Never settle; keep finding new means of unsettling yourself.

Never settle; keep finding new means of unsettling yourself.

Your job is to do things that make you uncomfortable. People who are comfortable are short-changing their true potential. Would you agree that someone that has a goal to create a massive life will help and influence more people? The people who settle for average are not living up to their potential. They struggle to get by, barely making a mark on the planet.

Like Steve Jobs suggested, your goal is to make a dent in the Universe.

Coaching for Social Media Influencers

In the age of #InfluencerMarketing; these newly arrived Influencers are often using age old 'ctrl c+ctrl v' approach to take thier brand's message forward. #Millenials spot these copy pasted trends easily and the entire spend on influencers goes in-vain. There have been so many instances of late of such kind. There is a need for #socialmedia classes for those #influencers!

Or the brands themselves need to give social media primer before they hand over the brief.

#marketing #storytelling

Book Review - The Compound Effect

Recently finished another book on audible - Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. This book again reconfirms my faith on the power of compounding in life. Principles mentioned in this book or another book on importance of daily insignificant improvements - Atomic Habits, clearly if applied in life, one would definitely benefit.

Now concepts or principles aside question one asks is that, i know this knowledge is good, but how does one apply. I have tried to come up with those gems from the book which can be implemented. Here are these -

• It's not big choices, but ones that you think don't matter or count for much that derail us. You don't consciously think about it, but these small decisions can really change things. Success is doing a half dozen things really well, repeated five thousand times. Identify those goals and convert them into small choices and steadfastly adopt them in your routine;making them habits. 
• Be it the morning workout, or a fixed timezone to think of professional skills goal in office or investment check block or a mandatory hour with kids everyday. The essence is in defining a routine with clear walls built to safeguard time for these activities/choices which if done religiously on delivera daily basis will result in significant milestones.

• Small actions are all around us happening all the time when we are sleepwalking thru life on auto pilot of our habits. Once we begin to chose to be aware of our envoirnment and start observing, we shall find things which were always there, but we didnt see. These changes can deliver significant impact going forward. Thus, become aware first! 

• Gratitude is very important in life. Its a good thing to know as something we should practice, but we dont. Because we index towards immediate gratification activities vs long term. Gratitude helps us in forging relationships with ppl which are long lasting giving long term effects. And for that, you need to start exploring opportunities to thank and appreciate people. In relationships, u should make a task to write at least 3 things a day to thank and appreciate others genuinely, and then you would see how the relationships change for better. What you appreciate, appreciates.

• In relationships especially, its not 50:50 partnership to make it a success; but 100:0. You have to be willing to give 100 percent in your relationships without expecting any contribution from other to make it work. Thats when the strength of these relationships compounds.

• The first step toward change is awareness. The best way to become aware is to measure. Writing it all down is key. Track your behavior for at least one week. All winners are trackers. You cannot improve something until you measure it.

• Good example in the book of small improvements done daily give huge results - If the nose of a plane is pointed just one percent off course when it leaves LA for New York, it will end up in Delaware once it gets to the east coast.

• When you set a goal, most people ask, “What do I need to do to achieve your goal?” Instead, you should ask “Who do I need to become?” Our actions should be directed  towards changes  in ourselves first.

• Book end your days. You can always ensure how your day starts and ends. Finish your most important tasks first. Review your day each evening.
• Create a routine which you can stick to, so you won’t lose your momentum. Momentum is huge. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. The hardest part of momentum is the beginning. But like pushing the merry-go-round on the playground. Once you get moving you can keep going very easily. And that where the crux lies, once begun, if u drop out for a day or two or a week, you lose the entire momentum; which is a strict no no.

• Garbage in, garbage out. Don't waste your time watching TV, eating junk, reading useless stuff, consuming negative stories, and more.

Power of compounding in daily habits

Einstein called it the #8th #wonder of the #world; but it is not that popular. However, it is present everywhere. The more i experience it, the more i think about it. Its called the #Power of #Compounding.

It states that if you do something in small amounts but on a daily basis; u shall get huge returns with time. All it needs is a) consistency of action and b) long term horizon

Case in point is my #running. I started running in end of 2015 inspired by some of my friends' runkeeper posts of distance run. As a normal chap closer to end of year; i took resolution to run everyday....but as you can see from the graph, it didnt last long in terms of consistency. Then again started on and off. Slowly my baseline of runs grew from 30k/mth in 2015-16 to 90k/mth in 2017-18. Even if it tapered in 2019, it is still around 60-70k/mth. The tools available today like @runkeeper help you to keep understanding nuances of growth and performance around speed, calories, cadence etc.

With few runs of 5k and 10k, it grew. I started reading about how to prolong ur runs. And trained for airtel delhi half marathon in Nov17. This entire effort in the process had made this habit persist over initial milestones of 21 days to 365 days and now well over 3.5 yrs. The effort/resistance now to go for a 4k run has got tremendously down with the power of compounding. From a complete novice in 2015 end, i i ha run for close to 4000km without any history of running or focus on excercise in my family tree anywhere. Thats the power of compounding.

One can argue that sports is a field where power of repitition is well known. Then, i think about any habit; it doesnt become an habit until it reaches your daily schedule. Even for 20 min. But that daily rythm is needed.

To work on clarity of mind; i had started on guided meditation on the @curefit app. Initial few sessions were very difficult to do as u battle with silence; but as i persisted to get that power of compounding going...i have now completed 500 min of meditation and now it feels better than ever. I conciously look for those 15 min of meditation post my runs everyday.

James clear in his book, Atomic habits gives a strategy of #habit #stacking. It means you add new habits in your schedule of current habits in such a way that they momentum of one can go into another. I exactly did this with audible listening on my runs. This has multiplied my #reading habit and also enriched the interest in my runs. In last 6 months i have listened + read more books than ever (12 vs 2 or 3 earlier). Even this book itself (Atomic habits) i listened on #audible.

And obviously one knows about importance of power of compounding in #stock markets. One has said - "You cannot time the market, but time is your only friend for better returns".

Another quote i read long time ago - "Nothing will ever change your life which doesnt happen daily".

Books Reading - Goal Update May19

May19 Goal Update - Against 12 books goal in 2019; currently reading 10th book. And now its like straddling between #paperbooks (which i had been buying but not read), #kindle and #audible.

This is the best year where i am able to double down on this goal given huge productivity boost via kindle and audible.

Read #Ikigai; which culls out secrets of happiness from people aged 100+ from okinawa. Learnt 10 secrets: always remain active and yet take things slow, dont eat 100% full, have friends surround u always, excercise, smile, stay with nature, show gratitude and always live in the moment while treading ur path to ur ikigai (purpose).

#AtomicHabits book has further strengthened my beliefs on small but consistent steps to any big goal (this reading is a good example). The law of compounding works like magic in small bits, daily.

Loved concept of habit stacking - connect a new habit to an existing habit so that the inertia of old leads to momentum in new.  Another gem - Always define habit regimen by time and location. It works.

Envoirnment needs to be designed basis ur targeted habit, if u want to run; keep tracksuit next to alarm clock!

#books #habits #2019 #productivity #goals #life #wisdom

Book Review - Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Its a hell of a ride with Phil Knight on how this idea called '#Nike' happened as expressed non-chalantly by the cofounder himself.

A must read for anyone interested in creation of an idea and taking it to fruition and keep it alive at any costs. Or #Entrepreneurship. And for anyone who understands #running or any form of sports.

Phil has very openly put down the 'how it happened' without editing the bad spots or places where he felt incompetent to handle things. Thats what i liked the most. Its a story; told sincerely without glorifying.

As a marketer, i wanted to know how this legendary 'swoosh' and Nike happened. And, it just happened! Just a decision on name on a close call with Dimension6 & Falcon. And one of the cofounders said, it came to him in his dream :) Though it means goddess of #victory!

No big research on the symbol also, Phil gave this assignment to a freelancing student of arts whom he met like a coincidence. She did some options and then swoosh was chosen. She charged 35$ for the design!

This book is sprinkled with such moments where Phil took decisions like this quite fast and worked on them as and when they happened.

And yes, huge wisdom in some quotes here. One of them - "Reality is #nonlinear, Zen says. No future, no past. All is now."

#bookreview

Smart E bikes - Will the rebel stereotype work?

AI enabled bikes!! Sounds fab! Envoirnment friendly and cheaper to maintain. Hip. Smart. Techno.

However, does it address basic needs of a #biker? Need for speed. Pickup. Tough terrain friendly (read mountain rides). Show-off. Thump. Feeling of being a big boy. Being #Raw. #Rebel. The brand seems to work on this positioning only trying to entice customers on these primary needs. The TVC does make it look cool around one of these benefits when biker woos a girl by changing bike sound.

On the contrary, should it position around a clean bike, good boy approach striking a refreshing 180 degree on the biker stereotype? Trying to target today's socially concious bikers with a 'change the world' psycographics? Making it really 'revolt' the existing biker stereotype?

Dont know how it pans out. Lets see how consumers approach this space. #ebikes #ai #smart #tech

Read about news here -http://inc42.com/buzz/revolt-intellicorp-launches-its-electric-bike-rv-400/amp/

Dream11 - Yeh game hai mahaan campaign

When you are the #market leader, then the onus of expanding the pie is yours.

#Dream11, India's No 1 online cricket game app is trying to do the same with its last 2 campaigns during IPL and World cup. Not talking about 'how to play on its app and point system" but to celebrate the game of cricket itself to connect emotionally with fans.

And kudos to the team behind the TVCs, its a fantastic concoction of fan's stories of going beyond the limits for the game + melodious tune + #Dhoni end slate with 'yeh game hai mahaan' to convey the app name.

From the #functional space of features and benefits; to celebrating the #category anchor itself. That's very tastefully done by #Tilt Brand Solutions, the agency behind the campaign.

The opportunity in itself in this space is mammoth for a country full of smartphone devices + crazy cricket fans. Anyways evident from how #Hotstar is breaking online views records every game.

#emotional #marketing #consumer #cricket #worldcup #india

Dream11 - A huge opportunity

With more IPL games, i am falling in love with this jingle from Dream11's new TVC. Did you notice that soft music timed well with the brief emotional story about people who do anything for cricket?

Over the years, the TVC campaigns for Dream11 have moved from explaining the concept (how to play on the app and win money) to now celebrating cricket - India's biggest religion.

And with Dhoni's star power backing the brand and the way Dhoni is performing, its certainly getting larger participation from end customers (reported 50 m users)  and also evident from its newly found Unicorn status.

And i guess, there are huge tailwinds to the platform, given 3 potent factors of  indian cheap data savvy youth population, increasing ecommerce transactions and overall India's Cricket obsession.

There are other me too apps for betting on sports but by far, dream11 has emerged as a leader with right brand ambassador, early mover advantage and spending on advertising. That too, the advertising is moving in the right direction for developing the brand as a leader expanding the user-base by celebrating cricket.

Space to watch out! #dream11 #cricket #dhoni #tvc

Checkout the video here -

https://lnkd.in/fq8gXJz