READ_LISTEN_MEET_SEE

"If you Fail to Plan, you are Planning to Fail"- Benjamin Franklin.

Can you recall incidents of 'breakthroughs' or a few moments of 'great insights' or, let's say, 'inspirations' that influenced you to change the course of your life?

Ask yourself, how did your current job happen to you? Then see if you can pause here and write/think of 3-4 moments of life and how/who caused them for you! I fell in love with Microbiology in college because a lecturer of mine once eloquently explained how an egg couldn't be imagined without its shell. Similarly, my own insights/knowledge in marketing developed over the last 7 years, but it all started when I started listening to podcasts called 'Marketing School' & 'Blog Millionaire'.

In 2011 I was struggling to let go of one of my senior leaders till I read a book called 'Necessary Endings" by Henry Cloud. My intent to become an entrepreneur was fuelled by my neighbour, whom I used to meet frequently. Last 4 months, I got out of my WFH slumber and met 73 senior professionals in person. The quote I started this post is borrowed from a movie I saw yesterday. I am sure if you spend a few minutes, you will be able to decipher for yourself how the key moments of your life got defined or redefined. Did that happen because you:

1. Read something accidentally or intentionally which gave you inspiration or direction

2. Listened to a talk or heard someone by chance in school, college, or at work

3. Met someone from whom you learnt or many of them with whom you spent time who influenced you in a particular way (even the bad influences).

4. Saw something which opened your eyes (Movies, Wildlife, Beaches, Mountains, Videos)

Most people I meet aspire to be better than they are, if not as a person, at least in their role/careers/societal status. Now, who doesn't want to…

• Buy the latest iPhone
• Have a better work-life balance. I know most of us are struggling to come back from the extended weekend hangovers of 2022 
• Have a new Bike/Car
• Own a House
• Go on an overseas holiday trip
• Get promoted and have your boss's job
• Have a better-paying job or attractive designations
• Earn handsome increments, incentives, or bonuses every year
• Encash when your company goes IPO
• Be the CEO of your company as soon as possible
• Be an entrepreneur and have a mast life (It's not true, pressure hai Bhai)

‍

It's great to know one's strengths and areas to develop, but the pathway to aspirations also needs reflection. However, beyond these reflections and awareness, the 'pathway' is where I had lost myself sometimes or discovered better when I planned better.

So today's queries for queries/reflections for you.

1. What are you 'reading/browsing? Is it a habit of viewing courtesy WhatsApp forwards or a deliberate attempt to learn something?

2. I am sure many of us 'Listen' to music. Is there anything else you think you can plan to listen to to help you with better insights?

3. Whom can you meet that will make a professional difference? I know we meet many friends/colleagues for feel-good gossip, uske aage?

4. Like me, are you also 'seeing' many mindless series/movies on OTT? I counted. I have some 6 subscriptions for this nonsense. What can you watch which will contribute to your future aspiration?

In the remote working world, many of us have got cornered in our bedrooms and felt productive becoz we got our salaries, increments, and new jobs without really sweating it out. But, do you think going forward, what got us here will get us there too?

I only wish I could make this Read_Listen_Meet_See into a meticulous calendar for myself to be an entrepreneur that I will be proud of.

I hope I will get out of my slumber and be organized to Read, Listen, Meet and See things that matter.

How about you?

‍