Is it time to Draw the Line, already?
In this article I will be talking about exploring choices, having backup plans, and setting targets. Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions for my next article, please leave a comment below, and I shall build content around it. Moving on, in my life, I have worked in the food industry, helped in a family business, tried modelling, freelancing, doing reviews, writing articles, and finally starting my venture. And believe it or not, at one point, I was doing 6 of the above at the same time.
Exploring different domains had left me lost and confused. This had a negative impact on me, making me realize that I did not have a purpose. From then on it was a journey of self-doubt, stress, chaos, and turmoil. I swayed wherever the wind blew.
So what changed that? Firstly, the realization that I was doing everything and achieving only a little, in every field I pursued. Secondly, a strong circle of friends and family, who were there to support me, while I was getting out of this whimsical circle. Now, you know what happens when you don’t have a plan?
In addition to the above, I had to be headstrong and decide one field, one passion, one goal that I would work for relentlessly. I did so, and I can tell you, having one clear goal can be so relieving. It is so important to have a plan, if not a full-fledged plan at least be very clear about your domain and have the next two small steps within vision. Just two levels and I promise it will make a world of difference. At every point, you should be able to see the next two steps.
I drew a line after trying at least five fields that I was most inclined to. Some people are fortunate to realise their goals even before completing college; they can do so because they plan and they’re involved in all activities, discussions, forums, which help them understand themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, better. I was a bit of a lost bird, but at least I learned when to draw the line. There is so much you can achieve, but you need to decide where is it that you want to accomplish all you can.
I suggest, start with deciding your Domain + The next two steps and start stating deadlines: not so long that you miss the opportunity to realise that you don’t enjoy what you’re doing but also not so short that jumping from one field to the other becomes a habit. Secondly, if there are two hobbies you want to pursue apart from your primary goal, seek inspiration to pursue those hobbies or activities. Hobbies never take one astray from their primary goal; instead, they have quite the contrary effect. Hobbies and activities help clear one’s mind and refresh every cell in one’s body. On this note, you must know that I am inspired to write because Dr. Shashi Tharoor once told me “Keep reading and seek to express yourself orally and in writing as openly as possible. The best way to learn is to do.”
You now know how you can explore choices and draw deadlines; let us now evaluate backup plans. Are backup plans necessary? or are they overrated or is it both? You’ll find people who will entirely convince you that without a backup, you’re walking in, for your first choice, with a 50% probability of failing without recovery. In my opinion, that is not true. Even going bankrupt does not mean that you’re in an unrecoverable position. Secondly, backup plans are good to have when you’re not confident about your first choice; in that case, even while you have a back-up, you are walking in to pursue your first option with the same probability of failing.
Sometimes, things may not go as planned, but that’s inevitable. What if, even your backup plan fails? Will you frame another fall-back option? Or will it be better if you analyse why you failed in the first place and planned out your course to lower the probability of failing? I am not saying with conviction that a backup plan is not necessary, what I am saying is that unless the stakes are high or you’re going into a field, half convinced yourself; having a backup plan might make you less aggressive and less focused on your current pursuit. So get aggressive, don’t be too tough on yourself. Be a go-getter. Plan for your first choice well enough and well beforehand.
Setting targets- sounds so serious and so tedious. Thoughts that run through my mind “Am I qualified and knowledgeable enough to set my targets and timelines? Will I be able to distinguish between short-term and long-term targets? What if I underestimate the time I need to achieve a certain target, and it ends up qualifying as a long-term target?” You see, a mind is a difficult place to be in. You can set whichever goal you want very wisely and even substantiate every purpose you make, but the most challenging bit is going to be convincing yourself and your mind that you can do it! The only way to take full control of your brain is by training it.
Now, you may ask if my mind is the only thing that controls all thoughts and reactions then what am I supposed to use to train it? This sounds like a plausible question. There is an answer to this though. The answer is – Trick it. Yes! You can trick your mind into being loyal to its thoughts, even into believing that it’s the best mind in the world! Just try and stay humble after that. Haha! There is real science behind it. It’s what the therapists call Cognitive behaviour therapy.
The conversations you have with yourself have a direct impact on how you feel and how you behave; this is why the wise keep saying, if you believe it, you can achieve it. So, as I said in this article, having the next two short targets within vision is essential. Beyond that, you can have one main long-term goal planned and keep moving towards it with these two-short targets each time. It’s like you’re playing Ludo! You have one primary goal and you use the tokens as your short-term goals to achieve it. In my next article, I will be talking about how to enjoy the uncertainties that keep coming our way and how to conquer roadblocks.
जल्द ही मिलेंगे (See you soon)
