Work hard, rest harder
A company that ships software for thousands of businesses can easily turn into a place where everyone is always on. The Friday letters pushed the other way. Week after week, they reminded the team that rest, focus and peace of mind aren't a break from the work. They're what makes good work possible.
Unplug, on purpose
There are so many things to do, so doing nothing might seem like a waste of time, but to do well, you need to unplug.
That letter didn't stop at advice. It asked everyone to take three deep breaths right there, in the middle of the inbox, and then told them to have a chill weekend.
Mindful, not mind full
Not mind full but mindful — of our thoughts, actions, and world.
A full mind runs on the past and the future and never switches off. A mindful one stays in the present and knows what actually matters. The letters made a simple point in Hindi too:
ऐसा अक्सर कहा जाता है, खाली दिमाग शैतान का घर। मगर सच में सोचा जाए तो, खाली दिमाग शान्ति का द्वार है।
Productive, but kind to yourself
One New Year letter asked everyone to add mindful productivity to their resolutions. Its advice is practical: know your high- and low-energy hours and plan your work around them, choose quality over quantity, clear the clutter, and finish small tasks before they sit on your mind. And it included the line everyone needs to hear once in a while:
It is completely okay to keep things for tomorrow if you don't have the energy to do things today.
Every day is today
आज का खाना आज ही काम आता है
आज की मेहनत आज ही काम आती है
और रोज़ आज है!
We clean our homes, desks and cars every day because dust comes back. The letter asked: what about the mind? It needs everyday cleaning too.
Protect your energy
Being generous with your time is good. Being drained by it isn't. One letter quoted Paulo Coelho:
When you say 'yes' to others, make sure you're not saying 'no' to yourself.
The goal: at peace
When someone asks "How are you?", we say okay, good or great. One letter asked how often you hear someone say at peace. Another questioned whether chasing constant happiness even makes sense:
You can't be happy in every moment but you can be content and at peace.
That's the kind of tired-but-steady we'd want for anyone here: working hard on what matters, resting without guilt, and coming back on Monday with something left in the tank.
Drawn from 8 Friday letters: Once in a while, try to simply do nothing · What works for you — mind full or mindful · Step away from productivity and focus on mindful productivity · Work only for today — every day · It's your energy · Protect your energy or kill them with kindness · How Are You? · Why is happiness so overrated?