was time to try a new method, and this is when I starting using "The Reverse Pomodoro Method"

The Method

It's a very simple yet effective technique. Once you have all the tools for your task all you need to do is :

• Start a stopwatch.

• Keep working until your focus drops to >50%

• Once it does, stop the stopwatch.

• Take a short break.

The Result

After applying this method, I noticed that my true level of focus dropped by 50% only after two hours of work! (instead of the pre-determined 25 minutes)

With no extra effort, I was able to write out a 7000+ word paper in less than 4 days using this method.

When you achieve a state of flow, the best thing you can do is maximise your momentum to finish off as much as possible - once you notice you're starting to get distracted easily, THAT is the point you take a short break.

So if you're working on a big project, try out this method and I'd love to know if you found it helpful!

In this new age of technology, anything is possible. This year I submerged myself with content from social media. However, instead of scrolling aimlessly, I used it for one purpose :

Transform from a consumer to creator.

The first step to do this is implementing the Ikigai Framework. This will answer four questions :

• What are you good at?

• What do you love?

• What does the world need?

• What can you be paid for?

Break this framework into a mindmap, and watch your creativity unleash. Focus on what you are passionate about and what value you can provide.

Start telling your story.

It's a human need to be told stories. This is how we learn and share any form of content. It is a fundamental unit of human understanding.

Pick any medium of your choice to share your ideas. I picked Twitter and Revue.

"Do things, tell people!"

Tools to succeed

Now that you have an idea of what you want to create, use the following:

• Forest - Plan a 25-minute tree each day to read/write/learn

• DayOne - Express what's on your mind. Start writing daily.

• Streaks - Build the habit of working and sharing your content daily.

• Notion - Capture anything that resonates with you

Find your purpose

Discover your reason for posting content. Is it to educate? Is it to report?

Find people who inspire you, study what makes them successful, and identify the gaps you can fill.

Switch your mindset

When starting out, your aim is to just put your work out there, just like mine currently is.

When you're passionate about an activity, the journey becomes enjoyable. Shorten the feedback loop and just get started. Use this as an opportunity to express yourself, share value, and build together with people who think like you.

The New Age

The internet is in its infancy phase. So start building your story, gain experience and share it with others.

"If you aren't sharing your story, someone else is"