Make a START!

SUCCESS...ACHIEVEMENT...PROGRESS...GROWTH...EXCELLENCE

All these may only remain a far-fetched dream if you fail to take that first step of STARTING on our GOALS. You can't always expect yourself to know the road ahead but unless you start, you won't discover what lies ahead. 

The wrong turns, the speed breakers, the roadblocks - you get to know of them once you START on your JOURNEY. There's always scope for COURSE CORRECTION as and when the situation may demand it.

All those times when you have lagged behind or failed to accomplish, there's a good chance that it may have been to do with your inability to START.

Once you START, life moves from bad to good, good to better, better to best and there's nothing that you can't accomplish once you make the right START.

Here's a peek into the MAGIC that occurs once you MAKE A START.

- Once you start to LISTEN, you start to COMMUNICATE BETTER

- Once you start to CONNECT, you start to COLLABORATE

- Once you start to DO, you start to ACHIEVE

- Once you start to FOCUS, you start to EXCEL

- Once you start to BELIEVE IN SELF, you start to PERFORM AT YOUR BEST

- Once you start to ACCEPT YOUR MISTAKES, you start to LEARN MORE 

- Once you start SELF-CARE, you start to FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF

Remember - IT ALL FALLS IN PLACE ONCE YOU START! 

How to Start Being Productive?

Mark Twain once said "The secret to getting ahead is getting started" and it holds as true for Productivity as for anything else. Most of us compromise on remaining unproductive for our inability to start in the right manner. 

If achieving productivity was that easy, then I wouldn't have felt the need to write this post/ article and you also would not have felt the need to read it. Productivity is not an impromptu or ad-hoc act of action but a process of deliberate intention and action.

If starting to get productive is a challenge, then staying productive is a bigger challenge. But one thing that can make it happen for us is to "PREPARE to be PRODUCTIVE" and it can't get any simpler than this to start (and sustain) our productivity journey. 

Better Productivity comes with Better Preparation and Planning. The cues are always present to help us find whether we are on the right track or not. Here are three simple tips that will surely help us in starting productivity in the right manner.

1. Getting more mindful and observant about our routine. The more aware and attentive we are, the more productive we would get. Knowing what we are doing and why we are doing it is the cornerstone of productivity. Tracking how we tend to spend our day gives plenty of insights into what may be going wrong with our productivity. 

2. Paying attention to the environmental triggers. Knowing what pushes us away or pulls us towards productivity helps us manage our approach better. There are plenty of small and big things that may impact our productivity and knowing what triggers them always helps us become more cautious and conscious of our actions.  

3. Noticing our habits. The patterns we follow or exhibit say a lot about whether we are being rational or biased in our approach. Many times, our productivity takes a hit because we tend to operate out of our comfort zone and stop to look beyond the obvious. If it's time to change our habits for becoming better at productivity, then any further delay only leads to worsening the situation. 

In the end, it's all boils down to finding out what's ailing your productivity and what's aiding it.

So, if you find yourself stuck, it's time to ask yourself -  "What's stopping me from PREPARING (to be PRODUCTIVE)?

The Art of Getting Unstuck

There are times when situations, circumstances, or people may put us in a precarious position and all we do then is to remain static. There's nothing at all that we achieve by remaining where we are. The nature of life is growth and progression and if we stop evolving, we are doomed and only land up in an abyss.

Think no harder, there's a simple way to avoid landing in such a scenario.

Moving from a STUCK state to an UNSTUCK one is just about a few MOVEs. 

Whenever we find ourselves stuck, the following are the possible MOVEs that we can make to get UNSTUCK

• Move ON - When past hurts or regrets haunt us and we feel trapped, it's time to move on from them for our own sake. The past is only as good as a lesson we need to learn to improve our present and future. The more we are stuck with the past, the more damage we will do to our dreams and goals. 

• Move AWAY - When we seem, even a bit in control of things, then pulling ourselves away from things keeping us stuck in life, is a good move. Detaching from things and situations that are harmful to our growth in life is a good way to make the best of our lives.

• Move AHEAD - Comfort Zone is a killer if you stay in it for too long. Falling trap to this make-believe is like compromising on our dreams and risking us to remain mediocre. We are here to make the most of our innate potential, most of which may be lying dormant. Every small step forward aids in that.

• Move WITHIN - When things get too overwhelming for us to handle, it may result in action paralysis and leave us stuck. Our inability to progress for want of positive action necessitates that we move to a peaceful place within to calm our nerves and restore our creative energy.

These simple MOVEs could be our savior every time we feel stuck in life. So, getting unstuck is as simple as deciding about the right MOVE to take! 

The ABC of Success

When you find yourself struggling to succeed, what do you most dwell on?

Competency?

Goals?

Circumstances?

Effort?

You may find yourself thinking or addressing any or many of the above, but still, you may find success elusive. The reason success may still be out of your reach could be because of the way you may be approaching success. You may not have prepared yourself for success and this is exactly when you need to pay attention to the basic building blocks of success.

If there's not much clarity about the process, then it will always be a struggle to reach your destination. At times, you need to go back to the basics and work towards getting them right. Success is built by focusing on the fundamentals of preparing well and being ready to be successful. 

Getting your ABC right will set you on the path to achieving sustained success. 

Here's how the ABC of Success looks like     

A for ATTITUDE - This is at the core of the effort you put in for being successful. The right mindset is what differentiates success from failure. When you approach things and situations with positive intent and with a focus on giving your best, results will always be favorable for you. If your attitude determines your altitude, then carry the one (attitude) that's progressive and empowering.

B for BELIEFS - So many times, success is withheld because of our disempowering beliefs, which render us confused and immobile. The perceptions and views we hold about things and situations may make or break our quest for success. Challenge the beliefs that are a hindrance to your success and this will open up many new avenues and opportunities to realize your dreams and accomplish your goals. Be open to accept new perspectives on things and this will help you move out of your comfort zone, and lead you to accomplish more.         

C for CHOICES - Your everyday choices keep defining the course of your life and career. Let the choices you make be defined by your need to keep progressing towards your goals. Not every choice may turn out to be the right one every time but the learnings therein could help us do the necessary course correction. Your choices should act as enablers, helping you stay focused on the destination in spite of all the detours.

If you want to get the ABC of SUCCESS right, then pay attention to 

• the ATTITUDE you Carry
• the BELIEFS you Hold, and 
• the CHOICES you Make

What's your raison d'etre?

Let's start with few simple questions

Are you excited about what you do?

Do you know why you do what you do?

If your answer is NO to any or both of the above, then it's time for self-introspection!

So, what should you do when you realize that your heart is not in the work you are doing and you seem to be just going through the motions?

The easiest thing to do is to start playing the blame game and look for the easy scapegoats, but the question to ask here is - for how long can you keep doing so and where would this lead to, in the long run? Is it going to lead to something better in your life or only lead to more confusion?

The feeling of emptiness that stares at you at the end of every workday and the frustration and irritation you experience in your work is an indication of "motivation" missing from your life and that's exactly what you should be addressing.

This is when you should start to engage in self-probe and discover the "WHY" of your work, the missing "PURPOSE" of your work/ life. What is it that keeps you going? What is it that gets you excited about life? What is it that makes you look forward to the day? 

It's not difficult to sense whether you are living with a purpose. When your head and heart are in sync while doing what you do, then it's an indication that you are living your purpose. When, at the end of the day, you feel you have made a difference with your action/ activities, you can be rest assured that you are living with a purpose.

PURPOSE and PASSION go hand-in-hand. Start by getting your purpose in place and the passion will follow suit. And, when you hit the sweet spot at the intersection of the two, you will be on course to discover your IKIGAI too!

Focus on the value you want to generate and the impact you want to create and you would start on your journey to discovering your purpose. get to understand the difference you want to bring through what you do and therein will lie your purpose.

There's always an impact you are creating with your vocation and all you need to do to realize that is to link your efforts to the big picture!

Summing up concisely, here's what you need to be aware of

Why do you need Purpose in life? As simply as to make your life worthwhile and live with an agenda.

How do you know you are living with Purpose? When you start to feel that you have accomplished something and have made a difference with your work/ vocation.

How do you go about identifying your Purpose? Observing whether what you are doing(actions) is generating the impact that you have identified for your life.

It's time to start living "purposefully"!

It's Time To Own Your Feelings!

SAD...GLAD...MAD...BAD...

At a fundamental level, that's how our feeling oscillates during the day. Feelings are fleeting by nature and we can't hold onto any one of them beyond how long they have to last. And how long they last are a combination of external and internal factors. But to a good extent, we can always control the longevity of an emotion/ feeling.

  

Emotions/ Feelings keep occurring in different shades and all that they need to get triggered is a stimulus (internal or external). The stimulus could be big or small, real or imaginary, internal or external. And that's what makes the world of emotions so complicated!

There is a dire need to understand how emotions/ feelings operate at a basic level so that we can be in control of our actions(mental or physical) while addressing the emotions. Being aware of our emotional state is how the entire process of emotional well-being starts. 

Talking about emotions/ feelings in a personal context, here's a small check to gauge the level of our awareness about our emotional state.

Here are the three important pointers:

We experience them all but do we actually feel them? 

we know there's something happening within us, at a physiological or psychological level but do we take the effort to recognize that and understand what's happening inside us. It makes sense to move beyond the level of awareness and into level of recognizing the impact of these emotions/ feelings.

Do we own them and accept them as part of our being or we treat them as something external/ outside?

For reasons known and unknown, at times, we tend to pass on the responsibility of our emotions/ feelings to external factors. Alienating ourselves from our feelings is not going to alleviate them. Rather it will only make the things worse. No one can force us to feel a particular way unless we give ourselves the permission for the same. 

Do we treat them as lasting or transitory?

Research says that most emotions last for only 90 seconds and beyond that its us who let these linger on for as long as we allow them to (through some stimuli or triggers). If we can manage to recognize an  unproductive feeling within 90 seconds of its occurrence, we stand a better chance to avoid its negative impact on us.

A quick self-check on the pointers mentioned above gives a good insight into our perception of emotions/ feelings and this goes a long way in determining the state/ status of our Emotional Wellness. The moment we start to accept our feelings is when we start to treat them as integral to us, something that's an undeniable part of our personality. Once acceptance is in place, the next stage of "addressing the emotions" becomes much easier.

So, first things first - "Have you started to own your feelings?"

You Too Can Be A Hero !

When things go bad, do you wait for a HERO or you get up and become one?

Aren't we all smitten by "Heroes" and secretly yearn to be one, especially when crisis hit us hard?

There's always a HERO lurking inside us and it does not take much to bring it to the fore. A bit of clarity and courage is all that's needed to summon the hero within. A HERO has all the ingredients of being a saviour and crusader of hope. 

Let's see what makes a HERO and how each one of us too could become one  

H - Hopeful, Helpful

When negativity is in the air, the HERO in us could help survive this fear and uncertainity by having/ providing hopes of good times ahead. The HERO in us could take a lead in providing a helping hand to those who are struggling to come to terms with reality or finding it difficult to cope with the times. This could make a huge difference to the struggling souls.    

E - Empathetic, Empowered

Only when we start relating to the feeling of others is when we start invoking the HERO in us. Put yourself in the shoes of others and feel their pain to establish connection and trust. Motivate others to feel empowered enough to take control of their lives and actions   

R - Resilient, Realistic

As goes the famous quote, "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going" and so should a HERO also behave/ act. Standing tall in the face of adversity and bouncing back whenever needed will ensure riding over the tough times with ease. Be a HERO by doing a reality check of things (as they stand in present) and then acting accordingly so that it doesn't dampen the surviving spirit.  

O - Optimistic, Open 

It is so easy to send the HERO (in us) off to a slumber when in a state of gloom. Looking at what we can change will make the road smoother and open up new opportunities. A HERO is open to taking actions (however small they may be) and trying out new things (experimenting) to keep the door open for new possibilities.     

So, stop waiting for a HERO. Brace up to be one and make a difference!

From Achiever to Super Achiever in 7 Steps !

Think about the times when you have found yourself in awe of someone highly successful and been left to wonder 

- how do these super achievers manage to accomplish much more than most of us? 

- what does it take to become a super-achiever? 

So, what exactly differentiates Super Achiever from an Achiever? Well, "potential" may make you an achiever but when you add the power of "discipline", you make a shift to be a super achiever. So, the secret to be a Super Achiever lies not just in our "potential" but in our ability to harness the potential we possess. 

A Super Achiever thrives on the discipline of achieving consistently and makes it possible by building a structure to the process of achievement. Here are 7 steps, which when followed sincerely, could make super achievement a possibility. Let's begin the process

• Become aware of your dreams - Unless you have a vision for life, you will struggle to find meaning in anything around or inside. Spend time to figure out your purpose and/ or passion and you will always find yourself  "getting excited" about life and living. Knowing the destination always helps in identifying which direction to take. So, work on knowing yourself better by being your best ally and digging deep inside. The moment you discover what you are meant to be is when you will see yourself "raring to go".  Never be scared of dreaming big because that's what you are meant to be. Remember, dreamers become achievers by building clarity of purpose. 

• Establish your goals - Dreams remain wishes if you don't build bridges for them. Set milestones in the form of goals that will keep you moving in the right direction. So, before dreams leave you intimated or overwhelmed, tame them by establishing short-term (long-term) achievable goals/ mini-goals, as these then will cumulatively add up towards materialising the big picture you have in sight. Chunking helps in making things achievable and therefore spend some time mapping your dream(s) to a set of tangible items. 

• Find your inspiration/ motivation - A trigger is needed not only to get you started but also to keep you moving. Firstly, find out what inspires you towards pursuing your dreams and ambitions. Once you take that first step in the right direction, find out what will keep pushing you towards your goals, which are leading to your dreams and ambition. There's no dearth of inspiration and motivation around and all that you need to do is to move out of your comfort zone and open yourself up to suitable possibilities and opportunities!

• Set the intention - The accomplishment of anything important is made easier by aligning our energy and focus on the task to be done. Whenever you set out to work towards your dreams or goals, ensure you are internally prepared for it. Bring your whole self in alignment with what you plan to work on. This alignment will ultimately ensure that your efforts are focused on the important goals in your life and you are prepared to give your best to the task at hand. One of the easy ways to set an intention is to create a few positive affirmations which you can continuously use/ repeat to yourself. 

• Take action - All your planning may turn out to be a total waste if not put to application in the real world.  You may be a great planner of things but you need to make things happen too. Remember, what matters most is taking the right action in the right direction. Irrespective of the size of your dream or goal, keep executing your plans. Even a tiny action at your end, on a consistent basis, will take you closer to your goals. So, never let any day go by without moving closer to your goal, even though its by an inch. 

• Make correction - Where there's action, there's bound to be friction. So, when you are taking action, always anticipate some resistance. Most of the time you may not be able to remove the friction completely but you can always prepare yourself to address it as much as possible for you. Don't get put off at the sight or occurrence of a problem because you cannot control all the factors in your environment. There will always be opposing forces, some natural and some non-natural, so move ahead with this acceptance in your mind. The best approach would be to treat every obstacle as an opportunity to get better and moving closer to realising your true potential. Make necessary and relevant alterations/ modifications in your approach, wherever needed, to keep the forward movement intact in pursuit of your goals and dreams.

• Ensure completion - The actualisation of a goal/ dream is not always about the end result but also about the realisation gained. At times, you may find yourself pursuing the wrong goals, the ones which do not align with your values, passion, or purpose, and when that happens, accept it and be okay with it. Trying too hard to make things happen or leaving it totally unattended will not help your cause. To do justice to your energy and effort, put a proper closure to the things, even when you realise that the pursuance was wrong. Focus on preserving your effort, energy, and time. Whatever the means of closure, whether withdrawal, release, or realignment, just do it and get back on track.  

The above steps may not be the most comprehensive list but the intent behind putting these steps is to get you started on the path of super achievement. Do not expect to become a super-achiever overnight even when after applying the above steps a few times. Success would come when you make the above steps a ritual in your life, something that you do over and over again.

Let your journey to be a super-achiever begin from whichever step you find yourself at!