Goals for July

The first half of the year is over. Looking back, I realize that I have jotted down too many goals to show quick progress on any of them. I also understand that each of these goals are important to me. So what can I do to move forward?

The key is to be 100% me and bring the best of myself every single day. I believe there are 2 goals that stand out and that will require my complete focus every single day.

1. Focus on Fitness (30 - 45 min activity every day)

This could be jogging, biking or gymming but the key is everyday! When I look back to the times that I have felt sluggish, it has never been on a day when I have exercised! Physical fitness will allow me to bring 100% energy to everything I do and am excited to pursue it with all of my heart!

2. Focus on Writing (~30 min a day)

I feel fantastic every single day I write, be it in my blog or in my journal. It makes me feel centered and connected to who I am at my best. This in turn will allow me to play all out in every other goal in my life! Super excited to write every single day!

By focusing all my energies on these 2 critical goals, I hope that I will continue to make progress and move closer to my dreams!

Being is through Doing

I have often been guilty of having a 'To-Do' list and then failing to get the items completed. Not only will I not complete them, I will end up feeling guilty and frustrated as hell pretty often. This was an oft repeated theme in my life that led to a lot of self blame and a lack of self esteem. 

But then, Coaching happened. It was and is one of the most beautiful things that happened in my life and one that I am forever grateful for. As I learned to coach, I also got coached. Often. Slowly, I started to see the patterns in my life and the false stories that I have been weaving around, owing to my lack of doing. Thanks to Coaching, I developed a strong sense of self, my values, my purpose and most importantly who I am being.

The difference between Doing and Being is the key bridge. I realized that all the things that I have done in my life is when I have been myself, when I have deeply honored my values. That is when I have felt truly alive. When we look at doing from a perspective of longing and desperation, doing becomes all the more difficult. When we look at doing from a strong sense of self and from a perspective of our identify, doing becomes easier. Not easy from an effort standpoint, but easier from a mindset standpoint.

Every day, I am realizing that Being is through Doing. To make progress on my blogging/writing goals, I have to first believe that I am a writer and approach writing from a perspective of a writer. To make progress on my public speaking, I have to believe that I am a speaker and put on the hat of a speaker. 

Being is through Doing. Coaching is one of the tools that will strengthen our sense of who we are. And as we become more of ourselves, we will do more and move closer to achieving our dreams!

Inspiration from Chef's Table

Thanks to a friend, I recently chanced upon this series called 'Chef's Table' in Netflix. Each episode talks about a particular world renowned chef's journey from where they started to where they are, now. I caught up a few episodes and ended up watching them over and over again. It was deeply moving to watch the protagonists go through their struggles, at times insurmountable odds before triumphing on their own terms. I came out with a number of insights from this incredible series:

1. It is not enough to have Passion and Drive; In the face of insurmountable odds, Strength of Character and a deep sense of Values and Purpose make the difference

2. Reaching the destination matters but more important is the process; The rigorous process that the chefs fall in love with, and imbibe, defines who they become and defines their journey

3. No achievement is possible without a team that makes it possible; Creating a culture that is empowering and sparks creativity and leadership within every team member ensures success

This series is not just applicable for aspiring chefs, but for every single one of us who aspire to become more than who we are today. I hope that you watch it soon, get inspired and start working towards your dreams!

Transitioning to a Growth Mindset - My Struggle, My Resolve

I was super inspired after reading 'Mindset' from Carol Dweck. It spoke about a concept around growth mindset and how anybody can learn anything, irrespective of their past experiences once they transition into a growth mindset. I immediately resolved to put on my growth mindset and inculcate the belief within me that I can learn anything if I set my mind to it and manage my inner critic effectively. 

Two weeks later, I am struggling with my inner critic. I know it is not the real me, but my mind is so tuned to it that taking any even tiny action against it seems really difficult. I just realized how much of a fixed mindset I have when it comes to learning outside of my comfort zone. My resolve is to keep up the struggle, manage the negative emotions and come out the other side conquering this piece of me which keeps me in the fixed mindset. 

It is not going to be pretty but I truly believe in the concept of growth mindset with all of my heart.  I see so many people around me constantly getting judged and in turn limiting themselves and their potential. This is not just about me. It is about human potential and the possibility of personal transformation, not just for an elite few but for every single person who can develop the belief within themselves! But it starts with me. And the people around me. One of my greatest strengths is to see the best in people. It is time I start seeing the best in me!

Dealing with our Inner Critic

'You are not good enough!'

'You simply cannot succeed at this!'

'This is beyond you!'

When I prepared for CAT and failed year after year, these voices kept getting louder and louder. I found myself waging a battle against myself. When I cleared CAT finally, I was relieved and exhausted that my battle with the voices in my head was finally over. But NO, the voices went on and on, often pulling me down, when I screwed up in exams and later when I screwed up at work. It is not just me. I often hear people blame themselves, when they screw up, at times. 

'I am terrible at public speaking'

'I always screw up in interviews'

'I am just not good at parenting'

Do you feel that way? Does your inner critic blame you for screwing up? At a time when are emotional, when you need the maximum support, when you feel like you need oxygen to breathe, have you felt your inner critic drag you down deeper? Crushing your spirit?  

The key question to ask is 'Is this true or is this a story that you are making up'?

Let's be clear. The emotion is real. We do feel sadness and/or anger when we fail, when we screw up. We feel miserable, disappointed, dejected, even depressed. We also feel frustrated and angry. But is the story, that we make up, about ourselves, in that moment, really true?

Why not separate the emotion from the story? 

Let us all think about the stories that our inner critics had thrown at us, when we went through tough times. And the next time we face our inner critic, let's ask these questions:

What is possible, if we treat ourselves with compassion, when we screw up? 

What is possible, when we allow ourselves to feel our emotions fully, without blaming ourselves?

What is possible when we voice it out loudly to ourselves 'This story is not true!'

I, for one, will be keeping a close watch on my inner critic! I hope you do too!

Re-Calibrating my Values and Goals

It has been an extremely average last few weeks for me. I pride myself on setting stretch goals but after 2 weeks of continuous missteps, I feel the need to re-evaluate. I feel that my priorities are changing and some of the goals that I have set for myself does not make sense to me anymore. Also, while I know for a fact that pursuing goals as part of a group has better chance of success, I have not set goals for myself from that standpoint. 

What are my core values that I deeply identify with, that's my oxygen that keeps me going??  

What goals best embrace those values, that makes my life meaningful??

As I introspect, these are the values that I feel deeply connected to, with all of my heart.

| Energy | Overcoming Limits | Growth Mindset | Mindfulness | Connection | Playfulness | 

Through these values, I envision myself moving closer towards fulfilling my potential.

I envision myself as representing the energy of the wind that keeps blowing every second of every minute of the day. By overcoming my physical limits, I will achieve my goals of completing biking marathons, hiking difficult peaks and developing a lean and fit body. By overcoming my mental limits by imbibing a growth mindset, I will achieve my learning goals in a range of topics including Coaching, Leadership and Entrepreneurship. I will be mindful and fully present and will connect deeply with like minded people. Above all, I will develop a playful mindset that will keep me happy and grounded, amidst all of the growth.

Accordingly, I am tweaking my daily goals along these lines:

- Daily Morning Routine of Practicing Gratitude through Journaling

- Daily Prayer, Surya Namaskar and Meditation

- Deep and continuous focus for 90 min twice a day on key learning topics

- Daily Running or Daily Biking for 30 minutes

On weekends, I will focus on connecting with friends and like minded folks and on having fun.

I am excited in setting these new goals that I feel resonates with me and confident that this will take me in the direction of leading a life of my dreams!

Incorporate 'AUM' in your life!

                                                  

'AUM 'is a sacred sanskrit mantra that is revered in ancient Indian scriptures. I first came to know about it, 15 years ago, when I attended my first Yoga class in India. We used to chant 'AUM' (pronounced 'AAAHOHHHMMM') 3 times, at the beginning of the practice. My yoga master, Venkatraman sir had an interesting explanation about what each sound in A-U-M represents. The 'AAAH' sound stands for Creation, the 'OHHH' sound for Preservation and the 'MMM' sound for Destruction. 'AUM' represented the endless cycle of Creation, Preservation and Destruction!

As I was chanting 'AUM' mantra this morning, this thought around creation, preservation and destruction floated in my head. It set me thinking on what I want to create, preserve and destroy in my life.

I have been installing a new morning routine that revolves around Yoga and Meditation. I would love to add Journaling into that routine. Having an additional 30 minutes would greatly help and I am going to install/create a new habit of Journaling. There is no doubt that Journaling every day would put me in a great frame of mind in the morning! It will help me have clarity around my key values, understand what truly matters and ensure I focus my energies around that!

What do You want to create in your life?

I am grateful for all the love and happiness that is present in my life today. However, I am prone to a lot of distraction that sometimes inhibits the amount of attention that I give to my loved ones. I would love to preserve all the beautiful relationships by truly listening to them, giving 100% attention to every conversation that I have with them!

What do You want to preserve in your life?

I have had a history of starting on new initiatives and not pushing them on towards the logical completion. Even as I continue to put in all of my energies in becoming better and installing a new self image of sorts, there are the negative voices in my head, the limiting beliefs that crop up, from time to time. I want to destroy the limiting beliefs in my head that slows down my growth and achieve my goals faster and reach higher!

What do You want to destroy in your life?

Here's to YOU to create and preserve those values that are most precious to YOU and to destroy those values that inhibits YOU from realizing your potential!