We are in 2021, a new page has opened for us to write our success stories or just jot down the experiences. The year gone by has been a great teacher for all of us. We were stirred and shaken up, taken completely unawares! We learnt the true meaning of life and what really mattered the most. We also learnt of things that only added to stress and the beaming rat race. We learnt the meaning of our existence and took vows to rescript the remaining years of our lives. The year taught us lessons that we hadn’t learnt from the very best of our teachers and mentors over the years. Nature became the impactful teacher and time became the biggest healer.

Let’s look at 2021 with the wisdom left behind by 2020 and the brand new script ready to be written and shared. This is the ‘Take One’ for the new movie of our lives called ‘Me in 21’.Some ways to make our 2021 meaningful.

Be disciplined

Discipline is an orderly conduct that will get you what you really want. Nothing can be achieved without discipline, it is the foundation of all other human qualities that are highly desirable. Create self-discipline and remain on track. 

Stay committed

Everyone wants the best things in life such as a great physique, a successful career, a loving and meaningful relationship etc. All these require great deal of discipline. Personal and professional success requires one to put in consistent but herculean efforts in small measures every single day.It requires you to putyour heart and built your strengthsand competencies like a masterpieceblock by block;building it at every step striving for continuous andconsistent improvement.

Be persistent

In the recent times we have learnt what resilience and persistence truly mean.We didn’t get cowed down by setbacks, unfavourable news, challenging or unexpected events. We trained and retrainedourselves to do whatever was necessary to survive through the unprecedented events; we figured out things! This quality of ours needs to sustain and built upon that’ll take us through such times.

Have self-belief

Self-belief is the strongest weapon we have that builds the ‘can do attitude’. We need to make things happen rather than wonder what happened! It cannot be instilled in us by others but we need to foster ourselves. It gives us the strength to face the fiercest battles and come out victorious.

Keep learning

We must never distance ourselves from the learning cycle. Learning is a continuous process; it could very well be learning something new, unlearning certain ideas and beliefs that are redundant or relearning concepts that might have undergone transformations. Learn more to be relevant and bring value to the platform that you occupy.

Seek opportunities

Keep your focus on opportunities as it is rightly said that opportunity doesn’t knock twice at your door. It may be easy or challenging that shouldn’t really matter; where others see difficulties you should be able to identify prospects. Say yes to an opportunity and later learn to deliver your best. Build the habit to always say yes andthen getting things done becomesa part of your personality. Be that seeker of right opportunities.

Take risks

Don’t sit in your comfort zone; you gain noting by not trying.A ship is safe at the harbour but that’s not what ships are made for.Push yourselves and go beyond the self-created safety zones. Be ready to relearn, reorient and refocus yourselves to tide over challenges. Tough situations don’t last but tough people do.

Be action oriented

Go all the way once you have committed yourselves to the cause; there is no half way or half measures. Don’t create resolutions but focus on commitment to complete the tasks you have undertaken. Be action oriented and take them often. So do your homework and be ready to take that realistic and challenging action.

Focus on goals

Be highly goal oriented as well as engage others to achieve their goals. Working together and achieving together is a very satisfying experience. Be driven by goals and have complete focus on the job right from the start to the finish in order to achieve the desired results. Clear focus and meticulous planningare the keys to goal achievement.

Be motivated

Motivation is totally an internal game; it leads to transformation. You are your own cheerleader and your own inspiration. Nothing external can move you the place where you want be. Find that purpose which keeps inspiring you.

Be innovative

Think out of the boxand beat the ordinary. Be the change maker as well as seek to be predictably unpredictable. Such people win everyone’s appreciation and have the fire in their bellies alive.

Embrace change

It is said that change is the only constant so embrace it. Keepwith the times both on personal as well as professional fronts. Don’t get crushed under the blows of systems that are undergoing changes but keep adapting to them to not just sustain but deliver winning performances. Demonstrate courage and be that change; don’t just think but act!

Work creatively

Be interested and passionate about results. Don’t waste your energies onundirected efforts or act being busy.The right way is to work creativelywith directed efforts and smart approach. Creativity drives passion and builds action on it.

Challenge ideas

Be open to all kinds of thought processes, assimilate them but do your own things. Break unrealistic, unfruitful and illogical ideas or practices. Challengecumbersome, and out dated thinkingor beliefs. Find better ways to do things or attain goals.Be focussed on changing processes to build quality products, services, ideas or behaviours.Success is achieved by people who are ready to test unfamiliar watersanddo things slowlybut steadily.

Believe in collaboration

Collaboration is the need of these times,believe in the synergy of groups. No single individual can develop a community, an organisation or build a nation. It is the collective energy of people that make great things happen. Networking and collaboration create win- wins for all involved.

Build meaningful relationships

It is said that no man is great, no woman is great; it’s the people around them who make them so. Reaching out to people and engaging with them not only makes you a better person but also creates lasting and fulfilling relationships.

PS: This article first appeared in Top Talk by Laxmi Todiwan in ET Hospitality World. Pictures are taken from google with due credits.