And it's a Wrap!

And it’s a wrap. Stepping into 2022 with a heart filled with Gratitude for everything that came my way and also for what didn’t (clearly it wasn’t meant for me in my best interest ??) and loads of learnings!

2021 was an eventful year; a thorough roller coaster ride by all means and I will always look back at it with a sense of appreciation for whatever I am blessed to have. This year has been pivotal ! From where I started to how I finished, a lot wasn’t a part of the plan; but that’s the fun part about life; it’s so damn unpredictable! As I reflect back on the year, sharing a few things that I learnt & relearnt on the way!

1. Life is but a Matter of Choice! And sometimes the best way to make that choice is to ask yourself. What is at stake? What is there to lose if I made this choice? If what you are gaining is significantly higher than what you are losing it's worth a Choice. Go for it! This is exactly what helped me say Yes to an additional Stretch role that came my way in the middle of the year. I was perplexed when asked if I would be willing. 'How do I say yes when my plate is already full! I haven't done this in the past. It will demand so much of my time & attention etc etc' List was endless. But then I asked myself. What will it take from me? May be some additional hours but on the other side what it would leave me with- would be a completely new experience and learnings.

2. Having a well-articulated purpose is intrinsic to leading a meaningful life. It helps to realign things around us and gives us a sense of direction. This was such a powerful experiment each one of us did as a part of our New Culture activation in the company, where we had to outline our purpose and share with our colleagues. A truly invaluable experience that makes sure I stay on course!

3. Many a times you need people who believe in you more than you believe in yourself. That could help you to significantly scale up as an individual and be confident of who you are! I am immensely grateful to such amazing people at work Priyank & Sumi. Thank you for trusting me, showing confidence in me and pushing me to bring out the best

4. Time is a finite resource and will always feel crunched; but to get the best out of it you got to focus on What matters most. And to be able to do that you need to have the courage to ruthlessly drop what’s not important and challenge the unnecessary.?

5. Having a Learner's mindset over the obsession to Win allows you to stay calm, deliver better results and is far more enabling in the long run! It allows you to Stay Curious & be more resilient & gracious in the face of adversity. It helps you enjoy the process rather than being too preoccupied with the end result! Even if you topple down or miss your target; your natural reaction is to ask yourself 'What did it teach me and how can I extract the learnings to rejig my path' rather than being consumed by the feeling of being defeated or lost.

6. Whatever you set out to do, begin with the end in mind and then go all out. Do it with every fiber of your being and you will be UNSTOPPABLE! Don’t do something so that you can outshine the others. Operate from a space that you are giving it your ABSOLUTE BEST and you will see how it adds a magical touch and brightens your path.

7. Real growth only happens when you move out of your comfort zone. Repeating something over a period of time may deepen your expertise and help you attain a highest level competence in the domain. However, willingness to take risk and experiment with what you haven't done before broadens your arena; adding newer skills sets and diverse experiences. That's a surely a Bonus!?

8. Life isn’t a race to the finish line; it's a journey of constant Self Discovery! Keep moving inward every now and then and dig deeper, you will be amazed to discover something new about yourself each time. Make time to explore yourself & unravel who you are at the core! This year I discovered an artist in me that I had no clue about ! Sharing some glimpses of what I painted as a Novice (all Thanks to YouTube :) ); maybe it will act as a Food for Thought for a few of you and inspire you to experiment with what you have never done before in life :)

9. It’s alright to feel overwhelmed at times, however find a way to ground & center yourself. As much as we need a Physical detox, so do we need a Mental Detox – that allows us to release all unwanted emotions that are not helping us to live our best life & approach everything with a renewed energy & passion. Yoga, Meditation, Music, Painting, journaling… or anything under the sun. You know what works best for you!

10. Always be on the look out for your tribe; people you can lean back on no matter what. These are the people always rooting for you. That’s where you draw your strength & energy from!

11. Never think that the impact you have on others is insignificant. Each one of us have something unique to offer to the world and that is our super power. We wouldn’t even know how in our own little ways we can touch someone’s life.

12. You can be fantastic as an individual. But to be a stellar Team don’t miss out on being amazed by each others’ strengths & capabilities every now & then. Constantly acknowledge & appreciate the good in others and help each other build on it! Here’s to two amazing members on my Team - Yukti & Megha if it weren’t the both of you, we wouldn’t have achieved what we had set out to do as a Team. Thank You for being YOU!

13. Howsoever hard you try, some things will remain Unfinished; learn to make peace with it (It was the hardest lesson to learn and I don't think I am done yet!)

14. You can choose to be anything but Choosing to be Human is the call of the Hour! If this Pandemic has truly taught us something it’s being human - particularly Wave 2 showed how Strangers became saviors! A lesson learnt that must never be forgotten!

15. Last but not the least, you can’t always be in control of everything given we are all juggling with so much in one go, mark your Glass balls and Rubber balls clearly. This analogy of Rubber Ball & Glass ball that I learnt at work has really helped me remain sane. Every time I would ask myself, is it a rubber ball that even if it drops can bounce back or a Glass ball that will break if it falls and it constantly guided me to prioritize what was important!

As we enter into a brand New Year, wishing everyone an year full of hope, positivity & endless possibilities! Have a fabulous 2022!!