Acronyms to kick start the New Year

Just thought that this set of acronyms would provide each one of us the perfect inspiration for the New Year and hence I have chosen to share the same here. It would be a very person or a very dumb person who would not accept the fact that he/ she did not face failure in the past and particularly in the year just gone by. Most times the failures could be attributed to incompetence, inefficiency, tardiness or carelessness. However often when we attempt something new we are not successful in the first attempt and we are dejected. Many times we refrain from attempting something new purely because we are afraid to fail. Yet when we reflect on all the progress we have made right from the time we clumsily held  a pencil in the hand and attempted to write the alphabets to the numerous times we feared drowning in the pool while learning to swim or the numerous bruises that  testified to the difficulty we had in learning to cycle we realize that failure did not hinder our resolve. This is because to FAIL was just an acronym for First Attempt In Learning.  Resolve to attempt something new each month and master it or make significant progress in it by the end of the month.

For sure, you would have committed blunders and felt that it is the end of the road as far as your future was concerned. Yet, despite the admonishments and embarrassment you faced you still got another chance to redeem yourself. Perhaps you failed an exam or did not honor a commitment. Possibly you did not clear a number of job interviews or worse still never got a call for a job interview despite applying in numerous places. Some of you may be stuck with a boss who is often critical and unappreciative of your work and threatens you with dismissal. The fact is that despite these very daunting circumstances you still live with hope, possibly you have even managed to be successful in your academics or career and you have expectations to a even better future. All this, despite you often feeling that it is the end of your dreams. This clearly demonstrates that the END is merely an acronym that reminds you the Effort Never Dies.

One word that hurts us most is the word No which to put it mildly is a point blank refusal our plea. As children we may have craved for the best toys and clothes only to be stonewalled with a firm NO. Maybe as teenager you were forbidden from attending late night parties or perhaps even encountered the pain of being rejected with a firm no by a person whom you had a crush on. It is equally possible that as a professional your subtle and not so subtle requests for a pay hike has been dismissed with a curt no. For sure every NO hurts but once we come to terms with it, we rationalize that there is always a Next Opportunity.  

So, as the poet Longfellow says in his poem ‘ The Psalm of Life’

Let us, then, be up and doing,

   With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

   Learn to labor and to wait

The First Attempt In Learning may not be successful but you must remember that Effort

Never Dies and  that life always gives us the Next Opportunity to be successful.

Action Points:

• During this week walk up to complete strangers and wish them for the New Year. ( it is not as difficult as it first seems). Also observe their reactions for it give you clues as to what you did right or wrong.
• Ask your best friend/ sibling/ parent/ colleague to tell you honestly about the one habit / aspect of your personality that they would like you to change / improve/ work on. Ensure that you make a fervent attempt to try to work on it during the year.

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FOCUS

There are two parts that we shall attempt to understand when focusing on FOCUS.

From a micro view point FOCUS is all about Following One Course Until Successful. For almost all of us, it is the micro aspect of focus that we pay more attention to simply because it enables us to see quick results. Studying for exams would be the focus of parents and children especially when the exams are fast approaching. When one studies there is a higher chance that one would be able to do well in the exam and the results would vouch for the same. For this period of study before the exams, it is possible that one has sacrificed TV viewing, movies, social outings so as to ensure that one is following one course viz to study until one has successfully finished the exam papers. It is important to note that there must be this micro focus for every activity we undertake to ensure that we attain the results we seek. This could be as diverse as merely doing our daily chores, organizing a party or relaxing at home. The downside to focus is that, we can get so obsessed with the task on hand, and this is true of corporate executives and professionals in particular, that they are unable to focus on enjoying their free time or family time. So it is essential to balance our focus so that we do not stress ourselves out or pass on the stress to others.  This is possible when we look at the second aspect of focus i.e. the macro aspect of focus.

From a macro view point, FOCUS is all about Following One Clear Useful Strategy. This is not a quick and sudden focus as would perhaps happen when we are suddenly confronted with the need to quickly decide. A long term focus would be in the nature of a planned, purposeful and decisive choice. A student who is keen to better his/ her performance would focus on a clear strategy to improve marks, unlike a student whose sole aim is to do his/ her best by studying at the last moment. The macro focus of the student keen to do well could be on spending more time on the difficult subjects or taking tuition's in subjects that he/ she is weak in and / or preparing to ace the subjects he/ she is strong in. Notice that the strategy chosen is based on macro focus on attaining the end objective, whereas the execution of the plan is based on the micro focus. Similarly from a corporate perspective too strategy is nothing but a macro focus on the way ahead.

While both types of focus are essential, it is the macro focus that is most important in the long run. Remember Steven Covey’s 7 Habits in which he stresses on ‘Begin with the end in mind’. Macro focus is that beginning where the end is visualized first. Another way to understand this is-  macro focus is ‘Doing the right things’ whereas the micro focus is ‘Doing things right’. For the numerous readers of this blog, what is your long term focus as regards the benefits you wish to derive from reading this blog is a key question that will determine how well you use the new learning and benefit from it. Those with a macro focus would identify ways and means to leverage the content and profit from it. E.g. some would want to use it to improve their vocabulary / others would try to learn how the thoughts are expressed in a logical manner / some would just like to get some inspirational insights / some would try to rewrite and rephrase contents in their own words so as to improve their style of writing.

Self motivation is the key to achieving a sharp focus. Unless one is motivated, your approach to any activity would be casual, tardy and in all probability result in a shabby outcome.

Focus on what you want – then focus on how to attain it ; that is when you will be Following One Clear Useful Strategy and then ensure you are Following One Course Until Successful.

Action Points:

• Go to a game center and play a round of bowling to get an idea of how your focus and your actions take time to sync. You could also try to play darts to get a feel of how it takes effort to hit the bulls eye.
• Write down the 9 times table one below the other  – 9 x 1 = 9 till 9 x 10 =90. Now focus on the answers. Do you see an interesting pattern in the answers?
• Can you focus on the following sentence and find the two completely different meanings when you use the correct punctuations. ‘ Woman without her man is a savage’

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TARGET

Success is largely measured by how a person has achieved his/ her goals and surpassed expectations. This necessarily means one must have a predetermined target which is nothing but an attempt To Aim at Realistic Goals Every Time. This means that one must spend time in visualising one’s expectations, translate that into a clear goal and simultaneously draw up an action plan to achieve one’s target in the shortest possible time.

Pinpointing the target is easier when one is participating in a shooting or archery competition since the target is clearly outlined and the bulls eye clearly visible. In daily life, the shape, size and value of the target are hazy and constantly undergoing a metamorphosis. We are also guilty of looking ahead with hope, moving ahead with trepidation and giving up in frustration simply because the goal was hazy, our efforts half hearted and our self belief fatigued.

The challenge in identifying targets is because

-       We are not specific about what we want. Using phrases like very happy, large house, cushy job, peace & contentment, peaceful life, happy retirement are merely adjectives masquerading as targets. Targets are the specifics that will lead to the fulfilment of these platitudes and phrases.

-        we either overestimate or underestimate our abilities as a result we go after easy targets that do not give us the required momentum for success or we go after unattainable targets that would lead to frustration and failure.

-       We give up too soon partly because we do not want to put in the efforts required, partly because we misjudge the progress made and largely because we divert our attention to more pleasurable alternatives.

 One thing is certain. Setting a target would enable one to focus better, measure progress, take corrective action and get motivated to try till one succeeds. Targets will also provide one the impetus to take setbacks in one’s stride, be grounded when sudden windfalls are got and persevere till the goal is attained. So nothing can stop one from attaining success if one is ready to To Aim at Realistic Goals Every Time.

Action Points:

• Draw out the sketch of your dream house.                                               
• If you won a lottery of Rs.100 lacs (One crore) what would you do with that money.
• If you had to save an additional 10 percent of your current income what expenses would you cut down on?
• How would you get one additional hour in the day for you to pursue your passion? What activities would you cut down on or delegate in order to get this additional one hour?

 This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.actspot.wordpress.com