The world is rarely interested in knowing whatever you did that was operational. “I created and presented weekly reports at the company” may be useful in a limited context but the value of that work is limited and short-lived. 

What the world is really interested in is:

• What did you create that’s worth talking about?
• How did you get to the point of creating that?
• What did you overcome?
• How did your creation make a difference to others?
• What’s your story?

Your job as a “learner” is to focus your energy on a purpose worth fighting for, create meaningful work that makes a difference to others over long period of time and solves a real problem that people are willing to pay for.

Is it easy? NO. Is it worthwhile and satisfying? Definitely.

22/366

We live in a world where choices are abundant. Social media tools make EVERYTHING accessible to us on a 24×7 basis. The dopamine hit that we get from scrolling endlessly robs us of our agency and choice. When you scroll, you never know what the next reel or post will be. This exposure fills our minds and hearts with all kind of junk information that may be stimulating in the moment but have no long-term value. 

Scrolling can take up may other forms in the physical world. We can scroll through a mall and fill our closets with junk. We can scroll through social communities and fill our time with unproductive engagements.

You get the point.

The opposite of scroll is to SEEK. Seeking is a purposeful exploration. Seeking is proactive. Looking for something great to read on a specific topic that is aligned to your area of work? Doing research on the new ways to solve a problem? That’s seeking, and when you seek, your mind activates the filter on what’s useful to the purpose and what’s not.

Seeking can take many forms as well. You can seek right people, right conversations, right resonance, right resources, right events, right books, right opportunities etc. that help you move forward and learn something new each day.

Seek, don’t just scroll.

21/366

The universe works in this way: Whatever you want from it, give it first. 

Want respect from others? Start respecting others.

Wish others trusted you more? Start trusting other people. 

Want others to communicate with you clearly? Start communicating clearly yourself.

Want opportunities? Be generous with your talents.

Want strong relationships? Be a giver.

Want help? Offer help first.

Universe responds to your actions. Not immediately, but eventually for sure.

I started writing a blog in 2006 and wrote it for 3 years. The idea was simple: I want to document what I learn and share it with others. That led to my first book contract in 2009 and then a few more.

The idea of starting a blog was not to get book contract, but to simply be generous about sharing my lessons.

You can’t offer help just when you need help – that’s barter/negotiation and it rarely works. You have to unconditionally help others, be generous and build trust. And then, when the occassion arises, people will show up and reciprocate.

20/366

As I evolved, I realized a thing about success. 

That real success is not about “achieving” any one thing, but about balance between things that truly matter to you.

I have seen so many experienced and skilled people who take extreme decisions for their career growth (e.g. living away from kids and family).

Such unilateral chase and sacrifices for success are fine when you are a newbie. Struggle is a part of our life, and that’s what makes us stronger and smarter.

But as you mature and get more skilled, you should be able to choose. Your decisions should create a balance between all domains of your well-being – work, family, health, finance, relationships and other interests.

But what does balance look like? From my own experience, I can say that you have achieved balance when you:

• Work hard, but also take time to relax
• Are available to your family and kids to spend quality time
• Are able to reflect, think and care for the self
• Find time to nurture your other interests
• Find it easy to let go of things that don’t serve you well
• Are compassionate and kind, instead of being anxious or regretful
• Don’t have to “showcase” that you are successful to others (points to ego taking charge)
• Set your compass towards the inside (what do I want from life?) versus setting it outward (What will others think?)
• Know what is “enough”

 Success that comes at the cost of your health, family or relationships is a kind of failure that comes to you in disguise.  

19/366

When you do anything different and worthwhile, other people will rush to copy the form of your work. 

They see the outer layer of your work, notice patterns and try to emulate  the formula they have created in their mind.

However, the heart of your work is the substance you bring to it, the nuance of thought, the quality of care you put in your work. That cannot be copied. 

They cannot copy the attitude and service-orientation you bake in your work. 

They cannot copy your uniqueness.

Even when they can copy all else, they cannot copy your ability to innovate and be creative.

The key is to constantly create and recreate yourself to do the kind of work that others have to catch up on. 

17/366

Dont:

• Say yes when you really want to say no
• Add unnecessary stuff/priorities into your already busy day
• Let someone talk you out of your dreams
• Compare your unique self with others
• Accept what is not right
• Hold your thoughts when you really want to say the truth
• Allow other people to cross the boundaries you have for yourself
• Waste time convincing other people when their best interest is in not being convinced 
• Expect life to be fair with you always
• Try to change things or people you can’t
• Choose something just because everyone else is choosing it
• Focus too much on problems, when you can spend your energy in solving them 

16/366

Last weekend, we travelled to the White Desert of Kutch – white because it is a salt desert formed my evaporating sea water in the bay leaving salt crystals on the land. Walking on that surface felt like walking on another planet. The contrast between endless white crystalized land and clear blue sky was striking.

What was also striking was simplicity of rural people. We took a lunch break along the journey at a roadside restaurant.

We ordered our food and then came a pleasant, simple young boy with a smiling face who served us our food. It was not as much about the food he served (which was delicious) but also the way he treated us. It felt like someone from our family was feeding us with warmth and care. 

Taking orders and serving food was his “job”. Serving clients with an attitude of love and care was his “choice”.

Getting the job is easy, but developing an attitude of service to others takes a really long time.

People don’t remember what you did for them, but they never forget how you treated them – how you made them feel.

That boy at the restaurant did just that, and we can too.

15/366

If I look back, the moments of highest growth happened for me when I got into something I had no idea about. Taking up new jobs in a totally different area, starting hobbies anew, visiting different countries for the first time, meeting diverse people, giving my first TEDx talk, writing a book, building a business – none of these activities came with an instruction manual.

You had to learn as you go about doing it. 

Remember this: When the path ahead of you is clear, you are walking on a trodden path. You are following others.

But when the road ahead seems unclear and foggy, you have a real opportunity to create a new path. The one you can call your own.

We crave for certainty, but certainty is boring. There is no joy in knowing ahead what exactly will happen and how. When we chase certainty, what we really chase is mediocrity. 

Uncertainty keeps us alert and on the edge. Not knowing what to do keeps us alert and active. We are on our toes, learning as the situation unfolds and adapting our approach to it. 

So, if you face a situation when things are uncertain, embrace it. Choose uncertainty of uncharted paths, for that’s where real growth, opportunity and learning is. 

“I don’t know what I’m doing. And if you don’t know what to do, there’s actually a chance of doing something new. As long as you know what you’re doing, nothing much of interest is going to happen.” – Philip Glass

14/366

If you want to grow a plant, quality of seed is just one variable. 

You need a fertile soil. You need manure. You need sunlight. You need water. In short, you need the right environment. 

Talent and mindset that you have is the seed. But you need the right context to plant yourself in (soil). You need coaching and mentoring (manure). You need right challenges (sunlight) where your talent can show up. You need resources (water) to learn and improve.

You need the right environment.

The good news is: You can choose and create your environment.

Suround yourself with people who are doing what you want to do. Interact with them. Learn from them. Get the right mentors. Work with people who challenge you to become better. Read good books. Attend classes, webinars, events that expose you to learning opportunities.  

“Surround yourself with people where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.” – James Clear

It is all about our choices. Choices put us in an environment. Environment widens our perspectives and increases our chances to achieve what we want to achieve. 

We are a product of our environment. 

13/366