Incremental Progress

When you want something waiting is the hardest part. Especially if you do not know for sure that you will get whatever you are waiting for. So often we give up or worse yet we settle for less because that way we are guranteed to get something as opposed to nothing.

Waiting is boring. And as one of my professors used to say boredom is the worest enemy of humanity. But does waiting breed boredom or is it the other way around?
Say you want a job. You do all the things that you need to do to get you there. You prep your resume and CV, you apply for jobs, you network and.... nothing. So you dust yourself off, tweak your resume, expand your network apply for more jobs and... still nothing. What do you do next?
Apply this to anything that currently keeps you up at night (promotion, love, money) and ask yourself if you are still working hard or have you given up and pretending like you are still in the game? Worse yet, if you are tired and feeling lost, most likely boredom has kicked in which makes you much less effective at doing what you're supposed to be doing in order to get the desired outcome. And boredom is truly the ENEMY.

So if you find yourself in a rut here are some tips to keep you fresh and clear of boredom:


Patience - All good things are worth the wait (and the fight) so make sure you are doing both.
Patience implies waiting but waiting alone is not enough. If you are looking to get somewhere you will need to do the "fighting" part even when you do not see the point and regardless of how tired or discouraged your feel. Think of the obstabcles as a test of how badly you want the end result and use it as a tool to stay positive, stay on course and keep doing what you're doing.

People - Use your people. Ask for help when you need it, lean on them for support and network to always expand your personal web. It is for sure the greatest resource we all have so leverage it for all it's worth.

peaks and valleys - This is related to the the point above: people. Stay humble during your peaks and lend a hand to those in need. This will come in handy when you reach your own valleys.

performance - are you a sore loser? When you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel do you keep at it? When something is not working are you willing to listen and change your strategy? Only those who are most adaptable will succeed in the end.

Path - Seth Goding put it most beautifully:

"the ardent or insane pursuit of a particular goal is a good idea if the steps you take along the way also prep you for other outcomes, each almost as good (or better). If pushing through the Dip and bending the market to your will and shipping on time and doing important and scary work are all things you need to develop along the way, then it does not really matter so much if you don't make the goal you set out to reach."

life is beautiful

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

That is quote from my friend's facebook page who passed away yesterday. She fought cancer with all her might for 3 years, 6 months and 7 days. She was a beautiful spirit, a courageous woman and a fierce warrior. She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer on October 1st, 2006 from which she recovered and went into remission. Later on she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer which continued to spread into other organs. August 2008 she was given a couple of months to live which she vowed to outlive. And she did.

Tonight my heart is heavy with her loss but I remember her not only for the incredible human being that she was but for the legacy that she left behind. Her life was cut short because of a horrific disease that has taken the lives of millions. She fough till her very last breath for the gift of life which we all often take for granted.

So my wish today is that we are all a little bit kinder to ourselves; regardless of the demands, pressures, wishes and dreams we all hope to achieve... I hope to take a moment and let it be. All we have is this moment and most things truly do not matter at the end.
I wish we are a little bit kinder to each other, especially those closest to us. We manage to punish them the most and forget to appreciate them for all they mean to us and the role they play in our lives.
Finally live the life you are meant to live. We are all here for only a short amount of time and how much we enjoy that time is up to you.

I did not get into the nano MBA program. Yesterday afternoon I received an email informing me that I was not selected for the Nano MBA program. I was disappointed. Whenever you pour your heart into something and it does not work out you are bound to feel let down. I had no doubt that it was going to be very tough getting in. The competiton was steep and of course many other optimists like myself were hoping to get a piece of Seth Godin's mind. Spending some quality time with the man who tends to inspire, educate and explain chaotic world in a very simple way would have been a dream. I am sorry I did not get in. I will try again if again comes around. Till then i will keep writing.


The email from Seth and Ishita.


Thank you. I am inspired.

Wow. More than inspired. Over a thousand extraordinary people applied...

Thanks so much for taking the time to apply to my 5-day program. I’m overwhelmed by the response, in numbers, sure, but also in the sheer quality of what came in.

There are people all over the world who are standing up for what they believe in and choosing to do work that matters. You are in very good company, and reading through the hundreds and hundreds of applications was both overwhelming and cause for optimism.

Of course, choices have to be made, and unfortunately, we couldn’t choose everyone. I hope you won’t take it personally, or as a comment on your work, but we’re unable to find room for you this time. I know that in narrowing this down to some finalists we have made some obvious mistakes, and missed people who would have been perfect, people who no doubt will achieve great things and brag about how we didn't pick them… can't wait till that happens!

Any selection process, by its nature, is flawed. This one especially so, because there’s limited information and too many good choices. So, forgive me for not being able to make it work. Unfortunately, we're too swamped to reconsider any of the decisions.

Thanks again for the important work you’re doing and for your enthusiasm in applying. Keep making a difference.


Seth (and Ishita!)


p.s. As much as it sucks getting rejected I must say this is the best rejection email that i have ever received. When I first read the email I almost felt good about myself. And then it sunk in.

NOTE: Photo is courtesy of Paul Idasz

Only if you're a hipster

One of the blogs I follow is Real Johnson. If you are ever looking for a good laugh or just want to waste some time online feel free to check it out.
http://www.realjohnson.com/

May I please recommend the answer Real hipster gives a reader seeking advice on how to impress a girl. Funny, witty and ridicilous.

p.s. Johnson your answer to 'the patriot' was weak. Quoting miss teen usa? Who cares about teen usa. Even 3 years ago it got way too much media attention. Please try again.