Ask, but don’t ask too much

It’s a fine balance, as we all probably know and realize.

As a stupid 21 year old in his first job, I am obviously eager to learn and absorb as much as I can. While a significant part of that learning comes from a mix of google, observation and working on getting results, a significant part (greater than or equal to 50%) comes from learning from people.
And here, the equation is simple –
-> Never hesitate to ask if you don’t understand. There’s no time or tolerance for bullshit anyway.
-> Having said that, there’s also that point where the answerer’s patience wears thin and when he/she would rather do things alone rather than have you badgering him/her.
It’s the same with asking for favors. Asking for small favors once in a while doesn’t hurt especially if you are doing enough to make sure you’re returning those favors but asking one big favor can be pretty detrimental..
It’s a fine line. Most of life is like a tight rope walk anyway when we come to think of it. Why should this be any different, right?

Irreverent Advice for Young Up-and-Comers:

When it comes to learning from the past, there’s got to be a damn good reason to look back since you’re probably better off just living in the present. Still, post mortems are certainly valuable exercises for learning from the past and determining what to do differently next go ’round.

So, today I got to thinking, if I could go back to when I was a young up-and-comer in the working world, what would I tell that early version of me, knowing what I know now? On second thought, I was so full of myself back then that I probably wouldn’t listen.

Still, I’m hoping that at least some of you and your proteges are less pigheaded than I was and might benefit from this heartfelt but hard-hitting Irreverent Advice for Young Up-and-Comers:

Brains will only get you so far in the real world. While you may very well be as smart as you think you are, your intelligence will only be marginally useful in the real world. As time goes on, you’ll come to rely less and less on your smarts and more and more on the wisdom, self-confidence, and strength that comes from experience. That’s the foundation your future success will be built upon.

Don’t take yourself so damn seriously. The sooner you get over yourself, the better. The sooner you grow up and stop thinking you’re special; the sooner you realize that you’re just another guy trying to carve his own path in the world; the sooner you fall down, get up, dust yourself off, and realize that wasn’t so bad; the better. Because that’s what it takes to do what comes next …

Take big risks … now! It gets much harder as you get older and begin to “acquire” things you don’t want to risk losing. What do you hope to achieve by taking big risks when you’re young?

  • Opportunity and visibility. When you start out, you’re essentially invisible. You want to change that as soon as possible. The more visible you become the more options you’ll have, the more opportunities to learn and grow, the bigger your network will become, etc. Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
  • Find your passion. If you don’t think you’ve found it yet, then you haven’t. You’ll know when you have. Everything will get easier. You’ll become driven and self-motivated. Climbing the corporate ladder and increasing responsibility and accountability will come naturally. If you’re good at it and the market cooperates, you’ll be successful.
  • Succeed and fail .. a lot. It’s not important whether you succeed or fail early on, just that you do one or the other many times and get a solid feedback loop going. You’ll achieve confidence from success and wisdom from failure. It’s all good, it’s all information, it’s all experience, and it all builds a strong foundation.

Don’t forget to live. You’ll get all sorts of advice about work/life balance; here’s a story that may help: Sometime in the future you’ll meet someone, fall in love, and marry her. And when the opportunity arises to build a distributor network for your company in Europe, you’ll take her with you, rent a car, and travel all over the place. Some of the time the two of you will explore and have fun, the rest of the time you’ll do your business. Try to model your work/life balance after that trip. It works pretty well.

—

Good advice, I thought..

So you’re having a lamp post day..


I.e. one of those days when you feel everything around you is peeing on you. (Generally, a result of an accumulation of a bunch of small things)

Nothing to worry.
You know that friend who always makes you laugh. Yes, THAT friend.
Find him/her.
Fast.
And talk/chat/sms – whatever you can get hold of.
And watch your day feel better already!

Productivity and Work Outs

If you have experience going to the gym (I did – for 3 months! And somehow the post gym muscles are always thought to have been photoshopped.. haha), then the trainers typically insist on taking lots of time in between work outs.

For example, we were restricted to work out for an hour every day from Monday-Saturday and forbidden from entering the gym on Sunday as the muscles needed time to react to the exercise.
It is the same with productivity – our brain needs time. Chugging along and working 15 hours every day is not necessarily productive and is definitely not something to be proud of either, especially if you are having to do so consistently.
It’s not about the battle, but about the war after all.
—
I can’t help re-emphasize this for myself. Learnt this the hard way during my start-up days.

The plunge

The night was cold.

I had been debating whether to take the plunge or not.
The pool was empty.
I had left my towel back at the villa on purpose.
Somewhere within, I did know that the fitness centre didn’t give towels.
It was a ready made excuse, after all.
I touched the water – and darn, it didn’t feel that cold. Could I sell the ‘no towel’ excuse to myself?
I trudged back and got my towel.
Touched the water again, and it hadn’t gotten colder.
I got changed.
The night was cold.
I had to take the plunge.
An image flashed by – a flabby unhealthy me.
I jumped..
The water was great, the swim was great and I felt great after an hour in the pool.
And I wondered how many such great experiences I had talked myself out of, without even trying.
And felt thankful for the many times I had actually taken the plunge.