On Failures, Success and Learning
Welcome to Whatever Matters, a weekly newsletter where I provide actionable ideas to help you build a high-performing life and career.
Today’s overview:
India’s raising its bar and you’re part of it.
Failures and Successes
How to be a Study Ninja
A question to think through
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India’s raising its bar and you’re part of it
The year 2023, has been phenomenal for Bharat. This Republic Day I want us all to remember what a great nation we are and how we are starting to get back on the global stage more prominently than before.
I am proud to be an Indian, I am proud of the people of this country and I am proud that we are resilient. We ruled it all. Music, Theatre, Sports, Literature and Science.
Here’s a quick highlight, a reminder about our biggest achievements in the last year.
Chetna Maroo’s Western Lane was shortlisted for the Booker Prize
Visually impaired Indian Women’s Cricket Team won gold at the IBSA
Ricky Kej won his third Grammy
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made history as the first Indian badminton duo to attain a World No. 1 ranking
Rapper Tsumyoki became the first Goan to win an MTV EMA
Harmanpreet Kaur earned BBC 100 Women recognition for sports prowess
India’s dressage team bagged its first Asian Games gold in 41 years
Neeraj Chopra won gold at the 2023 Asian Games
‘Naatu Naatu’ brought home the Oscar for Best Original Song
The ‘rocket women’ behind Chandrayaan-3’s success
Kartiki Gonsalves became the first Indian film director to win the Academy Award
Listen to this episode where I speak about what Mahatma Gandhi taught us about belief.
If the only way was up, we'd all be in space by now . . .
you can go from failure to success
but
you can't go from excuses to success.
FAILURES >>> EXCUSES
I am glad I learned this early on in my college days while volunteering with AIESEC. I failed multiple times and at each level for something different altogether.
2012 - I wanted to apply for a task force but didn't know how to write an email and attach a file. I couldn't send in the application in time. Failed.
2013 - Applied for an organizer committee head role for an event called 'Balakalakaar' but got rejected in the interview round. Failed.
2014 - Wanted to apply for the President's role for AIESEC in Chennai, but was rejected before the application round. Failed.
2015 - Applied for the organizer role of Youth Speak Forum, got rejected by the national team. Failed.
2016 - Applied for the role of President of AIESEC India, but didn't clear the preliminary rounds. Failed.
With all this happening, I cried, questioned, suffered, and felt troubled.
There were days I'd crib about the system and sometimes I'd hide away from people.
but I would quickly pick myself up and move on.
Little by little I started realising how all these failures were preparing me for the best that was yet to come.
- 2014, curated one of the largest and first SDG-oriented Marathons in AIESEC - 'MADathon'. Closed deals worth 13L.
- 2015, Raised over 30L in 9 months as Vice President of Business Development at AIESEC.
- 2016, Spearheaded Youth Speak Forum across the country and struck a deal with Coca-Cola.
- 2017, became the 1st Indian to be the Elected President of AIESEC Nepal.
- 2018, secured a 12LPA job as a Business Head and Chief Marketing Officer
and, the journey is still on. TEDx speaker, YC Alumni, LinkedIn Top Startup founder etc etc etc.
Failures >>> Excuses
Last week, I read “How to Be a Study Ninja” by Graham Allcott
This book is a practical guide filled with actionable tips and strategies to transform your study habits and unlock your full academic potential. It's not about sacrificing your life for grades, but about finding joy in the learning process and achieving success without the stress.
Some quick takeaways for anyone interested in reading the book. It’s given me a workable yet enjoyable way to learn and study. Here’s what you can expect,
Think like a ninja: Channel your inner focus and overcome distractions in the age of information overload.
Master attention: Treat it as your most valuable currency, scheduling tasks based on your energy levels and minimizing interruptions.
Wield powerful weapons: Learn organizational techniques like the CORD system (Capture, Organize, Review, Do) to manage your workload effectively.
Conquer procrastination: Identify resistance triggers and develop strategies to outsmart them, ensuring you actually get things done.
Become a learning master: Discover effective study methods like active recall, spaced repetition, and mind mapping to retain information efficiently.
Maintain your inner calm: Manage exam nerves and anxiety with practical techniques to boost your confidence and performance under pressure.
This week’s question to you
"The mind is everything. What you think you become." - Gautham Buddha
What do you do when you face failure? Reflect on your journey with the week's question and share your insights.
Join the conversation using #OwnYourLife on social media and i’ll see you next week.
The pencil attitude of living
In a world that often values rigidity and permanence, embracing the pencil attitude can bring about a transformative shift in our approach to life. The pencil attitude symbolises flexibility, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace change. We will explore the concept of the pencil attitude and how it can lead to a more fulfilling and resilient way of living. Read more on my blog
Narayanan’s Recommendation Corner
Quote of the week,
"The quieter you become, the more you can hear." Inner stillness and calmness are essential for receiving new information and insights. When we quiet our minds, we become more receptive to learning and understanding.
Podcast of the week,
Keep Your Boot On the Ground by Robin Sharma. This episode covers how monumental leaders are humble and understand that masters always think like beginners.