Goldilocks and Flow!

Apropos nothing, sometimes the work gets so overwhelming. It seems as if its never ending. No relief in sight. Some part of the work that I do, especially the part where I have to meet people and interact with them, is good. It is, in fact, a delight! The drudgery bit is the excel sheets and the endless re conciliations, and now with the financial year ending, the tax reports. So, just to put things in context, I work as a Wealth Manager (or a Portfolio Advisor) and counsel people to the extent that I can, about the Do's and Don'ts of managing money. Sometimes I honestly wonder "Why would a person, who is obviously more successful than me, and knows much more about the world than I do, entrust me with his or her money?" I guess, the answer lies somewhere between they not having the bandwidth and the time to actually think about the best ways of making money from money and maybe, just maybe, they feel that I will look after their interest before I think of myself, and hence do a better job! Well, I feel privileged but mostly grateful, that I can do what I do. A huge sense of responsibility as well......

I have been reading about Flow and Intrinsic Motivation (more on this later) and have written on the former earlier as well. I run half - marathons, and the first 14 to 15 km (out of a total of 21.1 km) is pure flow (post that, it's a mind game!). Similarly, when I am in front of a client, deep in discussion, that's again when I have a 'goldilocks moment' (the discussion is moderately challenging but not to too technical and the client and I are communicating freely while understanding each other almost perfectly). Just finished a book - "Drive", by Daniel H. Pink. Agree with most part of the book. The basic summary is that one has to have 3 things to be intrinsically motivated - Autonomy, Purpose and Mastery. I am lucky to be working in an organization which allows for all of the above, and to that extent, its a pleasure to be around like minded colleagues - both contemporaries as well as seniors. Am I motivated intrinsically such that I don't care about rewards - money, fame, winning, being at the top, respect from peers? No, I don't think so, and that is not what the author claims as well . I do care about all these things. But off late, I have realized that, while it might sound counter intuitive, the more I focus on the client and try and deliver what she wants, the more long term and sustainable will be the little success that has come my way. There IS no other way to be successful, long term. I mean, if the work that I do is a drag and is monotonous, imagine the kind of output I would give and the kind of bad advice! So, one has to like what one does in order to be happy!

The book (Drive) also mentions baseline rewards - saying that intrinsic motivation can be achieved only once things like money and rewards are off the table and there is a sense of fairness in compensation. Meaning thereby that I should be confident that I am getting paid as per my abilities within the organization and that my rewards are in tune with what other people with similar skill set and vintage are getting in other companies. That is a very subjective thing and maybe the devil lies in the details. And this is where I have a slight difference of opinion with Mr. Pink, although, there could be some truth in this statement. Greed, as we all know, has no bounds. But, by and large, I guess, what the author is saying makes imminent sense. Rewards do serve one purpose. They are a good source of feedback. Assuming all things equal, if I am working in the right manner, doing the right things and doing them consistently, it is simply a matter of 'when', and not 'if' (unless, one is unlucky!!).

Taking a leaf out of 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, it is important to inculcate small but the right habits to achieve anything worthwhile. Achieving anything significant requires years of practice and relentless focus. As Anders Ericsson mentions about 'deliberate practice', the process of mastery is anything but fun and is mostly physically and mentally exhausting. The 'flow' moments are few and far between. So, when I am updating a spread sheet about a client's portfolio, I am also simultaneously thinking about the investments and trying to figure out the best way to help her achieve her financial goals. This process of inputting data might not be fun, but is important in the bigger scheme of things. It is in fact crucial, in that it allows me to have the 'fun' conversation with my client in the next meeting. What are the nuances in the portfolio. Are we overweight one asset class at the cost of the other? What can be done about this? Are we on track vis-a-vis the family's long term objectives? What can I and my company do better? These and many such thoughts come to mind.

I have the good fortune of knowing people within my organization, as well as in competing firms, who have risen from the ranks and have achieved outstanding success. As I interact with them, one thing which strikes me is their positive mindset. Their belief in their abilities and the will to work hard is so strong, that one cannot help be get positively affected. They sincerely and honestly believe that if they work diligently and with some planning, then there is nothing that can stop them from reaching their goals. What now seems to be huge in terms of achievement has been actually built over the years, one milestone at a time. Ties in with 'Mindset' by Dr. Carol Dweck. The book basically says that one can have a 'growth mindset' or a 'fixed mindset'. The former means that if I work and apply myself, I will enjoy the task at hand and will also achieve my goals. The 'fixed mindset' assumes that I am already smart and talented and endowed with gifts and hence every effort of my mine should reflect this reality. Not a good space to be in if I have to learn and stumble and get up again. The process of learning is uncomfortable for people with both mindsets, but people with the Growth mindset are able to manage the setbacks better. Especially important for us as adults to inculcate the Growth mindset in children. Praise them more for the effort than the result. There are nuances to this, of course, but this is the gist.

I already feel better, now that I have put out my thoughts and have expressed my feelings. Back to the grind!! And hope for many 'goldilocks moments', tomorrow, and in times to come!

Until next time!

Ciao!