My top takeaways from 2020!

Many people, as a routine, have created their new year resolutions. I am not much of a “new year resolutions” guy – If you want to change, you don’t need to wait for the year to begin. And if you only make resolutions during the new year, they fall flat usually.

Instead I reflected on the learnings from the last year and the changes I have been making... Some more might get added to this list as the year progresses by:

1.      Be thankful:  Sounds cliched, but showing gratitude is very important for inner peace. So many people have suffered due to the pandemic & I have been consciously grateful for so many things

2.      Be more connected with people: Earlier, I used to wait to travel to meet our customers, partners and employees outside Bangalore. Now I do virtual meetings & find them almost as effective. In fact, I am able to connect with more people now. This is true for my personal life too

3.      Optimize and become more efficient: People who know me well know that I place a lot of emphasis on being efficient and on smart work. 50 hours a week is a lot of time to get any complex job done well. I want to continue on this journey and recently, I have taken a look at all the meetings I do and reduced my meeting time by 20%

4.      Be present in the moment - Smartphone detox: It’s easy & tempting to get distracted , especially when you’re in virtual meetings where no one’s watching you. I want to consciously stay away from my smartphone when I’m in the middle of something else – For those who know me, you do understand it’s a tough task! Please keep me honest on this one

5.      Enjoy my food even more: It’s no secret that I love my food – I want to savor my food even more and explore new cuisines and restaurants. This also means that I have to put in extra effort in the gym! I still have a few kilos to lose from all the Diwali and New Year food indulgences!

6.      Get back to playing Table Tennis: After a long break, I played Table Tennis with my son during our vacation last year and I quite enjoyed it. I want to pursue this seriously – may be even get a coach

What are your top takeaways from 2020?