Limitless

It's so easy to have a black and white list of the things you're not capable of doing. A hard limit, a boundary that says you just don't have the genes to make art, speak up, write, give a speech, be funny, be charming, be memorable, come through in the clutch, survive an ordeal like this one... it's easy to give up.

In response, we ask, "not even once?" Never once have you been funny or inspired or connected? Not even once have you been trusted, eager or orginal? Not even once have you written a sentence that someone else was happy to read, or asked a question that needed to be asked?

Now that we know it's possible, the real question is, "how often can you do it again?"

- Seth Godin

Here is to ensuring no one, not even you, define your boundries. Here is to being limitless and making it a habit!!

Starting Something

It was 5:45 in the morning and I was on the beach with a few friends. We had gone to catch a glimpse of the ever elusive sunrise on the beaches of Chennai.

As we sat there chatting, I noticed two boys playing soccer. Their footwork was amazing and their stamina to run on the sand was very impressive. So in a moment of spontaneity, I excused myself from the group and ran up to join them.

Before I knew it, I too was involved in the game. Half an hour had passed and my friends yelled out that it was time to go home. I shook hands with the boys, thanked them for the game and left.

As I walked back to my friends, one of them asked "I didn't know that you played soccer every Saturday?" I laughed and told him that I didn't.  I just liked the game and thought it would be a bit of fun to join in. I couldn't tell if he was satisfied or confused by my answer.

But I did think it was interesting that by just standing up and joining them, I might be confused for the third member of the group. Because, ofcourse, being the first, second or third person to stand up and follow enthusiastically can have just as much impact as being the guy who played on his own.

Leading courageously and following with conviction are both needed to make change

Random thoughts on a rainy day...

I sit here, watching the rain pitter patter against the wings of the pigeons that waddle along the streets of Melbourne. Fat on Mcdonalds, I wonder if our lives are really much different to theirs? A constant scramble for food…for survival? Establishing a pecking order and sticking to it, until some renegade decides to break it. He will be rewarded in isolation or kinship and heroism. Why are rewards so polar? Or would a better question be –are rewards polar only when we care about them??

People walking by…all lost in their own worlds, with things to accomplish, jobs to do, coffees to drink, friends to meet. When will anyone stop to appreciate the rain? The madness? the beauty of the chaos that is life?

I sit here sipping a coffee that is way too sweet. I shouldn’t drink anymore of it, and yet I feel obliged to. Worth 4$ a cup, I find it hard to justify I bought it to decorate the inside of a garbage bin in misty brown and white. Why do I do this to myself ??

20 Questions

It was a Friday afternoon and I desperately needed to recharge my batteries. I had a battering week, with problem after problem seeming to fall from the sky and the only way I could find solace was in the company of a like- minded friend. So I went to her place to indulge in some senseless chit-chat, delicious food and some much needed pampering.

As we sat and spoke about our lives, our jobs and our ambitions to redefine the world, the topic of growth came up. We both thought it was important that no matter how old you grow...you need to keep learning and consequently keep growing. Stagnation as we observed not only deteriorates your mind but in the long run your relationship with people and objects.

So, to ensure that the two of us never got 'stuck' we made a pact - a pact to check up on each others growth. I came up/found some questions and we decided that once a week, we would catch up and review how we were doing?

Here are the Questions: 

1.What did I learn last week? – If you have trouble answering this question, it’s time for a change.  It doesn’t matter how old you are, you should learn something new every week.

2.What was my greatest accomplishment over the past week? – Reflecting on your accomplishments is a healthy way to raise self confidence and contentment.  It’s also an effective way to track your progress.

3.Which moment from last week was the most memorable and why? – It may open up your mind to new passions and goals, or simple pastimes worth revisiting.

4.What’s the #1 thing I need to accomplish this week? – Everything else is secondary, and should be treated as such.  Nevertheless, this question will also shine light on other noteworthy tasks.

5.What can I do right now to make the week less stressful? – Set reminders in your calendar, get your laundry done, fill the car with gas… organize yourself.

6.What have I struggled with in the past that might also affect the upcoming week? – The idea here is to learn from your struggles and better equip yourself for future encounters.

7.What was last week’s biggest time sink? – Steer clear of this in the future.  Setup physical barriers against distractions if you have to.

8.Am I carrying any excess baggage into the week that can be dropped? – Physical clutter, mental clutter… eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary may shine bright.

9.What have I been avoiding that needs to get done? – Pencil in a time to get these things done.  For any 2-minute or less tasks, consider scheduling them first thing Monday morning.

10.What opportunities are still on the table? – If it’s still available and you want it, make a concrete plan to go after it this week.

11.Is there anyone I’ve been meaning to talk to? – Regular communication can solve problems before they fester. Always keep an open line of communication to those around you.

12.Is there anyone that deserves a big ‘Thank You’? – Take time each week to thank the people who have helped you.  Your kind gesture will not go unnoticed.

13.How can I help someone else this coming week? – The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.  If you help them, they will remember you when you need help.

14.What are my top 3 goals for the next 3 years? – You’ll never make any progress in life if you don’t setup realistic goals for yourself.

15.Have any of my recent actions moved me closer to my goals? – If the answer is no, something needs to change.

16.What’s the next step for each goal? – Knowing the next step is the key to accomplishing the whole.

17.What am I looking forward to during the upcoming week? – The answer can act as a great source of motivation.  If nothing exists, schedule something to look forward to.

18.What are my fears? – Consciously address your fears each week and slowly work on resolving them.  It’s all about taking baby steps.

19.What am I most grateful for? – It’s a smart way to keep things in perspective, and something you should never lose sight of.

20.If I knew I only had one week to live, who would I spend my time with? – Another helpful reminder… Life is short.  Spend more time with the people you care about.

Hopefully they help you in your quest to be ‘unstuck’

Only 1% Create

Today's post is inspired by something I read on Fred Wilson's blog. For this of you who do not know who he is, Fred Wilson is a successful VC in New York as well as a really popular blogger.

He says and I quote "Out of 100 people, 1% will create the content, 10% will curate the content, and the other 90% will simply consume it." As someone who blogs (sparsely nowadays) I know that much of my 'content', if you can call it that, is inspired by things I have read elsewhere on the internet. So then I questioned am I just the 10 % that curates ? I do modify and adapt it to my situation yes....but isn't that still a fanciful way to curate information?

If I really think of this, aren't entire websites like Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter  built on the principle of curation? After all they allow and in fact encourage users to post media and links that they did not create.

Have we turned into a culture that prefers curation to creation just because its easier?? I am actually not sure. One thing is for sure I shall endeavour to create more original content henceforth. 

Would love to hear your thoughts on the idea.

Kindness is underated

Last night I was telling my friend how I refuse to believe that you have to be a jerk in order to be super-crazy-successful. And just now, I stumbled upon this post by Marc Johns in which he states that he believes kindness is underrated. I couldn't agree more.

“Stop praising the jerks. It reinforces bad behavior.”
- Marc Johns

And suddenly it's up to you...

I distinctly remember the first time I had this feeling.  I was a years out of college, and into my first stint in management consulting. I was working with my team to set up relatively complex spreadsheet to analyse and track the group's financial wellness.  I had to through piles of data and do tons of analysis.... something I had limited experience with. 

The terrifying bit was discovering that, in the small team where I worked, I was the person who knew the most (or rather just had more time) about what kind of analysis we should run – terrifying because I knew I didn’t know enough, and I definitely knew less than what was expected.

In retrospect, since most of the gap in what I knew was technical I should have found a way to find SOMEONE who could help me bridge the gap.  But how to better navigate the analysis wasn’t the important bit.  The important bit, the part that sticks out is the “this can’t possibly be up to me” moment I experienced.  I felt like if it was all in my hands then something was massively broken, it was a temporary glitch in the Matrix and we’d soon get back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Because what did I know?

These moments are hitting people earlier and earlier in their careers, because we’re no longer asking people to walk a path or climb a ladder.  We’re starting to recognize that whole industries (music, books, finance, technology, energy, infrastructure, philanthropy, healthcare) are either already unrecognizable or will be within 20 years, so we don’t need young people to master the old tricks of the trade, we need them to reconceive everything.

I can shout that from the rooftops but I probably won’t get you to believe that it all should be up to you, today.

But I bet I can get you to notice the next “this is up to me” moment and have you pause for a second and say, “Wait a minute.  Maybe that’s exactly the way this is supposed to be.  Maybe I’m the perfect person for the job.”

Because you are.