Let go of the good to embrace the great in life

As a junior project manager, I won an excellence award. I worked with the CEO, CSO, and CFO of the company. At that time, I got an offer to work for the Government of India for six months. It was risky, and I would be in an unfamiliar, bureaucratic environment. My mentor told me to take the chance, so I did.

My CFO called me an idiot for leaving my rising career behind when I said goodbye. I joked that if it didn’t work out, I’d come back.

That job turned out to be the best decision. Those six months turned into five and a half years. I served my country, earned well, and learned how to deal with bureaucracy. Getting to work with top officials was a great experience.

By letting go of that good job, I found something great.

Five and a half years later, another opportunity arose: starting a startup. Leaving my comfort zone meant taking the plunge into the unknown, again.

Despite putting my heart and money into my startup, it crumbled. I found myself in an unfamiliar city, Panchkula, where I knew no one. Despite the darkest nights, life took a turn for the better after a year.

I landed the role of chief technology officer and began homeschooling my kids. The city has parks to stroll through, trails to trek, and nice restaurants for family lunches. I serve in two churches.

If I hadn’t let go of that secure government job, none of this would have happened. That’s like holding on to a good branch but not reaching for the great one.

Are you hanging on to good things when great ones are right around the corner? Do you let golden opportunities slip through your fingers because you’re stuck in your comfort zone?

January 6, 2024

Learning English, as a non-native speaker

As a 21-year-old fresh out of college, I couldn’t speak English well. Mastering it was crucial to my career. I’ll tell you how I did it.

I started by reading the Bible in Tamil and English. I’d compare each sentence in both languages so I’d get a sense of the words and grammar. In order to learn English, I memorized passages and recited them.

Second, I watched the TV series Friends. People say you’re fluent when you can crack jokes in a language. I learned their phrases and slang and cracked jokes with my colleagues. It helped me improve my English.

But I turned to writing to express myself. I started a blog 15 years ago – not for money or branding, but to learn English. Writing let me play around with sentence structure, metaphors, and more. Editing and re-editing helped me perfect my skills.

At last, I grasped speaking. Forming sentences quickly while speaking is tougher than writing. Pronunciation and delivery are important too. In my room, I practiced repeating phrases from great speakers like Martin Luther King and Billy Graham in front of a mirror.

Even now, my English isn’t perfect, but it works. Every day, I keep improving it to communicate better and follow the four practices I mentioned earlier.

And that’s how I mastered English as a non-native speaker.

January 5, 2024

Snowball, not slot-machines

 

Over the past years, I’ve been crafting my personal flywheel, a wheel of interconnected components. With each improvement, the wheel spins faster, gaining momentum. My flywheel consists of wealth, insights, network, and self-control – WINS.

We all have different starting points; some with more money, some with more knowledge, and others with a vast network. When you have wealth, you can access better courses, buy books others can’t afford, and attend exclusive workshops. These experiences provide insights that connect you to more people and opportunities, increasing your wealth. But this flywheel needs an axle: self-control. Without it, the wheel spins out of control and crashes.

As I pondered my focus for 2024, I stumbled upon an article by Justin Jackson. Though it’s about marketing, I found a personal catchphrase: “Snowball not slot machines.”

A snowball starts small but grows larger as it rolls, gaining mass and momentum. Slot machines are one-off events that give fleeting satisfaction but no lasting success.

In 2024, I’m focusing on building snowballs rather than chasing the momentary thrill of slot machines.

What are the examples of slot-machines?

  • getting lost in watching random YouTube videos
  • drifting aimlessly through Twitter
  • playing video games mindlessly

These activities give you a quick hit of dopamine, a fleeting sense of pleasure and satisfaction. But they don’t help you in the long run. They don’t build momentum or give you any lasting advantage.

Now picture snowballing assets, starting small and growing larger over time.

Take writing on LinkedIn as an example. You craft a great post and share it with the world. As the days pass, it catches more eyes and gains momentum, providing leverage and benefits. The same goes for meeting people and building a network. It begins with little significance but grows into something valuable with time.

Consider investing in a mutual fund. You can start small, but over time, dividends accumulate and can be reinvested, creating a snowball effect.

In each area of your life, you can build these snowballs.

As I look toward 2024, I’m going to focus more on snowballs than slot machines. I’ll try to curb my phone usage and aimless scrolling through YouTube videos – I know I can’t stop completely, but I’ll strive to control these fleeting desires. Instead, I’ll work on growing my snowballs to see where they lead me.

What are you focusing in 2024?

January 4, 2024

Security should enable business, not hinder it

Bitwarden network issue

For the past four or five years, I have been using 1Password as my trusted password manager. Recently, I decided it was time to introduce my boys to password managers as they began exploring the internet and using various online services. It was then that I discovered Bitwarden, an open-source alternative. Intrigued by its affordability and open-source nature, I decided to give it a shot and support their cause.

I successfully created a login and signed up for a new service. However, when attempting to log in, I encountered an error message stating my network traffic was suspicious and advised me to try another network. With only one network available, I turned to their support system for help. They suggested rebooting my router to acquire a new IP address, but this solution proved fruitless.

Curious if others faced similar issues, I ventured onto Reddit and discovered that this problem was not unique to me. Users from various ISPs and locations across the globe were also affected. It appears that Bitwarden’s efforts to secure their platform against bots have inadvertently hindered their business.

While security is undeniably crucial for an online business, especially a password service like Bitwarden, it cannot be so stringent that it prevents customers from accessing the service or conducting transactions. Security measures should augment and enable a business rather than impede it.

Faced with this dilemma, I am now considering alternative services like KeePass or returning to 1Password for families. The lesson here is clear: security is vital but should never hinder the growth and accessibility of a business.

January 3, 2024

Doing boring things is a super power

Over the last year, I’ve lost weight, regained control of my health, and transformed from fat to fit. My secret? Two simple actions: eating well and jogging. Both are monotonous, but they work.

Every alternate day at 6:30 AM, I’d put on my shoes and jog for an hour. No exceptions. There was no glamour or complexity to this routine; I simply ran as slow as I could for six kilometers three days a week. Simplicity is the key to my success.

Eating well was also mundane. Idili or Dosa for breakfast; two rotis for lunch; two slices of bread and an omelette for dinner. Avoid aerated drinks, drink at least 8 glasses of water, and eat less than you spend. You should go to bed hungry. Success is simple.

Boring techniques apply to other things too – investing or building apps.

Invest in index funds or strong performers instead of complicated financial products that promise big returns. As you invest in your mutual or index fund, you’ll watch the market work its magic. This boring formula has been working for me for more than two decades. I’m not smart enough to understand complicated financial products. This simple formula has worked wonders for me. Just last year, this formula got me 47% more profits.

How about building digital products? To build products, I pick boring technologies and architectures. It’s not the fancy new technology everyone’s drooling over. I want my team to spend the weekends with their families, not fighting a technology bug nobody has solved before. Businesses should spend their money and effort capturing the market, not battling technology.

When we keep things simple, we don’t get sucked into troubles that we could’ve avoided. True success comes from repeating mundane tasks consistently. Find a “boring” task that will propel you toward your goals, and do it wholeheartedly. By doing so, you’ll unlock the power of consistency.

You’ll do more exciting things if you keep things boring.

January 2, 2024