Whether it is 2023, 2024 or 2025, or whether it was about the years bygone, fortunately or unfortunately for majority of the 8 billion inhabitants of the planet, thankfully enough the new year is more about a simple change of calendar! No, don’t have to jump to conclusion- there’s is nothing right ort wrong about it- it is indeed a change of calendar and for the different regions of the world- as humans we often end up celebrating the arrival of a new year multiple times within a set of any chosen preceding 12 months! This short article is not about dissecting this space but rather knowing this fact, trying to unravel how things measure up and how our minds get tricked into believing a lot of ghost whispers and fairy tales that often always leads us astray fro m where we ought to be- getting us back again and again to the 1st of January which more or less looks pretty much the same had it not been for the calendar keepers! So let’s roll and step a bit forward!
To begin with every new year often seems that time when individuals and corporations alike are compelled to that irresistible urge to re-dedicate and rejuvenate! Well, to begin with this approach itself has a challenge- because if that’s what was being done through the bygone years’ then how did you again land up at a point where this again became necessary? Whatever happened to the re-dedication and rejuvenated approach of 2022? Sure enough you can always come back saying- the effort needs to be altered to changed realities which are beyond one’s control- sure I buy that and that is precisely the point of this rant! You cannot set a frame for what is formless- you need to come up with a frame to capture the form as it begins to crystallise- whether that crystalizing form is a solution- a blessing or a challenge- ushering in a diversity that alone can decipher your path ahead and what becomes even more critical is the frame that one comes up with! Let me give you a quick example!
Say you are witnessing condensation of a liquid- now you want to collect the liquid into a vessel- what material you use will also depend on what is getting condensed- (condensation is not necessarily only water!)- so if your framing of a context is erred- chances are you will find opportunities slip by and in worst scenarios unwelcome challenges arriving at your door step with a predictable frequency but variable intensity! So what’s the plan? Well read on…
Whether it is January 1 you choose or any other day and call it as your new year (well your birth day is more apt for more practical reasons- all your joys and sufferings get started from there!), the fact remains that unless you evolve and develop with a mindset to stay fluid and in-step (if not a step ahead) with the times- each day coming your way will be sprinkled with anxiety on the bed rock of unforeseen surprises- positive and not serving as well!
Many coaches and guides will tell you that, the only sure way to stay relevant, resilient and in-the-game is not by only appreciating what is unfolding around but also importantly about connecting within and understanding your core drivers and competencies which can hold you steady in the unfolding times ahead! It is this vital essence of knowing yourself well enough and continuing be aware of this is what distills greatness away from the average! You see once you know who you are- what you are- you are able to define yourself- you know the extent of your limitlessness- everything else will soon begin to make sense! Let me explain …real quick!
In the workplace- wherever you are-what you see is that people more or less will have the same technical qualification- but what separates them laterally or vertically in the hierarchy is the expertise and tenacity that they would have developed over one singular function over the many others that they preform and this vital differentiator moves them where they are! Nothing to suggest, that one is greater than the other- but once you get anchored on what gives you comfort and ease to deploy your learnings you arrive ta a formidable place of confidence which only grows and consolidates with time to help you do what you do really well over a period of time in an incremental value- as long as you stay true and anchored to your core drivers within you.
What you thrive upon is what will drive you and make you travel through the journey of being good to great- with minimal effort and little resistance! Not all MBAs become CXO’s but many CXOs are MBAs! Likewise not all doctors are famous and many famous people are doctors! Its at the end of the day, how deeply you are entrenched in what you do and whether what you do is out of choice or compulsion- if its a calibrated and intellectually thought of choice- that decision will help you shine and rise- if its a compulsion that you are dragging on with- the brightness will dim and flicker through the course of time!
I will not spoil your much anticipated New Year Party….leaving you with these thoughts for you to reflect and mull over, as you sip into that enviable glass of wine! Here’s wishing you an empowering 2023 and hope you connect within and propel ahead on the core drivers that help you thrive!
Before I sign off, happy to inform you that we are now a 4000+ strong community and heartfelt thanks to all of you, who have been part of this journey! Look forward to continuing this journey in the year ahead! As always, stay sane, stay wise and yes, decipher what is hidden in plain sight!
Ciao for now! See you again in 2023!
An Aura of Fleeting Thoughts 