Happy New Year 2023

"As the year 2022, comes to a close, it's natural to reflect on the events of the past 12 months. The past year has been like a rollercoaster ride, with ups and downs, twists and turns, and moments of excitement and fear. But through it all, we've held on tight and navigated the twists and turns with resilience and determination. We've learned to adapt and find new ways of doing things, and we've come out stronger on the other side."

As we say goodbye to the past year and look forward to the new one, it's a time to let go of the things that no longer serve us and to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. It's a chance to set new goals and to make the most of the present moment.

So let's bid farewell to the old year and look ahead with hope and optimism. Let's make the most of the time we have and create a bright and beautiful future. Here's to a new year full of possibility and potential!

"The new year 2023, is like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with the colors of our hopes, dreams, and actions. It's a time to let go of the past and embrace the possibilities of the future. Just as an artist chooses their palette and brushstrokes to create a masterpiece, we can choose how we want to create our own lives. We can set goals and make resolutions, taking small steps every day to bring our dreams to fruition."

The new year is also a time for reflection and gratitude. It's a chance to look back on the year that has passed and to appreciate the people, experiences, and blessings that have enriched our lives. So as we welcome in the new year, let's take a deep breath and embrace the blank canvas before us. Let's choose our colors wisely and paint a picture that brings us joy and fulfillment. 

To make the most of the new year, here are a few tools that can help:

1. Make a list of goals and resolutions. Take some time to think about what you want to accomplish in the new year and write them down. Having specific and measurable goals can help you stay focused and motivated.
2. Create a plan of action. Break your goals down into smaller, more achievable steps and create a plan to help you accomplish them. This can help you stay on track and make progress towards your goals.
3. Find a support system. Surround yourself with people who will encourage and support you in your goals. Having a strong support system can help you stay motivated and accountable.
4. Stay positive and focused. Keep a positive attitude and stay focused on your goals, even when challenges arise. Remember that progress takes time and that every small step you take brings you closer to achieving your goals.

Here's to a happy and healthy new year 2023! May it bring you joy, growth, and all the tools you need to create a fulfilling and rewarding year.

Please respond the survey, I am conducting, as a part of my research by clicking on >> Leadership Competencies required for managers while handling crisis situations. 

(Opinions are purely personal & does not represent my organizations, current or past) 

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Achieve your big dreams by taking small actions

Few years back, the editor of one of the dailies called me and requested to write the weekly column for their supplement. The column was supposed to be published weekly for a year. When I visualize the year, I thought, how I would do that. Further I had to commit to writing and sending articles every week. Writing seldom is very easy without any commitment. There were challenges of taking time out for this task and then having consistency in writing. Readers also should feel engaged. For me it was a mammoth task. I requested some time to think. Finally, I decided to give it a try. I thought I would write one article a week and then decide depending upon the mood of my mind. 

I started writing and then it became fun. Initially I write one article once in a week but then in a flow, I used to write 3-4 articles in one sitting and used to mail regularly. The task which I thought was a mammoth task, became simple for me. Topics were challenging but interesting; readers appreciated it. I was able to engage them. Secondly, I started enjoying writing regularly. It formed a habit. The column was popular among youth and students. After that I am writing many columns for magazines and dailies. I created the habit of writing regularly. 

(Image: Internet)

Sometimes, we feel the task is very large, and we get scared. Take an example of driving to another city at night which is almost 250 km from your city. What do you look outside while driving? You can see only a few meters in the headlights of the car. So, in those headlights, you drive mile by mile and reach your destination. Life is like that. Most of the time, we don’t know how we will achieve our task, how we will reach the destination, but then there are some guiding principles to reach there. 

Find out your headlight: What is that guiding light which will help you to see a few meters away, you don’t need always to see beyond the vision. Starting the journey and taking small steps help you to reach your goals. 

Break the task in smaller tasks: This is not a new technique, but we don’t follow it. Most of the time, we are desperate to complete it in one stretch, which may result in failure.    

Author Dan Richards quotes about solving the problem “Break down the problem into smaller pieces and start dealing with them one at a time, piece by piece. The smaller the piece, the easier it will be to evaluate it individually and come up with the solution. You can also try solving one problem for one day.”    

It applies to your goals, tasks, dreams etc. Whatever you wish to achieve, break down that task into a smaller task or think about milestones. While writing a column, I started with one article, and I wrote many. 

We all have some dreams and wishes, unless we don’t convert them into goals that remain dreams and wishes. Don’t get scared by big tasks and goals. Find out the right headlights to reach those goals and break the goals into smaller achievable tasks. You will achieve what you wish.  

(Opinions are purely personal & does not represent my organizations, current or past) 

Author's book are available on Amazon, Flipkart, Pothi and BookGanga 

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This year is another chance to get it right, Happy New year!

Wish you a happy new year 2020. 

New year is always exciting. This is because we think we have something new. Universe is not moving and hence time stand still. If you were to stand outside the universe, outside both space and time, and look at your life, you would see your birth, your death and every moment in between laid out as distinct points. From this angle, time does not flow, but is static and fixed. We are aging and moving ahead. However, as the earth is rotating around the sun, we think that time is moving. 

With this moving world, we have some wishes, dreams; we make plans; we have some goals to achieve. However, then we say that we don’t have the time to do it all. We make resolutions every year, but they remain on paper only. We don’t do anything what we have decided because we don’t have that push from our inner self. We don’t commit it to ourselves. In organizations, when you take some goals, objectives and targets, mostly you achieve the same, because your existence in the organization and your job is dependent on that targets. If you don’t achieve your targets, your job will be in danger and hence your commitment comes. Sometimes it is because you want to grow in the organization and hence you have a commitment and hence push from your inner self.

This does not happen when there are not any consequences. If your doctor told you that you had life-threatening disease and if you didn’t walk daily at least 3-km, you would not survive. What will you do? Most of the people, will follow doctors’ advice because it has high stakes. 

We don’t have that big stakes in resolutions. We think that these resolutions are either harmless or do not have an immediate impact on the life.  

What are those resolutions? Waking early in the morning, going to the Gym, pursuing   any hobby, getting some additional skills etc. If you don’t follow these, you will not have any adverse or positive impact immediately. Hence the tendency is to postpone such resolutions. Further, we don’t convert these resolutions in goals and objectives like we do in professional life.

I was a part of one of the leadership development programmes in 2010. This programme was for selected management team members. Good part was that this programme was not like typical leadership workshop. It was spread over for almost 6 months with different learning objectives. We had to take few goals by every week, and we had to report the progress about the same to our internal and external coach. There were 3 types of goals.

Professional Goals: These are goals typically in professional life related to your job and work. 

Personal Goals: These are goals related to your personal life,

Back burner Goals: These are things which you want to do, but you have put it aside because of some other priorities. 

We are good about professional goals and objectives as our survival depends upon the same. Our performance, merit increase and bonuses are based on these goals and we almost die to achieve the same, but we put aside our personal goals.

People ask me how I get the time to write poems, articles, books, reading and attend conferences as a speaker, panellist etc. I think that goals if set properly, can be achieved with some effort. However, we don’t want to put efforts. During above leadership programme, I learned to focus equally on the above 3 types of goals. I never compromised my professional goals to focus on personal and back burner goals. But I started given equal importance to all types of goals. I have to stretch sometimes to achieve these but then when I get the results, I get the energy to do it more. 

Today also I write my all 3 types of goals. Apart of my bonus targets and performance objective, I ensure that I take professional goals by every week along with personal and back burner goals.    

I set goals, I see them regularly, I commit to the goals and I share these with timelines.  
So? make resolutions as you do every year, but this year, convert them in goals and objectives. Write your dreams on your heart and you will have it. 

I wish you and your family as happy new year 2020. This year is another chance to get it right. 

Happy New Year 2015

Resolution of following the resolution

Do you make the list of resolutions to be followed in New Year? The question is how to follow the same. I remember, when I was in college, I use to make the big list of resolutions.

From 1st Jan,

I will wake up early in the morning

I will start daily exercise

I will study at least one subject after the exercise

I will enroll for additional diploma

I will spend at least one Sunday with underprivileged children and so on….

When I look back and review why resolutions are not followed, I get simple answer and it is we do not commit to ourselves. We recognize the importance of resolutions. That’s why we make it. But it does not come from our heart as they are not priorities for us. You just check the list of resolutions people do. If you do not follow these resolutions, you do not suffer so much immediately. Unless we do not make them the priority we would not be able to follow them.

Second reason is we do not convert them into objectives and goals. And when you convert them into the goals, you are forced to put the timeline. Most of the times, it is wish list we make and label them resolutions.

We have lot of excuses to break these resolutions. We do not plan them properly. Sometimes we do it for 15 days and then we forget…

So on the eve of last day of this year, at least make one resolution...

“Whatsoever, I make any resolution; I make it to happen.”

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Happy New Year

With the first rays of the Sun on the Earth and with the first day of the week, 2015 will be started. New beginning is ahead. There are lot many things to do in New Year; Lot of plans and resolutions. (http://vinodtbidwaik.blogspot.com/2010/12/resolution-of-following-resolution.html) 1st Jan is the same as yesterday, but with new hopes.

Yesterday on one TV show, one actor asked another one, “What does New Year mean for you?” Actor replied, “When my wife asks me to bring new calendar, I assume that the New Year is ahead.”

Earth rotates around the Sun as usual, birds go out from their nest as usual, but for human being, it is the new day for new thinking. Human being thinks what he has achieved, gain in a last year and what he would achieve in New Year. However we should not forget the spirit of enjoying the New Year. We keep back the baggage and hope for the best in New Year. Somebody may say that 2014 was more challenging and volatile, but that is the life. It gave you total new experience. There is one English movie, “Clean Slate”. In this movie one character suffers one type of amnesia, when he goes to sleep each night he forgets everything that happened to him before that time. A woman who had cheated him asked him to forgive. The character even is not aware what she did with him and he is totally clueless.

As you welcome the New Year, your past has nothing to influence your future. The great year is ahead with hopes and lot of positive energy. If you believe on the “Law of Attraction”, then this year will bring more joy and positive energy in your life. No matter what has happened in last year, you have the power to create your next year as you choose. For this you have to choose the freedom of choosing. (http://vinodtbidwaik.blogspot.com/2011/02/do-you-have-choice.html) You are now deeper, wiser, and stronger by one more year.

Wish you all Happy New year! May this New Year 2015 bring for you happiness, success, health, prosperity and wonderful surprises in your life!”

Cheers!

Are your goals align with your values?

Rajesh was our performing sales manager.  He was always ahead with setting ambitious targets and putting the number in place.  He had a target for volume of sales and acquired new business.  He was travelling a lot in a year and away from his family on week end and holidays.  

Although he was successfully implementing his plan and having positive results towards meeting his goals, he was not overjoyed. Why? It had nothing to do with his job, but had all to do with his family life. He missed time spent with his wife and sharing memorable experiences with his son. He was away from home too much.

One day, he was discussing with me his pains and reaction of his wife and son.

“It is hard time for me, on professional front I am successful, but on personal front, I am totally disturbed.” He told.  He was missing a lot his wife and son and even they also were missing him.

Road you take...

Two elderly villagers were seating at the corner bench besides road.

One traveler comes and asks, “Does this road goes to Gangapur?”

 Elderly villager replies, “No, this road doesn’t go anywhere?”

“How? Somebody back told me that this road goes to Gangapur.”

“Son, I am here for last 70 years and I never seen this road going anywhere. If you want to go Gangapur, you have to go on this road straight. You, yourself have to walk”

Road are media to reach at the destination. We have to move, we have to walk, and we have to take efforts to reach at the destination. It is upto us how we take the road. By walking, by running or by some other speedy vehicle. There are million roads, therefore you have to keep in mind that road is only road.  

If you thanks that the road which is not towards the destination, you need not stay with it under any circumstances.

There is no affront to oneself or others in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do. But your decision to keep on the path must be free of fear or ambition.

Look at every Road/path closely and deliberately. Ask the question, “Does this road take me towards my Goal?”

Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself and yourself alone one question. It is this: Does this road have a heart? Does this road have the values? Does this road is sensible to adjust the change if you desire to?

All roads are the same. They lead nowhere.

There are roads going through the brush or into the brush or under the brush.

Does this path have a heart is the only question.

If it does, then the road is good.

If doesn’t, it is of no use.

I know but I won’t write. I won’t write because I don’t want to commit.

I encountered with the new marketing head of one of the new business verticals, “We need to finalize the KRAs of your team.” I suggested him.

“We don’t need KRAs. If we design the KRAs, they will not do other work. They will focus only on KRAs and not routine work which we need to do everyday” He replied.

“What? You don’t need KRAs, then how your team members will be aware about their deliverable.” I told him. He preferred to keep silent.

“KRAs are the end result of your job/activities you performed, they comes from your job itself my dear friend.” I told him.

Most of the time, people are careless about setting the goals for their team members. They said it is already there but not willing to write on the paper.

Once I asked to one advertisement manager about his department targets. He told me the sales figure. I asked, “What about receivables?” He was unable to reply. I asked if he had any written target. "No It is on our mind", he replied.

Then I asked about the team targets. “We don’t have the targets for team.” How can the organization run without defining deliverables?

I asked to write the goals on paper. “No, we don’t do this” was the answer.

Then I realized that though he was doing well, he was not willing to write because when you write something, then you give the commitment of the written goals and nobody wants to give the commitment.

It was very hard to push them for writing KRAs and targets, Managers were not happy, but team was happy with this. They shared, “Boss was just asking us to generate the business daily, monthly, but our life was depend upon him. We did not know what is our destination at the end of year.”

After six months when we sat to review the process, I realized that team members were more happy as they were aware about clear-cut expectations from the bosses.

“Earlier, we did not know where to go; today at least we know what the basis of our evaluation is”, they responded.

The people were more focused and committed to their goals.

People don’t achieve what they wish because they don’t commit themselves. If you don’t write your goals, the goals will be dreams only.

Write down your goals. Write down daily, monthly, yearly objectives. Writing means committing something yourself. If you commit, you achieve. It is applicable in your personal life also.