Failure defines The Power to Win

What wins comes under the category of ‘Success’ and the other enters ‘Failure’ by default. There is a perception that success is on the radiant side, whereas failure belongs to darkness. 

The term failure is far more passionate than success. Believe one should be proud of ‘Failure’, at-least he/she worked hard on a particular project. There are millions of people who don’t even give a try. To fail means to understand ways that don’t work. “I have failed hundreds of times. And I’m proud of that. I get to know ways that don’t work. I learn 100 new things through every failure. And some of these learnings help me design pathways to success”, says Aamer Rushnaiwala, Owner, ‘The Optimistic You’.

You have to taste the bitterness of Failure to be successful in life. Take any example – From Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet amongst many others have failed first, and then succeeded. And they are proud of their failures. You may like it or not; however, failure is the stepping stone to converting your dreams to reality.

The secret to Success:

- If you fail, either once or series of it, keep on working as hard as you did for the first time.

- Not to get disheartened when meet failure, once or multiple times.

- Learn whats working & whats not from failure. Analyse, write suggestions and then, bang on the target with a fresh approach and similar commitment.

This, I believe, has helped me work on my dreams. To commit errors is part of life. Believe every failure is an achievement, for you know what will work & then, charge with thrust to meet your targets/complete the project and attain success.

If you are giving yourself the permission to fail – you, at the same time give the permission to excel. Nobody can ever be interesting by not failing. The greater is your intensity to fail and get stronger and revamp, the better are you as an individual. Have you ever met someone who’s had a palatial living with no or zero struggle? Bet, you’ll meet none.

You are a Winner. You should not be afraid of failing. Losers are damn scared. They, who avoid failure do the same to success. The best of the individuals in the world (wealthy, famous,...) have been great failures. You take risks in life – and you know – there will be events when you fail & events when you succeed – and both are equally important.

Failure should not stop you from being successful. When you attain success – be on the tip of the mountain and you recall the landslides you fought with, severe weather conditions you dealt with – you realize that you didn't give up. And you are a Winner.

Keep on working – trying, you'll be successful. To keep on trying is the best way to defeat failure. Your try kills the fear of failure, eventually kills failure.

And it is here when we say, ‘Failure defines The Power to Win’.

Full & Final Settlement – Last Visit to the company

The feeling is strange. The organisation you've been a part of, worked for sometime, contributed in the expansion/sales/operations/finance/HR/IT and there comes a day you visit the company for the very last time i.e. for FULL & FINAL SETTLEMENT.

It certainly is strange, out of the blue and awkward – you are asked to sit in the reception and wait for the HR to come. You have a look at the floor – same place where you walked day-in & day-out in formals and there you are – waiting for the Full & Final.

At the reception, you realize that nothing has actually changed. The reception is the same place you came some time back for an interview – waiting for your chance, scared about the questions to be faced, result to be announced and there you are – Last day at the company.

The organisation never feels your absence. People are working & the organisation continues growth. You see similar faces saying ‘Goodbyes’ & ‘Wishing luck’ who at some point in time sat on the same floor. At this point in time, you think about the contributions you did, nights you worked, and friends you made. You may as well think – Did I take the right decision of leaving the job?

Hey – you’ve taken the right decision. Never regret about the decisions you've taken. Your decision to leave a particular organisation is based on some aspects/incidents & there’s no reason for you to regret. There is no point to work for people/company you don’t feel good about. It’s time that you explore & grow with some other organisation or build yours own.

HR arrives and hands over an envelope which contains the cheque & letter of experience. And that completes the circle – Signing of the appointment letter to receiving the experience letter. You’re asked to sign on the papers that your account has been settled & you’re relieved from the company. One signature makes the difference.

There are certain key learnings you should keep in mind:

- Never get emotionally attached with the company. The company doesn't feel the same for you.

- Believe in yourself & your decision. You are the best – the very best.

- Never regret. No point thinking on What? Where? Why? When? It was your decision – respect it.

- The future is brighter and radiant than you think.

And finally, HR greets & says ‘Good Bye’. This is when your journey with this organisation comes to an end. I’m sure you had great times to learn. There’d be times you’d be angry/happy about. Your boss appreciating/criticizing your performance. Attending parties, making fun of/criticizing colleagues/boss, competing to prove yourself and what not. Overall, you eventually say – Hey, that was a great experience.

And there you are – pull the glass door, and wish all the best to the company. And you don’t look back. Walking through the corridor, for the very last time – you smile & say, “I’m now ON to something really big. A great decision. Time to build the future”.

Keys to Stay Organized

Hey You! Do you plan before taking action? Do you manage your calendar? Do you prioritize your priorities? If not, better start doing it now. The battle begins as the alarm rings. Time to prove and get ready for the day. Difficult, isn't it? It actually isn't; however, we believe it so. These are some secret keys to stay organized:

1. Prioritize your priorities: Most successful people prioritize tasks to be done that day. A to-do list is the best way to manage your day’s activities. Believe you have priorities; however, it is important to prioritize your priorities. Tasks with greater degree of relevance should be completed first.

2. Manage your desk: Hey, never leave your desk dirty. Don’t flourish it with useless papers, files, and other things. Understand it is difficult to organize the desk on top of important meetings, work, priorities, etc. Take an hour every week to organize your desk. The investment to stay organized is one great way to deal with emergency situations – makes it easier to get data, papers and files resulting in saving time.

3. Set aside 20 minutes to evaluate the entire day: Make sure you keep 20 minutes to evaluate & analyse how the day passed. These 20 minutes will help you prepare for the coming days. Prepare a list of do’s and don’ts – learn and try improving yourself. Also go through the remaining work – assignments to juniors, respond to voice-mails & emails, file things you need, and clean up the rest.

4. Maintain a Calendar always: Prepare a calendar – organize your activities. Maintaining a calendar either on your smartphone or sticky notes makes sense. This will keep you updated for the meetings, tasks to be done.

5. Set goals & stay focused on them: Your target should always be to hit the ‘Bulls Eye’. Remind yourself of the goal day-in and day-out. This will help achieve the success you dream of. Your goals should be realistic & encouraging.

And yes, never forget to add the ingredient of ‘optimism’ whilst preparing the dish. Optimism, hard work coupled with being organised will surely help you achieve success. A little investment of time, develop a system to keep a track of key things will assist in creating a personalized road to productivity.

Stay focused, Stay optimistic and STAY ORGANIZED.

How to Kill Stress When Unemployed?

Unemployment – it is certainly stressful. It has the power to capture most of your senses, thought processes, happy moments, to build pillars of tensions, worries, darkness and a lot more. I have seen this period of being unemployed for a long time. This article won’t quote any other individual, but my understanding on facing stress when unemployed.

I've seen a time when most of my batch-mates were joining some or the other company & entering the much talked-about Corporate World. 90% of my batch-mates became part of the profile they were not happy about. They said – Its need of the Hour. The economy is going down & you need a job. Many of them currently working, are not happy with their jobs.

I have seen months being unemployed. My academics have been sound, my understanding of the markets is fair, my general knowledge is fair –  to sit for interview processes. I never sat in more than three interviews at my college for one reason. I adore & respect a few people in this world who have followed their hearts – Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet. The only answer they gave to what was the key to success, they always highlighted on “Following one’s heart”. They did what they loved.

I have followed my heart & always will. To stay unemployed was tough. Those were the days when I spent time improving vocabulary, building this blog – The Optimistic You, watching videos of people who changed the world by following their hearts. My friends believed in my thoughts, my dreams that someday I’d grow successful & this struggle was worth it.

The following are certain keys I’d share to unlock stress & the fear of being unemployed:

- Do not feel jealous to what others are doing or how far they have gone. Follow your heart.

- Not to leave hope & believe things would settle down for good.

- Believe that you can & you will.

- Engage time in reading fruitful articles in sync to the kind of profile you want to be a part of.

- Engage with your friends – share thoughts & ideas.

- Improve yourself – personal development till the moment you land up the career you wish to proceed with.

Friends, the core is to believe in yourself. You cannot lose. Life will hit you hard with a brick – do not lose faith. Follow your heart – for this will keep you happy & focused to what you want to achieve in your life.

My last words on Unemployment – Enjoy this phase in life. It’s worth exploring. ;)

Delete these 6 Things from EveryDay routine

To prepare a To-Do List is a great way to be productive & enhance relationships, but make sure you delete the following six from your daily routine:

1. Phone in hand when talking to someone: If you wish to be a remarkably likable person, make sure you don’t make use of your cell phone when chatting with the other person. It leaves a wrong impression on the counterpart – for he might think that his words have no VALUE.

2. Multitasking during meetings: Focus on the discussions & stay in alignment with the meeting agenda in the conference room. This will help you learn more about the subject matter, spot opportunities and give valuable suggestions than most others.

3. Importance to people who don't matter: Your friends and family would support you all the time. It is useless to stress yourself by thinking about people who don’t matter. Devote time to people who can bring smiles to your face, revive and make you feel special all the time.

4. Allow the past dominate future: We should understand the fact that – WE ARE HUMANS & NOT ALMIGHTY. We will commit mistakes, billions of them. Make sure the errors help you learn & you turn them into opportunities to build a better future. The past is just a tutorial. Never let the past define you. The future is yours. You are armored with lessons from the past – and its time to attack the future.

5. Crib about others: To crib about others is an important deletion from our daily routine. If you have a problem with ‘A’, discuss it with him/her than sharing it hundred others. To become a gossip king won’t make you successful. There are a lot more important things to talk & learn about.

6. Say ‘Yes’ when you really meant ‘No’: The moment you be untrue to yourself, you feel bad for a long time. Why to say ‘Yes’ to something that you’re not interested to be a part of? The moment you say ‘No’ to the other person, you’ll feel bad for sometime. The other person would respect your decision for being true. If he/she doesn't respect you & your decision, believe me, there is no point for you to stay sad.

These six deletions should be added in your daily routine & affixed in the To-Do list’s ‘Not to do items’.

5 tips to amplify CREDIBILITY

Dependable, Trust and Reliability amongst others are synonyms of Credibility. Credibility, which comes from credence i.e. trust is a key component in our lives. The factor of trust is pioneer both for personal & professional living (building relations with customers, suppliers & colleagues). It is an individuals attitude towards others, his/her helpful behavior, his/her practical approach towards things coupled with an honest nature attribute him/her as credible. I’d like to list 5 tips to amplify credibility in living. Please note the following:

1. Be original & transparent: We should not pretend/act who we aren't. This principle remains same for businesses as well. The moment you pretend to your customer, credibility flushes out. People will love & respect you for who you are. A fake face idea might work for some weeks; however, to make it a long term strategy will turn to failure.

2. Be conscious to the value you deliver: It is vital to understand that we market ourselves daily. We are INDIVIDUAL BRANDS – it depends on us how we market on daily basis. To build a positive/negative atmosphere around is in our hands. Individuals gain/lose credibility on the basis of their interactions & actions with others.

3. Be an attentive listener & mindful speaker: I read an article which focused on being a good listener. During any conversation, one should hear the other person/customer's perspective with complete concentration, take few seconds to evaluate what was spoken, and only then make a comment to take the conversation forward.

4. Impress others but don’t be a Sales-guy: Do not push yourself to others. Don’t force an idea you believe is great on others. People who are calm & candid in their talks, who work with honesty, and lift others up are considered credible.

5. Don’t try to be a Hero: This life is not a comic book story with you as its HERO. So, better don’t be one. Your heroic ventures won’t make you credible, but your potential to crystalline difficulties & solutions will.

The Oracle of Omaha – Warren Buffet – is the prime example for this article. In 1990's, Warren Buffet was one of the biggest shareholders of Solomon Brothers which entered into troubles with financial authorities. Warren was persuaded to step in as a temporary Chairman. The chapter of Solomon was the darkest to Warren wherein he was likely to lose part of reputation & money. On a dramatic Sunday morning, Warren put his reputation at stake & begged the top treasury official. It was because of his credibility & honesty, he saved Solomon Brothers.

There are a few credible people left in this world.

Let’s be ONE.

Welcome 2014

The minute, second and hours’ arrow struck at twelve and the year changed to 2014. Days, months and years go by. We welcome the new year with pump and excitement with the hope that things would settle for good & the new year will bring happiness to friends and family. 31^st December 2013 ends – a good bye to everything and anything that made you sad.

2014 has begun. New hopes, wishes and dreams are waiting to get accomplished. You did overhaul mistakes and errors committed in 2013. You leave baggages of failure behind and affix the list of achievements along with in this 2014 era to boost confidence & thrill that will take you near your goal.

If you’re a businessmen, its time to think on untapped markets, generating new leads, servicing current clients, going online & chatting with customers via social media and boosting confidence in employees amongst others.

If you’re an employee, you should focus on identifying new ways to complete tasks, achieving targets, surround with positive energy, build networks, and stay happy with who you are.

If you’re a child, your energies should concentrate on learning new things, master in subjects you love, maintain a proper schedule, think about future, and keep on working.

If you’re a home maker, you should experiment preparing new dishes, keep the environment sound - take care of, both, you & the family and keep on smiling.

If you’re unemployed, you have an interesting work to do. You are the dreamer. Time to analyse & think what you like and pursue a career you feel passionate about. And yes, don’t be sad. Don’t be jealous about others. Believe that you are the best and you’d succeed in your endeavors.

2014 brings with a number of applications (emotions) – sad, happy, excitement and much more. ‘Open’ the applications you feel good about, ‘Uninstall’ applications that are of no use, ‘Never download’ applications which you’re unsure of. Don’t let viruses (feelings like jealousy, hatred...) get on your nerves. Download applications which will make you happy. Spend time with friends and family. Overhaul decisions that went wrong in the past. Don’t let them affect you. Learn from them and move towards achieving your goal.

2014 – what matters is your perspective to things. How you can create a difference. For a businessmen, it’s Value Addition; Employee, its dedication & success of the organisation; Child, its hard work to pursue short term goals; Home maker, it’s raising the family and for the unemployed, its the level of patience and Hope that things would settle.

Your thoughts on 2014 might differ but the essence, I’m sure, remains the same. Each year passing by gets you closer to your dream. Believe in it – and dream with open eyes to make it a reality. 2014 is the pathway you've entered – make sure, you keep on moving forward.

An oath to 2014 – I will work harder than I did in the previous years. I will fight every obstacle that comes my way. And last but not the least, I will always follow my heart.