Akshat
has asked me a couple of questions. Frankly, I was quite humbled that he asked
me; these were important questions. On the other hand, the fact that he asked me these
questions might mean that he doesn't underestimate me as much I do myself.
Anyways, enough digression...
“Professionally
speaking, how do I figure out what I should be doing right now to reach where I
want to be? How do I figure out if I am doing the best I can?”
TL; DR
For the
first question:
- First, identify where you want to reach and in how much time
- What you should be doing right now is to keep your eyes and ears
open for opportunities to take you where you want reach
- You should be an exceptional performer wherever you are right now.
Many a times, just doing that opens up many avenues and one or some of them may
take you to your destination. But mostly, it keeps you in the habit of
performing better and better continuously, and
you need that to reach your goal(s)
- You should be experiencing success – small or big – on a
continuous basis to understand that, generally, you are making the right moves
- If you are not moving ahead, you are slipping backwards. Professionally
speaking, there is no third state of existence
For the
second question:
- You have to be harsh about analysis of your performance if you
want to get anywhere, which means believing that -
- There is only one best – the “Generic” best. And that is dynamic.
Your personal best is of no consequence if it is not the generic best
- On a less harsh level, if your efforts are yielding you the
desired results, you are doing the best required to get the result. However, is
that the best you can be? Visit points 1 & 2 above
- Introspect. The more you do, the better you get at it. The better
you get at it, the clearer you will be in your thoughts and therefore, the resultant
actions. This helps one to perform better
The
looonnnggg answer!
The
first step is to be clear about “where” you want to be. Do you wish to be very
rich? Do you wish to have the ‘perfect’ work-life balance? Are you someone who
aches to be in command, even if it is at the cost of some money or the glamour
of working in a very big company? Or are you someone who craves for that look
in people’s eyes when you say you work with XYZ Inc.? Do you prefer working in smaller
teams where you shine as a star, or do you want to head departments and perform
on a bigger stage?
Hidden
in the point of “where” is the time factor. How long are you willing to give
yourself to reach “where I want to be”?
In
my opinion, today is where you wanted to be sometime back. Have you today
reached where you wanted to be some time ago? If yes, then you don’t need to
worry as you are taking correct decisions and steps in the right direction. The
funny thing about decisions and actions is that they improve with time and
practice. So if your past actions have been in the right direction, you just
need to fine-tune your decision-making process continually to make the best out
of life.
If
today, you are not where you wanted to be some time ago, then you should look
back and analyze what went wrong. In all likelihood, you’ll discover that you
hadn’t “thought things through” or “the circumstances were such”.
Here’s
what I propose – be most harsh on yourself and analyze wherever you’ve gone
wrong in the past. Don’t wallow in self-pity.
Believe
that “circumstances were such” is NOT a reason for failure and that it is your
doing.
Honestly
speaking, there is no particular process-chart or method through which this
question can be answered correctly. I don’t believe there is a unique “correct”
answer to this question. This is an example of what the Sanskrit and Hindi
texts call “Mrig Trishna”. Let me share a small anecdote with you –
In
the times and during exile of Lord Rama, there was this mystical deer that was
very attracted to a particular fragrance and used to follow its trail wherever
it thought the scent emanated from. Ironically, the fragrance was produced by a
gland in its belly, unknown to the poor creature!
The
fire is within you. Just don’t let it simmer down. That’s half the battle won.
The other half is won by keeping an active watch for any opportunities that
might knock anytime, anywhere. Don’t hesitate when the time to jump comes. This
is easier said than done. Then again, this is the difference between those who
made it and those who almost did.
As
for the second question about how to figure out whether you are doing the best
you can, I have a slightly different take.
What
you have done, what you are doing or what you are able to do right now is your current “best”, if you want to call
it that. “Best”, in my book, is a dynamic concept. And let’s face it, whatever
we deem to be our “best” today is actually not the “best”, generically
speaking. I want to be the generic best. Hence, my “current best” is of no use.
Ergo, work harder each day to become better than yesterday.
I start each day with the belief that I can do
better today than in the past, and end each day thinking I was better in the
past than the day gone today. I use this thought as a positive reinforcement.
Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.....!
