Well, hope the first week of the new year has been good.
For me… it’s been busy! I was at Guru Nanak’s Mission on Monday – a local charity where I help cook for the homeless and vulnerable. Then work has been busy.. working till late. Last night, I was on a call with folks from my UEFA C course.
BUT… I did manage to, eat well (kind of), get some exercise in, read my new book and do some studying (I’m doing a course with Cornell University – called Leadership lessons from Ancient Rome).
You have to make sure you schedule these in… if not, then you’ll get tired very quickly and not be able to focus on the right things.
Show me your daily wins… maybe we can share them on social media and tag folks for encouragement.
There’ll always be a reason why. At that time, the chimp part of our brain won’t listen. It’ll bang on about why me, why not them, what’s happening, etc…
This is why think about the journey.
Think about the process.
And keep going – stay on track and believe in yourself.
I know a few of you have reached out to me, asking – where’s my blog posts, where’s my Friday Thought… can I share an update on particular tech, what do I think of the latest gadgets, etc…
I’ll be honest. It’s not that I had too much going on. It’s just someone, made a few comments, that seemed to suggest, I shouldn’t be posting as much.
I started this blog several years ago. I know I don’t have millions of readers – and you know what, that’s absolutely fine. Because, what I do know… is there are some readers. And they engage with me. And I know I’m making a difference.
So, I had to re-collect my thoughts. Think about, the purpose of this blog – and then do what I want to do.
And with that, I give you my Friday Thought… I’ve been following Steven for a while, and really do like his perspective on life…
Hope you had a nice Christmas and a lovely start to 2022!
And following on from my previous blog post – you may have set some new goals and objectives for 2022. Whatever they might be, hope that you are successful.
Hope. What a word. In fact, to share with you – I received a book for Christmas which I’m currently reading. It’s the follow up to, ‘the subtle art of not giving a f*ck’. This one is called, Everything is f*cked. So far, great read! Anyway – back to goals… and in fact, I don’t ‘hope’ you achieve and accomplish them… because you’ve got to plan to achieve them!
So, I recently shared an excellent article via my Linkedin profile – all about taking your big goal… and then breaking it down to monthly achievements.
One thing that I loved about the article was the ability to breakdown your goal (and be ambitious) to monthly goals. It’s simple when you think about it, right? – for example.. you wouldn’t eat a whole cake at once… you’d most probably slice it up! then consume a slice at a time.
And likewise with your goal – break it down…
What I’d love to hear from you is what your main goal is for 2022?
What is it, that you’d like to achieve?
I’ve written my goal on my wall. I’m now in the process of breaking it down per month. And then, I’m holding myself accountable by sharing these monthly goals with a few close friends – so, we have a quick call at the end of the month, and I have to report back to them – how well (or not) I’m progressing – and any corrective action I need to take.
This is all simple stuff really. But putting it into action is the hardest.
Oh, and if you’re unsure what goal you should have… I refer to my previous blog post. What do you enjoy? What do you like? What is your passion? and work on that…
And if allowed in 2022 (depending on restrictions etc… because of covid), I’ll be holding some Ted-type talks! We were meant to hold them in November 2021, but unfortunately, we couldn’t due to a number of issues. We’ll overcome them. And if you’d like to come, listen and grasp a few golden nuggets of information… stay tuned to my blog posts and I’ll keep you updated!
On that note…. write down your goals, enjoy that cup of coffee and share what you’re going to do with me!
It’s Friday. Usually I have Bal’s Friday Thought on a Friday. But today, it’s a 2021 thought. That’s right – I’m thinking about the year that’s just gone.
What a year. Let’s be honest. A alot happened, right? Whilst a lot happened, we were still restricted and a lot didn’t happen. Covid still lingers in the air. Mutations of the virus are with us – and we are still having to be careful. Flights, holidays, etc… not the ‘normal’ as we expected. But the main thing is, if you’re reading this, you’re alive.
Unfortunately, in 2021 – I attended more funerals than I actually wanted to. Sad times – and a few tears shed. Some were unexpected – in fact, most were unexpected. And that’s why I’m grateful, to be able to continue to do what I enjoy.
Whilst we all learnt a lot in 2021, and technology (and business) grew more advanced – with some super rich people going into space (the billionaire space race)… I took some time to reflect locally.
For me, I was on BBC Radio quite often, to share my thoughts on technology (and other topics when on BBC Asian Network). And it’s something I’ll continue into 2022. We often do an exercise at the end of a project – what went well – and what we need to improve. A lessons learnt type of exercise. So we can improve and get better. The interesting thing here is, I’m doing something similar for myself. What is it that I should continue… and what should I improve on.
One thing for this blog, which I’ve been doing for a few years, is to improve what I talk about. I’ve mainly shared articles on technology, motivational elements and how we can improve (as people). I will continue to do that. But improve with more videos, and providing more information. I do need some help though. It’d be great if you could ask questions, share your thoughts… help with building more content. Recently, I was asked about Christmas presents. Which I shared a blog post. Then I was asked for ‘lower cost’ presents. Which I did. And the great thing there was, it helped a few people. I know this. From the replies I received. Thank you.
In general – there’s a number of things I’ll continue as-is… but there’ll be things I want to improve. As I make my list… it’d be great for you to share via the comments section below, what you want to improve on. Could it be health? Could it be to train and learn a particular skill? or could it be, you want to follow your passion? Speaking recently to a family member, they’re a teacher… but love to clean cars. I mean, really clean cars. Like, detail them. And they’re seriously considering, quitting their job, and clean… sorry, detail… cars for a living. I personally, think it’s a great idea! Follow your passion – if your finances allow you to, great! If they don’t, make a plan… and when the time does come that you’re financially able to follow your passion – do it. Because, you never know – when your time will come and you end up in a box and that’s it. So whilst you’re on this planet – enjoy your life and do something that brings a smile to your face… just like this family member who got a small vacuum cleaner (with liquids and water, and all sorts) to be used in cars for christmas and was absolutely in love with it! (Honestly… not seen a grown man, talk so passionately about a vacuum cleaner.. in fact, whilst he was showing me, is stayed in between us the whole evening! (that is the sign of true love!).
And if you don’t know what your passion is, try different things. Experiment. Talk. Understand. Watch youtube videos. Just do something – and try. You’ll find it. And on that journey, you’ll pick up lots of other skills.
So with that, I hope you have fun seeing what you want to continue into 2022, what you want to improve on in 2022… and wish you, an awesome New Year. Thank you so much for supporting me and reading my blogs in 2021.
My Friday thought today is reflecting on where you want to be, what your ambitions are, what your passion is… and then making the right decisions today – on where you want to be.
You must have heard in the press recently, how the Birmingham based business that started in 2012 has recently been valued at $1.3bn!
Ben Francis (who started the business) was studying during the day, and working for Pizza Hut during the evening delivering pizza’s… found that there was no gym apparel that suited him (or he liked!)
Ben Francis.
So… what does someone in that position do? – That’s right… start to make some! And that’s exactly what Ben started to do.
And the success has been phenomenal.
Why?
Because of a few principles…
Stay Humble. This is on their offices. And the hashtag on Insta has their fans sharing selfies and other photos. Steve Hewitt, Gymshark’s CEO, advised that, “It takes zero talent to work hard and zero talent to stay humble; if you get those things right you will always do well in your journey.”
Focus on the customer. They have a clear audience… 18-25 and those who like fashion, music and obviously, those who go to the gym. They say, “Utilise the best technology to create exceptional customer touchpoints, via your website and in-person. If you do mess up, own the mistake, respond in an exceptional way and carry on.”
Visionary. Part of Gymshark’s mission statement reads: “In everything we do, be true to our own vision and respectful of others. We are here to bring ideas to life. There is no idea too big, or too small… We are not future-proof. We are the future.”
The Dream Team. No, not that programme from the 90’s. Build the dream team. The brand’s HQ houses 500 team members and aims to “create a culture where every morning feels like Christmas morning” according to Hewitt.
There’s a few more, but these were the key ones for me. So… follow your passion, enjoy the ride…. and delight your customers.
I’ve had my fair share of failures – but that’s how I’ve learnt… when it’s not happening, when you’re experiencing frustration – remember… it’s a lesson and a road for success.
I should really become more adventurous with the titles!
But here you go… my second podcast!
That’s right folks! – On this podcast I talk about Jobs. Not necessarily how robots are going to take over – but how jobs have changed and are changing…
Lots of new jobs are appearing…such as YouTubers, Data Scientists, etc… that didn’t exist 5, 10…15 years ago!
So what does this mean for the future? – well it means that there’ll be more new jobs. Will the ‘accountancy’ profession remain the same? Will traditional jobs dissapear?
I also share a few questions I asked Inquisitive – I asked him about success, how he turned a passion into a business and how is it that someone could turn a hobby, something they enjoy… into a full time profession.
Hope you enjoy…
There’s various links available… Here’s the one for iOS Apple Podcast..
