Looking back to look forward seems to be a good way to celebrate 6 years of writing this column. It started as I was winging my way back to Delhi from a TEDx Gateway event in Mumbai. I wanted to hold on to all the inspiration and learning that came into my life. Once I had jotted down the wisdom, it seemed like a good idea to post the piece (Lessons from last Sunday) on LinkedIn, so that I could find it anytime I wanted. It’s fitting that I began writing this on a late-night flight from Calicut to Delhi. a place to “slow it all down” and just be with the week that went by.
This one act of writing every week, has been repeated now for 313 weeks (or 6 years) without missing a single week. I just sit down and ask myself, “What did you learn this week, Nikhil? What did life teach you? What touched you?” Or some variant of these questions helps me reflect on the week gone by – and as I write, I then internalise and can hold on to the week’s wisdom.
Somewhere along the way, over a serendipitous coffee meeting with Amith Prabhu, he suggested that I contribute my writing as a weekly column to Reputation Today. They were looking for a column for every alphabet of the English language, and “L” was asking for an author. That’s when it got christened #LeftBrainRightBrain, and my writing found a new lease of life and a home.
I have not fallen into the trap of writing what I think my audience wants to hear (apart from maybe two weeks), which just felt off. I had to remind myself of what made me start writing. I had an audience of 1, me myself and I. I write for me. I also tried using AI once to sharpen my writing. The piece about tumour boards and how they could inspire a similar board for the Reputation industry. That did not feel right either. So, I’m back to my reflections and holding onto a learning or two for the week that went by.
At the time I started writing, I had not heard of journaling or the cathartic and therapeutic benefits it offers. I had no idea of the power of compounding and how it would connect me to people in ways I could never have imagined. This week, I was introduced to the phrase “generative potential”. As I understand it, the phrase refers to the magic that happens when people come together and allow for something new to happen, without an agenda. It could be a person, a set of people, or a place that you engage with that seems to offer up the feeling of possibilities. The “Hope” that something good can come from this… the potential wanting to happen.
I also often find, learning from my writings that I had lost sight of. FB memories often pop up an old piece of writing on my timeline, and it shows me something new. It reminds me of something important.
Looking back across three different organisations that I worked with. Life before I became a coach, and then my journey through Coach For Life, ACC, Coacharya, PCC, and now Deep Coaching Intensive. Different phases of my life, from a family of 4 (Deepa, Neil, Biscuit, and me), to the empty-nest phase. The highs and lows. The joy of Cookie. The white wedding and Tori becoming part of our family. Losing Dad. Reconnecting with mum. Finding myself, again, in micro moments that all add up to make my life. Maybe one day someone from my family will get to know our family and me through my weekly musings, maybe not. The realisation of how looking within and then sharing it with the world can connect the dots of my life.
Here are 5 pieces, marking the anniversary article for each year.
Am I included? Am I important?
Exact change & hot coffee can be a game changer
I hope my weekly column will eventually find its way into a book form. Maybe not. For now, the generative potential of writing every week feels good. A grounding habit that holds my hand and leads me forward. Cheers to tomorrow.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
