All of us have ambitions and aim for the sky. Some of us achieve what we want to achieve but many of us, aim for the sky but land on the tree-top! Why does this happen? Are we real or are we overconfident?
Professionally there are many reasons that we fail. Either we overestimate ourselves or our abilities. To be able to sing well we must be first born with a good voice to start with. To be a scientist we need to be born with intelligence, the natural ability to like to research and be a quick learner. Aptitude shows the way and often ability does not meet opportunity. Then we often live the dreams of our parents and elders. Earlier the big dream of the middle class was that their child should grow up to be a Doctor, Engineer or Lawyer. Often they succeeded but most often not – leaving the aspirant confused, de-motivated and frustrated. It is very important that one’s ambition matches ability and aptitude. Similarly goals that we set later in lives should be realistic; ideally these should be SMART goals. Human beings, grow happily with small achievements. When you take care of small things, big things take care of themselves. How does one develop a practical mindset?
Be ambitious but be real
You can disrupt better by being real. Once you have decided what you want to achieve you must align it first to your capabilities. If you are a team leader, similarly align your goal to the team capabilities. Today’s world wants best in class. You will need to reach your goal in the environment where perfection is not good enough. We often have an exaggerated opinion of our abilities and capabilities. This is the first deterrent in your effort which you should overcome. Be practical. It’s better to underestimate your abilities a little so that you continue to go that extra mile to achieve your goal. Raising the bar realistically is the magic potion for sustained success. Before starting off on your mission take realistic stock of what needs to be done and what competition you have, what impediments come in your way and how you plan to overcome these and win. This realistic assessment and plan is the cornerstone for your success.
Make certain that you are in right profession and domain
A square peg does not fit in a round hole. Start young; see what you like to do and what you can do well. Yes, this process actually begins at childhood. Actually this is what parents should do constructively and even team leaders to nurture the talents of their team members. Many pursue their ambitions blindly without being practical. Some even follow their hobbies without checking out if they have the ability to turn their hobbies into their profession. Or that they like the profession. Some are thrown into a profession as they just land up a job to support their livelihood and stay there, not knowing that they could become very successful in their careers if they were in the right profession which aligns with their aptitude and capabilities. Today the HR Department and Career Counsellors give their valuable guidance to job aspirants but nothing works better than knowing yourself, your capabilities, strengths and weaknesses.
Keep learning
As the earth keeps moving everything changes and evolves. Technology is a great enabler. Specialisation is the order of the day and rapid development is the new world order. Domain knowledge is the most important mastery you can achieve in your profession. It’s actually constant relearning which keeps you ahead. Because the decisions you take are real decisions based on the most advanced thinking and techniques. Developing a practical mindset gives you an edge over everyone else. Knowing the way, showing the way and going the way.
“Fall down seven times, get up eight.” – Naoki Higashida
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