Napoleon Bonaparte had a unique ability. He said: “Different subjects are arranged in my head as in a cupboard. When I wish to interrupt one train of thought, I shut that drawer and open another. Do I wish to sleep? I simply close all the drawers, and I am asleep.”
This is Compartmentalization. Most people suffer from Emotional Bleed.
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The anxiety of the morning meeting bleeds into lunch.
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The anger of the commute bleeds into dinner.
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The failure of the project bleeds into their self-worth.
The Watertight Mind
You must treat your life like a submarine. You need “Bulkheads” (Mental Walls) between the different zones of your life. If the “Business Hull” is breached (you lose money), you must seal that door immediately. Do not let the water flood the “Family Hull.”
The Protocol: The Transition Ritual
You cannot switch contexts instantly. You need an Airlock. The “Airlock” is a 10-minute transition zone where you scrub your mental RAM.
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The Commute: Do not take calls. Listen to music or silence. This is the airlock between War (Work) and Peace (Home).
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The Parking Lot: Before you walk into your house, sit in the car for 2 minutes. Visualize the stress of the day. mentally pack it into a box. Leave the box in the car.
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The Entry: When you cross the threshold of your home, you are no longer the CEO. You are the Father/Husband. The CEO has no jurisdiction here.
#DhandheKaFunda: If you carry the battlefield into your living room, you will eventually destroy the only thing you were fighting to protect.