Since times immemorial, sages on their stages, personality development gurus, globally recognized motivational speakers, coaches and a host of other experts have been trying their level best to enrich us with precise guidance for the all elusive recipe of SUCCESS.
Unfortunately, I do not feel confident enough to claim my membership in the above group of intelligentsia. Why?
I am a “Guide by Your Side, Not a Sage on the Stage” that’s why!
Here is the first one in a Series of 5 Life Lessons that I learnt before getting to partake of any of the above gems of wisdom and would like to share the same with anyone willing to go beyond the norm:
Out of the so many extremely challenging, ultra-formidable and unimaginatively difficult situations that I managed to not only survive but also put them to use so I could thrive, I like to call the first one: Winging!
STOP WINGING: ‘Winging’ means having no written goals or plans; going without knowing where you are, where you intend to go and how you are going to get there without a road map, without a compass and without a guide. It is a universally acknowledged fact that action without planning is no better than inaction.
Who are you to tell me how I should live my life?
What makes us think we have every right not to face the consequences of our actions or lack thereof?
When exactly is a good time for us to decide what we should do in a given situation?
Where can we find answers to some of the most difficult questions that we face in our lives because of others’ actions?
Why do we do things that we need to look back upon and regret?
In my struggle for survival I had to devise plans almost on a daily basis and then adjust them per the need of a given situation. This taught me to be resilient, to be creative, to never lose sight of my goal, to stay focused and take all challenges as thorns in a rose bush.
Adversity taught me some of the most important lessons in life, not because I was gifted, not because I was looking for ways out of difficult situations, also not because I was a meritorious student. On the contrary, I was left with no choice but to learn all those lessons.
I never allowed defeats, failures, challenges and negativity of the surrounding naysayers stick to me. I kept forging ahead like a valiant soldier with the Motto of Life engraved on his forehead:
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I learned how to Dream lofty dreams and then wrote them down as well as shared with minimum one other person whom I dearly loved, liked or respected so that I could become answerable. You see, just writing down the goal is not the ‘Mantra’ by itself. Hold yourself answerable before someone else too, not just yourself!
I learned to keep track of my surroundings with the intention to identify what I liked most about it, what made me hate it the most, what I changes I would like to see in there and what is it that I can change myself without depending upon others
I made every possible effort to identify the route map that would take me to my goal with least possible resistance
I laid bare and critically analyzed my inventory of the tools that I might require on this long and arduous journey and what else I needed to acquire before getting to the point of no return
Most important of all, I reposed complete faith in my guide who had been there and accomplished an almost exact feat not once, not twice but a number of times and with astounding success each time! [/message][su_spacer]
FORTUNATE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE GREAT GUIDES; SUCCESSFUL ARE THE ONES THAT FOLLOW THEM TO THE ‘T’!
The key to successful planning is that plans are always changing. Yet, there must be a core. If we consider ourselves a brand, a product that needs to be built upon, expanded upon, how to reach our goals becomes much more clear.
You got that right, Chris! I feel kind of thrilled to read your viewpoint coming from years of experience. Building your own brand is what provides longevity to your career.
Thank You with Best Wishes!
I agree that one must have goals in life and reaching those requires some type of plan or road map. One problem I’ve seen often though is the reluctance to change the goals and with that the road map. A goal that one sets when just out of school is likely to be radically different that that set 20 or so years later.
Success of course is a relative term and must have it’s own definition.
Thanks for yoru valuable input, Ken! I truly appreciate the same.
You are absolutely right on the changing nature of goal-setting in our lives. Goals set at an early stage of life are sure more prone to change per developing circumstances as career choices keep changing. However, as we mature our ability to focus on the long-term also starts to take root.
This is where one’s habit of achieving short term goals comes into play. The absence of this habit creates extraneous demands that take a lot of sacrifice and preparation to accomplish. It is also one of the main reasons I have personally focused on sharing my goals, both short as well as long term ones, with my immediate family. It makes me accountable while they get well prepared to not deter me from my goals and impart whatever necessary contribution they can.
I shall be keenly looking forward to your continued engagement.