When I started this blog more than a year back, I urged you (and I continue to urge you) to ‘Go, Get Your Gold Medal’.

In my opening post ‘What is this blog about?’, I had asked everyone to make the “right and intense effort” to go for the gold without any malicious intent towards anyone. Moreover, your ‘Gold’ does not have to compare with anyone’s ‘Silver’ or ‘Bronze’.  Your ‘Gold’ is what ‘You’ want to achieve, not what you want to achieve before others do.

Yesterday, I got a chance to witness John Wooden speak on true meaning of success.

For those who do not know who John Wooden was  – “Born in 1910, Coach John Wooden was the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and coach, while ESPN ranks him as the greatest coach of all time, across all sports. He died on June 04, 2010.”

John Wooden, affectionately known as Coach, led UCLA to record wins that are still unmatched in the world of basketball. Throughout his long life (100 years, to be exact), he shared the values and life lessons he passed to his players, emphasizing success that’s about much more than winning. And, winning is much more than scoring!

So, when I listened to him, I found the very words that corroborated my definition of success. This is what he said about success: -

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable.”

One belief you must rest assured with, is that, it is difficult for others to judge if you are successful or not. Much like the ‘coach’ says, “I think it's like character and reputation. Your reputation is what you are perceived to be; your character is what you really are. And I think that character is much more important than what you are perceived to be. You'd hope they'd both be good. But they won't necessarily be the same.”

So, stop judging your own character through the eyes of others (who actually form your reputation).  

And, do not look at the scoreboard, because that’s not where your ‘Gold’ is.

Here is another sportsman, George Moriarty, a Major League Baseball umpire, who has this to say about success: -

 

The Road Ahead or the Road Behind

 

"Sometimes I think the Fates must grin

as we denounce them and insist

the only reason we can't win,

is the Fates themselves that miss.

Yet there lives on the ancient claim:

we win or lose within ourselves.

The shining trophies on our shelves

can never win tomorrow's game.

You and I know deeper down,

there's always a chance to win the crown.

But when we fail to give our best,

we simply haven't met the test,

Of giving all and saving none

until the game is really won.

Of showing what is meant by grit;

Of playing through when others quit.

Of playing through, not letting up;

It's bearing down that wins the cup.

Of dreaming there's a goal ahead;

Of hoping when our dreams are dead;

Of praying when our hopes have fled.

Yet losing, not afraid to fall,

if bravely we have given all.

For who can ask more of a man

than giving all within his span.

Giving all, it seems to me,

is not so far from victory.

And so the fates are seldom wrong,

no matter how they twist and wind.

It's you and I who make our fates –

we open up or close the gates

on the road ahead or the road behind."

The dreams that you honor and want to pursue, you need to keep those in sight at all times.

Dreams that are achievement-oriented do not come true in a flash. You need to work at them. Every small action of yours in the current time contributes to the bigger picture of the future, with or without your intention.

That is why, for your immediate or short-term plan to be of some consequence, it should be in line with what you want to achieve in the long-term.

Here comes the dilemma...

On most occasions, we do not have a long-term plan. We do not always take time to 'dream' far out in the future that gives us something to work towards!

When you have dreamt well enough, and you know where you want to go, you need to figure out the 'route' to get there. You must be able to mark the 'route' with milestones that are relatively smaller targets to keep you on course leading to a bigger objective.

As you proceed, the milestones that are nearer are easier to 'see' and assimilate.  Those farther away on the timeline are still 'fuzzy' until they come nearer with time. But how do you always know you are moving in the right direction? Well, you don't, until you develop this art.

This art is based on the ‘Principle of Abstraction’.  The mechanism and practice of abstraction reduces and factors out details so that one can focus on a few concepts at a time.

Let me recount to you a fun exercise I indulged in a few months back. Last winter I had planned to drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Although it is the straightest and the easiest route one can drive on, I thought of getting an 'overview' of my journey with Google Earth software. Those familiar with Google Earth would know that this software has the ability to show the route from one point to another at various scales. A route spanning multiple cities or states, can be shown as a stretch of about 6 inches or less on your desktop by 'increasing the view-altitude'. As you reduce the altitude, you reduce the scale and can 'zoom in' to see details of the route at various levels.

I chose to 'fly' over the route using Google Earth. While I was flying, I would often raise the altitude (zoom out) to check if the direction in which I was moving was leading me to my destination. This is the very essence of planning!

If you can zoom out to get an overview of next 5 years, you have a planning horizon of 5 years. With practice and focus, one can learn to set one’s sights on the coming 10 or even 15 years. Let us say if you plan for the next 15 years, you should also develop the ability of ‘zooming in and out’ to gauge how the next 10 years, the next 5 years and the next 1 year look like. Does what you are doing now lead you to where you want to go 5, 10 and 15 years from now?

Remember the more you ‘zoom in’, the more you are obligated to carve the details. The more you ‘zoom out’; the better is the bird’s eye view of the path you have undertaken, and the higher is the ‘Level of Abstraction’. The ability to zoom out to see the bigger picture is the ability to achieve higher abstraction.

This practice of abstraction helps you to vet your plan for its relevance and efficacy on a number of planning horizons i.e., a look-ahead level of 1 or 5 or 10 or 15 years!

Once you realize the importance of maintaining a rolling window of planning horizons, it will be easier for you to spell out the near-term and long-term objectives.

Take time to ruminate on this concept, and stay tuned for my next post in which I will run an illustration of this concept.

Until then, stay strong!

When you take on a new challenge you need to be mindful of not wavering on your way to achieving your goal.

In my last post “When It All Becomes Too Much to Handle... “, I had talked about reserves of energy that we all abound in. 

The very fact that these reserves may be wrapped in layers of comfort, support, self-preservation and resignation, the comfort of keeping them under the wraps lends itself to many excuses along the way.

The key to success lies in coming out of this comfort zone and exposing oneself to the ‘unknown danger’ that only lurks in one’s mind. One of the techniques of unwrapping reserves is to hold yourself to the promise that is required of you. As long as you are the only one who knows about your resolve, you have a convenient outlet to ‘un-commit yourself’ on the slightest pretext.

What if more people knew about your undertaking? You will acknowledge that ‘abandoning your program’ would not be as easy if that was the case. This is exactly what you must do to keep yourself on course!

Yes, make a commitment to the whole world or more specifically, to the people who matter to you in your life.

Here is the best example from our recent past. In the Summer Olympics of 2008, there was one athlete, Michael Phelps, who had set a personal objective to win 8 gold medals. When the burden of promise of a single Olympic gold medal weighs so heavily on an individual, imagine what Michael Phelps must have felt under the weight of his own commitment.

But, what followed set Michael on a more resolute march towards his target. The intention, that is, Michael’s personal target of 8 gold medals, was released to the whole world through the media and that in a way, must have coaxed Michael Phelps not to waver and keep his promise in the end!

Not only individuals, this technique seems to work well with larger groups, and nations as well. We have one example from recently concluded Winter Olympics of 2010. The host nation, Canada, concluded the games with the most number of Gold Medals in the history of Winter Olympics. Canada had started an ambitious program called "Own The Podium" years before the event, and they had made it known to the whole world. By jove, it did deliver in the end!

What I am going to talk about today is that moment in our life when we feel too overwhelmed or tired or simply bored of what we had been doing for a protracted period.

This feeling of exhaustion or tiredness or boredom may result from a number of factors, some of which are: -

·         Monotony

·         Sustained degree of difficulty in what we undertake

·         Our own state of fitness or alertness

·         Age

·         Sickness

·         Emotional setback

·         Disruptions (circumstantial or intentional)

In colloquial terms, some of us may like to term this condition as ‘burnout’.  Let me admit that I am not an expert to either define or diagnose ‘burnout’. So, I will steer clear from taking on the role of a psychiatrist.

Let us not deny ourselves the fact that success is not served on the platter, and in most cases, it demands unprecedented effort if we want unprecedented results.

What we all have to accept is that quest for excellence asks for unwavering devotion and a high degree of resoluteness.

Now, when you take up the challenge and sometime later, you confront this condition that mars your progress, you need to do something about it.

Let us examine this condition deliberately. Firstly, when you are in it, it seems difficult to find a way out. Moreover, you get a sense that you have been going it alone for a long time and you need some moral support.

Let us be aware that we are all gifted with an unending reserve of energy which resides within us in multiple sachets each individually wrapped in many layers of comfort, support, self-preservation and resignation.  

Here are some instances when you might have found yourself suddenly tapping these reserves sub-consciously: -

·         When you realized that your destination was nearer than you thought...

·         When you became truly aware of the value of incentive(s) at the end of a long road...

·         When you found evidence of someone else successfully performing a feat similar to what you are attempting...

·         When the upkeep of your promise reigns higher in your mind than the pain you are going through...such as, your attempt to achieve a goal for the direct/indirect gain of your dear one(s)

·         ...and so on.

 

Now that you have probably come to realize some of the ‘tools’ that can help you ‘unwrap’ these pockets of energy, here are some of the generic ways you may adopt to ‘keep going when the going gets tough’: -

·         Divide your bigger task into smaller and manageable chunks of effort that you can record as ‘completed’ more often and that help you determine how much closer you are to your destination

·         Identify the perceived value addition in return of your effort. Note/list/enumerate it and constantly remind yourself of that value while working towards securing it

·         Study the field of your undertaking for similar precedents in history (but only those that were successful in the end)

·         Make a promise so noble that enables you to see gains beyond yourself at all times

 

I will dwell more on the aspect of steadfastness in my future post “Make a Commitment to the Whole World!” as well.

Stay tuned.

 

As a learnt behaviour, tenacity needs to manifest itself in the actions performed by us.

I am sure there must be 1001 ways to ignite the “fire in the belly”. But, the one that is relatively more intuitive for those interested in consciously developing this trait is, by subconsciously injecting it in their ‘plans’!

So, it needs little emphasis that you need to have a plan that is both good and workable (I will dwell more on ‘planning’ in my posts to follow later...). 

For your plan to be called ‘good enough’ to lead to actions towards definite objectives, you would always need a ‘critical eye’ (not yours but of other person(s)) to evaluate your plan on a continual basis while you plan/re-plan to achieve those objectives.

Since you are expected to be always ‘married’ to your plan, an objective evaluation by another party will assure you of the ‘soundness’ of your plan. If not sound enough, the same evaluation will lead you to improve your plan.

A good plan makes optimal use of resources that include your time and capacity.

With an assumption that your ‘good plan’ does not leave you any slack, try and achieve more than the objectives set in your plan always and every time. The resulting actions thus, will start showing a streak of tenacity, before you realize.

I know most of you would retort, “Was it this simple?”

Please do not get unduly perturbed. The solution is really this simple!

The execution needs some practice, though.

Successful businessmen apply this technique very effectively. They always actively look for opportunities that will help them exploit the situation to their advantage. If they merely follow a plan, they are not likely to be as tenacious when an opportunity presents itself! The urge to over-achieve ensures tenacity in good measure!!

REMEMBER [From the teachings of Karate]

The punch that packs the maximum power is, not the one that is directed on the stomach but the one that is launched with an intention to break the spine!

                                                                   


The less said, the better. The pictures below speak for themselves!


Thank you, friends (all readers of my blog) for the unrelenting support to make this blog worthy of this accolade!!





                                                       

 

As I get down to write another post, I know I have to oblige my friends who are eagerly waiting for the NEXT post on “Tenacity” soon after “It is TENACITY, My Friend...” post.

Then, why this post?

In fact, what I am going to talk about today will set the stage for the much-wanted post on developing “Tenacity”.

I will no longer beat around the bush. Planning plays a key role in ensuring success.

But, let us first be clear about the purpose of planning. It is a human tendency to assume that if the planning is complete and the resulting plan is a good one (how do you know?!), things (as planned) are likely to go your way. 

It is this assumption that leads one to believe that it does not make sense to plan the events/actions/activities of one’s life when the run of the life is unpredictable. Yes, it does not make sense at all if you look forward to a fail-proof plan!

There has never been a plan that was fail-proof, nor will there ever be. 

And, I will put it this way – it is all the more imperative to plan when the turn of events is unpredictable.  

Plan while accepting this inevitable truth that you will have to change your plan. Thus, the purpose of planning is not to solely develop a good plan, but, it is to plan or re-plan to ensure your objectives are achieved even in the face of uncertainty!

 

What must you plan for? – Everything.

-          I am aware that too much of planning tends to kill spontaneity. However, those who achieved success through spontaneous demonstration of brilliance actually planned some or all aspects of their spontaneity!

What needs to be planned? – Time and Timing.

-          When you determine what you need to do (actions), plan those in the Time available and also plan the Timing of your actions.

When is your planning complete? – Never.

When your plan is called a “Good Plan”? – Only after you have achieved your goal on or before time!

Will something not go according to your plan? – Almost always. When that happens, make suitable changes to your plan.

 

More on planning later...

 

Remember: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

 

There are occasions when we regret missing an opportunity because we did not get a “heads-up” or a “tip-off” in time to take advantage of it. On most such occasions, a live person is more likely to give us the said “tip-off” than an event or a sign/symptom or an occurrence.

Who would this very desirable person be? This person could be our well-wisher or a friend. Haven’t you found asking yourself, ”Where are all the well-wishers gone?”.

Yes, you may not find them in abundance anymore. What devoured such divine creatures? They have all become the victims of the very pace of life that they chose to live in the first place. A careful introspection will reveal that you and I are also probably subjected to similar extinction from others' perspective.

So, is there a way to convert/nurture more/fresh well-wishers in our lives? Yes, there is. And, it is so simple. Be a well-wisher yourself. Very soon, you will have some growing around you.  

Let us now figure out the way it is implemented. All I ask you is to call/write one different/new contact out of your contact list on a regular basis. The idea is to regain touch with your acquaintance on any ground (preferably, with no agenda) and show your support (to any extent feasible).

It is possible that your acquaintance may be taken aback at first since such interactions are very rare in a highly competitive world. Your diligence should win them over. If your gesture is not taken in the correct spirit by your acquaintance, then you will have a reason not to harbour misconceived notions about that person, as it is. Oh, how easy you will make it for yourself!

Let us also dwell on what will make this touch a warm/genuine one. Your attempt of getting in touch with your acquaintance should be an honest effort.  For example, if in an attempt to maintain contact with your friends/acquaintances, you tend to share borrowed email content (email-chains or forwarded ready-made content), you are more likely to annoy your friends after a little while. I will not call it an honest attempt because before the email era, we never thought of maintaining/building our rapport by simply tearing some pages out of a magazine and posting them in an envelope to our friend(s)!

The technology has covered a lot of ground but we, human beings, are still a by-product of flesh and bones and have not yet evolved into robots/machines. By all means, use the power of technology to its fullest to get closer to the people you know, but please do not distort the concepts of “keeping in touch”.

The resulting camaraderie or bond will stand you in good stead at some stage in your life. The more number of people you continue to touch, the more is the probability of you being offered a scoop when you need it the most!

 

Having overcome the fear of failure (see my blog post “What would you do?” of Aug 15, 2009), it is equally important to realize that when we tend to push the envelope, failure is a very strong possibility in our initial attempts.

Could we do without failure at all? Ideally, failure is unwarranted.

Philosophically speaking, it is this very failure that makes the success so sweet. But it is not so easy to have an abstract viewpoint immediately following a failed attempt.

So, what do you do when you fail? Well, do yourself a favour by not suppressing your true feelings. It is essential and healthy to feel bad about the failure. That is the easiest way to fuel your motivation for another attempt.

Do not anticipate failure but do not rule out its occurrence altogether. Treat each failure as a ‘wake-up call’. It is an honest feedback of your shortcomings with reference to the goal(s) you set for yourself.

In some cases, the journey to a point of failure is actually a mark of achievement to a certain degree.  At the point where one fails to pass the driving test, there is actually a certain percentage of progress (30 or 60 or 80 percent) towards becoming a licensed driver. This realization helps in alleviating the frustration that comes from failure. It verifies that all your effort has not gone in vain.

Looking at an instance of failure as a ‘road travelled so far’ also helps in identifying the gap between the current capability or achievement and the desired one. Thus, when used objectively, failure works to your advantage, and evidently, helps you focus on bridging the gap.

In spite of preaching all positives about a failure, I do not want to instil in your mind that failure is essential for you to succeed. If you have not encountered failure so far, it is possible that, in most cases, you did not need that ‘wake-up call’.  This could mean that you identified and mitigated the risk of failure before it actually occurred.

Successful people make this tendency of pre-empting the crisis, a habit.