Operating Principle & Plan for 2019
Not much fond of New Year Resolutions, this post is more for me to refer through-out the new year.
Update (1/1/19) — Instead of just a post, would update this regularly with plans in each area and what actions I took against those plans. This would be a live document from which I will try to operate in 2019.
Update (20/5/19) — Completed one very important goal of Social Connections! In 138 days as against 365 days.
Last year I did something similar and botched up on most of the things I wanted to do. :(
This year will try to do better.
In 2019 I want to focus on the following —
Books
Last 3 years I have been able to read at least 20 books and in 2019 it will not be different. I am not in pursuit of increasing the count just for the sake of it. Around 20, give or take +/3 is what I am comfortable with and able to grasp what I read.
What I read in 2018, 2017 and 2016.
Although in 2019, I want to read a lot more of fiction (and reading widely on various topics such as Philosophy, History, Biographies, etc) which I have been largely ignoring the past few years. So if you have any recommendations, would be happy to explore.
Last year I started to abandon books which made me more conducive to trying new genres of books.
Last year I thought I will buy only after I have finished reading but this doesn't seem to work for me. New recommendations keep coming and sometimes I may buy a book on a particular topic I want to know about. Key would be to get to what I have and also explore more books as desired.
Out of 20, these are the 11 books which I will read or abandon in 2019.
Health
Last 2 years my health has gone for a toss. Have put on 20 kgs in the past 24 months and no excuse is justified for this.
Main causes is excess Sugar, trash Diet and less exercise/movement.
Sugar
To say I have a sweet tooth would be an understatement. I used to eat sweet after every meal (lunch and dinner) and fond of aerated drinks — Cola!
Last 10–12 days I have cut down drastically and feel astonishingly better in many aspects. Feel stupid to have eaten so much sugar for years and did a lot of damage (hopefully reversible).
Came across a book on sugar and seems to be an insightful read —
Diet
Quantity wise you would be pleasantly surprised to see what I eat. However, it’s the quality of what I eat is the problem. Pizzas, burger, fried-food, etc is what I devoutly love as a foodie.
Time to cut back for a better future.
Have started to have light dinner — soup and stir-fry veggies among other things. Some wise man said to have the heaviest of breakfast, less heavy lunch and lightest dinner. For us, dinner tends to the heaviest. And that is a problem as the food hardly gets consumed and converts to fat easily.
Another book from the author above on this subject —
Exercise/Movement
The more heavy one is, the more effort it takes to be physically active.
Past few weeks have been fairly regular to the gym (4–5 times a week) and want to push on this more.
Would like to have some exercise/jog/run twice a day. Once in the morning and other in the evening/night.
Also may want to avail the services of a Personal Trainer who can push me beyond my comfort zone.
For a healthy living, exercise/movement is essentially non-negotiable and should be an integral part of the day to day lives.
Was going through my Health data since 2016 (that was when I moved back to iPhone) as a phone is something which we carry with us all the time.
From 2016 to 2017 there was a significant drop in my daily number of steps as my son was born in that year in Jan and hence both (wife and me) of our schedule got changed significantly which left very less time and energy for a concentrated exercise schedule.
And then interestingly from 2017 to 2018, there was a significant increase, much more than the drop from 2016 to 2017.
This year I HAVE to at the very bare minimum achieve average steps of 6329 which effectively means I have to complete a lot more on a daily basis as there will be times when I am unable to do it.
So far —
Jan’19 — 5399
Feb’19–6048
Mar’19–6440
JFM Q1 Average — 5962
Apr’19–4583
Had a 30% drop in walking due to an injury which severely limited my regular movement. Intent to compensate for the same in May.
May’19–6688 (45% increase than April and the highest ever this year so far)
June’19–7767 (16% increase than May and the highest ever this year so far)
AMJ Q2 Average — 6346 (due to the drop in April overall average is not much higher than in Q1)
July’19–5273 (drop of 32%, due to extra long hours at work, just couldn't manage to wake up on time in the morning. Will make up in August.)
Aug’19–6151 (an increase of 17%, better but not happy)
Sep’19–5591 (a drop of 10% compared to Aug)
JAS Q3 Average — 5671(this quarter average dropped by 10% compared to AMJ)
Oct’19–6069
Nov’19–6457 (an increase of 6.39%)
Dec’19–5470 (a drop of 15%)
OND Q4 Average — 5998 (an increase of 5% over the last quarter)
2019 Average — 5993 (a drop of 5% over 2018), not happy. :(
Social Connections
As an introvert, I hate large group gatherings/parties and more comfortable with meaningful time with my family, relatives/cousins and close friends.
I have always realised the importance of social connections but have always resisted due to my inherent nature. Will attempt to improve on this.
In 2019, I want to meet in-person at least 12 complete strangers related to my profession of UX Research/Design and they can be anywhere in the world. It can be a 30–60 mins meeting over meals or a beverage.
Update —
2nd Jan 2019 — Meeting #1
Met Dhruv Saxena who is a Design Partner at Uncommon. Great conversation and lunch.
Some very interesting conversations which helped to broaden my perspective.
Few stood out —
- Importance of mentors and growth as a designer by being around great people. CIID was a game changer for Dhruv.
- Design is like writing, beautiful handwriting doesn’t mean the content is effective. Good content is critical and no harm of it being beautiful.
- Every designer is a researcher at uncommon. Some are good at something and so on but everyone does user research.
- Dhruv has no social apps on his phone including WhatsApp He checks email twice a day. All social apps are on his desktop
- Its impossible to constantly fail.
- Life will take you where you want to go. Going deep may help to uncover where one wants to go.
- Servant leadership. Dhruv executes from 6 am till afternoon and then 2nd half is dedicated to meetings, client interactions and things like that.
- Pair designing, like Pair programming. 2 minds better and bring the necessary change of perspective.
5th February 2019— Meeting #2
Met Hardik Pandya who works in Google as an Interaction Designer. Inspiring conversation and delectable coffee.
I have met Hardik before and always look forward to reading his succinct thoughts on Medium and on Twitter. Very humble and always willing to help.
14th February 2019 — Meeting #3
Met Harini Karthik, who heads the UX Research function at Flipkart, Bangalore, India
Though we had spoken briefly online, it was an absolute delight catching up with Harini over delicious Honey-Cinnamon Cold-coffee! The way she is leading her team, the kind of work she and her team are doing at Flipkart, her philosophies and thoughts, it was very inspiring.
8th April 2019 — Meeting #4
Adit (Gupta) and I have been talking fairly often on Twitter. It was just a matter of when we would meet rather than if. I sent him a tweet asking if we can meet and he agreed instantly. Yes, Adit is a kind soul, now in hindsight after meeting him over great beer and good food at Byg Brewsky, Sarjapur, Bangalore.
Adit is a Senior UX Designer at Paypal, Bangalore. But he is also a lot more than his title would suggest. He is also a Google Developer Expert in Product Design among other things and is very active in the UX community. I suggest having a look at his LinkedIn profile to know him better.
I try to be very respectful about people’s time and had scheduled for an hour. Time flew by and we were spent more than 2 hours. Honestly, it didn’t feel I am meeting Adit for the first time.
10th April 2019 — Meeting #5
“You don’t have to stay in a place where you are unhappy”
“There are always levers which you can push and fulcrum you can leverage.”
The above statements reflect the kindness of Rahul (Gonsalves). It was our first ever meeting besides random exchanges of Twitter and a chance encounter when I had my first meeting with Dhruv. (Dhruv and Rahul are Design Partners at Obvious).
Over some good coffee at Blue Tokai (it’s one of the most beautifully designed ambiences I have come across in recent times), Rahul gave me a whole new perspective on some of the things I have been grappling with and provided directions on how to come out of it. I was much better from inside full of hope and optimism after meeting Rahul.
17th April 2019 — Meeting #6
I have heard and read a lot about Sunit (Singh) who runs Design Capital. So when he reached out, I just had to meet him. Can’t share much from the conversation, but the design studio he has in Indiranagar is unlike I have seen — minimalist personified and yet classy.
Note — Was in a rush for another meeting (below) and hence forgot to take a pic.
17th April 2019 — Meeting #7
I am very interested in FinTech space and that is what I got to talk about Sameer (Bhiwani) who is the VP of Design and Customer Experience at Scripbox.
It was my first ever interaction with Sameer and frankly, it didn’t feel like we have not met before. It’s amazing how we tend to hit off with people right from the start.
17th April 2019 — Meeting #8
I know Yatin (Sathawane) from Ripul (Kumar) who was my ex-boss at Tally.
Ripul and Yatin have worked together for a long time when they were at Kern, which Ripul had founded.
Over some delicious Pav Bhaji at Yatin’s office (he works at [24]7 as a Senior UX Researcher), Yatin spoke about his journey into UX Research, how he went through the difficult times in the US during 9/11 when he was a recent graduate and a lot more. He was very kind and candid and gave me lots of advice on how I can be a better UX Researcher and how can I keep building on my profile and therefore become more valuable in the industry.
Yatin is super fun and very easy going. It was like meeting a friend after ages.
Note — Yatin looks older and a bit serious like in his photos. In reality, he looks way younger and is anything but serious. :)
26th April 2019 — Meeting #9
When I started this goal of meeting 12 new people on 1st Jan 2019, I had no idea where this would take me and I didn’t have any pre-set expectations from this endeavour of mine. All I wanted was to get out of my comfort zone and talk to people whom I don’t know or may have briefly interacted on some of the social channels.
After meeting Parimala (Hariprasad), I am so glad I started this endeavour and was able to meet Pari. In Hindi “Pari” means Angel and after our conversations over delicious Hash Brown and Tea at Tea Villa Cafe, Pari is standing true to her name. What was supposed to be an hour conversation, went on for close to 2 hours and I felt we could go on for hours. Pari is a Senior UX Manager at Amadeus Group, a mentor for Nasscom, Blogger (250+ posts), Conference Speaker and also a Google Developer Expert in Interaction Design!! I was so underqualified to even meet her considering all that she is from a professional standpoint.
And yet her humility is what makes Pari such a kind soul.
Besides talks on Design/Research, it was quite an emotional conversation as we both had gone through or going through one of our family members battling Cancer and how it impacted our lives.
Also, Pari and I are in the same boat professionally speaking and figuring out how to navigate the various challenges we have been facing.
7th May 2019 — Meeting #10
30 countries under 30, that is the goal of Vivek (Kumar) who works as a Product Designer at Zoomcar, Bangalore. He has done 1 already this year and will possibly end up with 2 more before the year ends! What a fantastic life goal to have at age 25!
Vivek and I have been talking on Twitter for quite some time and when he sent a tweet “Let’s meet”, it was time to talk beyond the screen.
Over some lunch (Sandwich and Cold Coffee) at Glen Bakehouse, it was fascinating and inspiring to hear the journey of Vivek from being an Engineer grad to working as a Product Designer at Zoomcar.
We spoke for close to 2 hours and we could have gone on for a lot more time.
Meeting people like Vivek who are way younger than me (I envy him and many others) leave me with so much perspective and I feel more recharged and inspired than before.
8th May 2019 — Meeting #11
Ajith had reached out to me on LinkedIn and wanted to meet. He works as a UX Leader at FoodStreet.
An Engineering Grad, Ajith loves to travel (enjoys Photography), also enjoys Dance and has a passion for Film-making! It’s amazing when people have passion, they somehow find time to pursue all of it.
I found Ajith’s perspective intriguing that when someone is Dancing or making a Film, they tend to keep the audience in mind to find resonance, (somewhat agree but this can also cloud one’s own judgement as the audience may not always know what they want) and this is the same philosophy he tries to apply in his job as a UX Leader, which is great.
Staying connected with the user is so critical and I was amazed to hear that Ajith spends a lot of time with his product’s actual users. He has played the role of a Dispatch Manager and also the role of a Delivery Person to understand their day-to-day activity and where our product plays a part.
It’s wonderful that in his very first job, he is doing all this, all on his own.
18th May 2019 — Meeting #12
Deepen (Vora) and I have been in touch on Twitter on and off. After a couple of attempts at figuring out when to meet, we were finally able to catch up over lunch at Purani Dilli. Over some delicious chat, kulchas, mango shakes and lassi…we spoke about the UX community, his journey — quite a roller coaster one for Deepen past 2–3 years, and what's he up to currently.
I was motivated by his pivot towards healthy living and how he is able to become lean. One thing to start with, eat less out. :)
30th May 2019 — Meeting #13
I had reached out to Mrudula (Sreekanth) for my “Research the Researcher” initiative and she was kind enough to agree to participate.
On a cloudy Thursday Bangalore afternoon, we caught up at Mrudula’s office — Peepal Design. After a short tour of her office (unline corporates, the office is small yet super cosy and has a homely feel to it), the Usability Lab (top-notch), meeting her team (bunch of smiling, energetic & young flock) and picking up chai (almost like home) , I had a wonderful 70 mins conversation with Mrudula.
We spoke a lot about her, Peepal Design, myself and everything Research. Learnt a lot and it was inspiring to hear about her journey.
11th June 2019 — Meeting #14
Dharmesh (BA) and I have interacted a few times over Twitter. He is very active in building the Design community in Bangalore through his association with DesignUp and IxDA Bangalore Chapter.
Dharmesh was earlier at Cleartax and now works at SETU which is essentially into building APIs in the Fintech space. They doing some remarkable things at the back-end.
So when Dharmesh reached out to me to talk about Design Research, I was intrigued and excited. We met at the lovely offices at Setu’s office in Bangalore over delicious filter coffee. They have a bookshelf which is drool-worthy more so because of the titles which adorn the shelf.
We spoke at length on Design Research, processes, best practices, etc. Design Research is my passion and it time very well spent.
18th July 2019 — Meeting #15
Met Shami Raj, who leads Design at Cure.Fit. I was introduced to Shami, by another friend of mine (Anirudh Srinivas). Shami was looking for a UX Researcher to set things up at Cure.Fit. We met over drinks at SHIFT and it was a wonderful conversation, to say the least.
Surprisingly, I had not heard of Shami earlier and he is truly a very passionate and industry veteran and doing a lot of things at a system level to elevate the Design community as a whole.
Thanks, Anirudh for the intro.
Though I have managed to complete this very important Goal, I am still keen and excited to meet more people.
So if you are or know some Product Manager/UX Researchers/Designers who have something interesting to share, do let me know and I will be happy to reach out to the person.
In 2018 was able to catch up with my cousins and school friend, after almost 2 years of trying to make a plan but for some reason or other, things kept getting cancelled. Want to continue this in 2019 or at least in 2020 (alternate years).
Life is very fragile and hence want to spend time especially with people I cherish.
Writing
In 2018 did a decent job of posting 15 articles (excluding this one) on Medium.
This year want to do more and more importantly, do it on a regular basis. Many months I didn’t post at all and some months I posted multiple posts.
I don’t remember who said the following (heavily paraphrased)—
“Writing is about knowing what you don’t fully understand.”
When I look back at my posts, the above struck me as so true.
We all should write and write more often not for others but for ourselves to understand things better.
If not for posts for public consumption, one should attempt to write daily journals to self-reflect.
Update (9 April 19) —
Started doing deliberate practice to hone my UX writing skills. Have a look.
Also been writing on other interesting stuff.
Side Projects
It is very rare, in my experience, to get all the work satisfaction from something which you do from 9–5 be it on your job or your own venture. This is where side-projects play an interesting role and if I may add necessary for us to enjoy the work we do from 9–5.
In 2018 I started posting Tips on the topic of UX Research (#uxrtips) which I am very passionate about. You can view all (63) the tips here.
In 2019 I will resume #uxrtips series and also some more things are in the works. Too early to share on those.
Update (9 April 19) —
Resumed my UX Research Tips in the form of Season-2. More on this here. You can follow me on LinkedIn where I share a new tip every weekday.
Started a new passion project “Research the Researcher”, more on this here. It begins on 12th April 2019.
I am open to collaboration if you have some UX Research/Design project you want some help on or get it started. You can reach me on anirudhbbalotiaa[at]gmaildotcom.
That’s about it, do share what are you looking forward to 2019.
Wishing you a very Happy and Healthy 2019!
