For some people age is just a number, nothing stops them; they are ready to learn and expand their horizons at every opportunity. In fact they seize the opportunities! I know of a gentleman who is in his 70’s who has proved the above saying true time and again.

I have known Mr. Kapil Tandon for over a decade now and I can say that he is one of the most enthusiastic business consulting professionals I know. He effortlessly puts everyone at ease the moment he enters the room. He is diligent and has strong communication skills, which are very useful in his business consulting career. With his knowledge and expertise gained over the years he is great at mentoring and coaching students or professionals alike; bringing out the best in each one of them in terms of job performance. Entrepreneurship is his pet subject and he likes to hold passionately engaging discussions on it.

We have had regular conversations on varied topics. He gives good advice and is ready to learn things from others. I had been maintaining a blog and he looked fascinated with it. I used to tell him that he had a mine of ideas and knowledge that he could share with many others through a blog. I also showed him how to create one and every time we met we would discuss his blog. He had started writing the content he wished to put on his blog and after years of contemplating on the idea, the lockdown presented itself as the perfect opportunity; Mr. Tandon’s blog became a reality. It was professionally designed and had good content that he would update quite regularly. He also started making short videos of his management lessons and posted them on his YouTube channel. He never failed to let his contacts know of the latest updates on his blog or the YouTube channel. I was amazed at seeing his work, his energy and enthusiasm. With the content he created all the while he was discussing blog with me; he was ready to compile them in a book. He is coming out with his book titled, ‘Entrepreneurship – The mega opportunity’ shortly; it will be a roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs. I am looking forward to seeing Mr. Tandon as a published author. He is indeed an example of persistence – a quality that we can all imbibe.

Persistence is notably one of the greatest qualities of achievers. They are adamant and refuse to give up with the belief that the longer they hang in there, the greater will be the chance of things turning in their favour. One must remember the longer he persists the more likely is he to succeed. They use visualisation as a powerful tool; visualising themselves as having completed the task they undertook. They understand the value of perseverance; not quitting when things go out of control, they also don’t get bored and continue to forge ahead consistently- one step at a time. They focus on processes and take time in understanding the consequences. They like to gain complete knowledge of facts even before they embark on a mission. Finer details and in depth knowledge motivate them to forge ahead. They don’t lose focus and continue to have the drive, optimism, curiosity and belief to keep moving ahead. It’s a fact that persistence is fuelled by a strong belief, a growth mindset, a will to forge ahead and a well defined road map leading to the successful completion of the task or the goal that was visualised.

We all strive to be happy, lead a meaningful and well balanced life. Things that will make our journeys meaningful and enjoyable are to remain happy and be fuelled with enthusiasm. We know that happy people are indeed the productive people and that happiness is a state of mind. Research indicates that 40% is your DNA and the other 60% is your mental makeup. We must choose to remain happy sans any conditions. It should motivate us is to create something meaningful and something that has intrinsic value which can benefit others too. We can do ourselves great good by deciding to remain happy and practicing persistence. What Mr. Tandon could achieve at 70 should motivate us to deliver our best and achieve excellence.

This article first appeared in the ET Hospitality World, Top Talk by Laxmi Todiwan, Feb 2022.