Living Zoku Edition 12: Clean Desk, Clean Mind

TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019 | EDITION 12

Did you know that ostriches don’t actually bury their heads in the sand? The myth started in Ancient Rome when people observed ostriches nesting. These small-headed birds don’t build nests, but hide their eggs in sand holes and use their beaks to turn and check on each one. When predators hunt them, ostriches also lower their heads to the ground to blend in. This week’s newsletter aims to stop you burying your own little head in the sand.

YOUR WEEKLY PRESCRIPTION

THE SECRETS TO DESIGNING A CURIOSITY-DRIVEN CAREER

21-minute read (in bite-size chunks) | First Round

Since leaving Mumbai at age 19, Zainab Ghadiyali has earned a chemistry degree overseas, risen up the engineering ranks at Facebook, and become a product lead at Airbnb — as well as launching a side hustle. In this interview, she champions curiosity as the key to building a meaningful and successful career.

TO DO YOUR BEST WORK, YOU MUST FALL IN LOVE WITH HARD WORK

5-minute read | Medium Creativity

Everyone wants to deliver their best work, but we all know that some days can be more challenging than others. Drawing on Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art, this article offers thoughts and insights on how to harness your focus and bring out your best qualities, examining everything from professionalism and focus to solitude and uncertainty.

YOUR PRODUCTIVITY HINGES ON HOW YOU ARRANGE YOUR DESK

4-minute read | Medium Productivity

The results are in: What you keep on your desk at work can have a huge impact on your productivity and stress levels. This article features tips and tricks from nine leading design, career and organization experts to help you rearrange your stuff and optimize your physical workspace for optimum productivity.

MEET THE RESIDENT

Each week, we profile a Zoku community member - hit reply if you'd like to be featured!

Lauren Razavi is a writer & consultant. She's the definition of a global nomad: her work for Flibl (her consultancy) and WeLagom (her blog) takes her all around the world. Lauren stays at Zoku for around a month each year.

What bring you to Amsterdam?

I have clients in the city and I enjoy spending time there. Most of the long-haul flights I take pass through Amsterdam, so it’s become a familiar spot for stopover days too.

What path has your career taken?

I started my career as a freelance journalist, reporting from more than 30 countries and publishing with leading media titles like The Guardian, Wired, VICE, and The Atlantic. Just before I graduated from an MA course in 2014, something strange happened: I was headhunted by Google to work on a global editorial project. I joined the team and the role was remote, which prompted me to transition to a nomadic lifestyle: Travelling from place to place in search of interesting stories and inspiring projects. I still live and work like that today.

What’s a life-changing event you’d recommend to others?

I’m originally from the UK, and we have a great festival scene over the summer months. One of the best ones, experience-wise, is Latitude Festival every July. It has live music, comedy, cabaret, talks, workshops, and amazing street food and craft beer. Some of my best memories are dancing the night away in the Faraway Forest area with friends, surrounded by art installations and light shows underneath the trees.

Which book have you gifted the most, and why?

New Power by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms. The authors explore how technology has created global movements and new ways of organising, and argues that our institutions need to harness values like openness and transparency in order to stay relevant. It’s a really compelling read, filled with plenty of real world examples to back up the arguments.

Flibl Website | WeLagom Blog | Lauren's LinkedIn