NOTICE: Open to full-time and contract opportunities
I used to feel like my brain was full all the time. Over time, I realized that the brain is good at thinking, not remembering. Every time I relied on memory for routine tasks, it introduced failure points. So the better approach I found is to offload everything I possibly can.
Not just important things. Everything.
The rule is: don't rely on memory for any task. The moment I think "I need to do X before leaving in 30 minutes," I set a reminder immediately. I don't trust myself to remember. Holding that thought in my head without offloading it adds load. My mind keeps revisiting it in the background to make sure it doesn't slip away. Hence, My phone rings a lot. It's excessive, but I don't miss things anymore.
There's also an implicit cognitive load in procrastinating unpleasant tasks. Adding a reminder means being accountable. I promised myself that I'll do XYZ at a certain time, and that time has arrived.
I use the GPS Alarm app for geofencing. When I get on a bus or metro, I set an alarm for my destination. Then I can completely relax instead of constantly checking where I am. I used to check every 5 to 10 minutes: how far along am I, how much time is left? Now I can focus on other things, knowing I won't miss my stop. I didn't realize how much background stress this removes until it was gone.
I also set a geofence just outside my house for things I need to remember before leaving. Like carry charger etc. Forgetting one item can easily create a 30-minute detour. Comparatively, setting a reminder takes five seconds. So, one avoided mistake pays for hundreds of alarms over time.
I started writing things down every time I learned something new, especially at work:
And at home too:
At work, whenever someone explained something to me, I would record it if possible, convert it into steps, and store it somewhere searchable. I generally use the Whisper speech-to-text model and then run it through an LLM to generate coherent, structured text.
Over time, I built a personal knowledge base. The number of times I had to refigure something out or ask a coworker again because I'd forgotten a detail is staggering. With this system, I always stay on top of my work.
My father has a habit of asking me to produce any document at any moment. So I devised a system once and for all: a single folder containing literally every important document.
I photographed each one, trimmed and cropped them properly, and stored everything in one place. I also made a habit of taking a picture/downloading whenever I get my hand on a new document.
Yes there are security trade-offs. I accept them for the sake of speed and reliability. The folder is compressed and protected with a master password used only for this.
The upside was: documents always within reach when needed, no dependence on physical copies, and nothing ever gets lost.
I reduce decision-making for trivial things. Everything goes to its fixed place.
I do this consistently. Even when distracted or tired, I don't lose things. Losing a single object creates cascading failures. If I can't find my car keys, I won't make it to an appointment on time, which means rescheduling or cancelling something else. Fixing locations eliminates that entire class of problems.
(Hard to practice since housemates move stuff, still it's better than nothing.)
I realized I was too distracted too much of the time to make meaningful progress. Unclear goals combined with constant distractions make for a perfect quagmire. Cognitive load isn't just tasks, It's also noise.
So I started aggressively filtering inputs:
Why does this matter? Ads don't just annoy. They shape preferences subconsciously. Repeated exposure builds familiarity, and familiarity biases decisions. Removing ads reduces that hidden influence. I now discover new brands only through word of mouth from people I trust, though they too are influenced by ads to some degree.
Most notifications are useless. Modern apps have algorithms designed to pull you back in when they realize they're losing you. The only way they can do that is by notifications. So I blocked notifications from almost everything.
I kept notifications only from:
I don't rely on willpower. Instead I use app blockers to restrict access to the worst offenders. Either time-based limits or full blocks during certain hours.
The specific tools don't matter much. What matters is that the friction is high enough that opening the app becomes a deliberate choice, not a reflex.
Whenever I'm doing something even slightly non-trivial, I run it through LLMs.
For example, if I'm going on a vacation, I'll just describe the trip and ask what I might be missing. If I'm cooking something, I'll ask what groceries I should order. The LLM gives me a list I can cross-check against what I already have.
It almost always catches one or two things I hadn't thought of. Because it's genuinely hard to think of everything from scratch every time.
Ofcourse I do override it's thinking and making the final judgement call. but this prevents me from making the most obvious mistakes.
You might wonder, "Why do this all?". I'm a big believer in having grander goals. and hitting them requires focus.
I used to suffer from too much big-picture thinking. High-level ideas about things that would add value. There were too many of them, and they were too large. This led to a lot of analysis paralysis.
So I started dedicating separate time purely for thinking. During that time, I worked through:
The key is making daily tasks deceptively simple. I don't need to complete the 10-year goal, just the small daily task. After a few months of this, I could see meaningful progress toward my longer-term goals.
Writing goals down also matters. Thinking about them endlessly just turns into daydreaming. Writing forces clarity and accountability. and helps me stay grounded in the knowledge that I'm actually moving forward every day.
Thanks for reading!! Feel free to contact me at prakhar897@gmail.com