Time is an illusion. Don’t measure it by the amount of hours/effort you put in, measure it by goals you accomplish.
A lofty goal combined with serious effort gets results.
Doing things quickly and repetitively helps you get over anxiety about failure.
Making a decision is more important than doing things perfectly.
When in the dip (the tedious execution phase), remember the larger goal of your project and the value it provides to the world.
You don’t have to do everything alone.
Good things await when you take a risk (a smart one), no matter how afraid you are.
If you win, you win. If you lose, you win. (From Rocky and stepping out of your comfort zone.)
When you think you’ve reached your limit, do more.
You just might waste your life away in idleness and bullshit if you’re not careful.
Taking initiative matters.
Being who you want to be and who you think you really are is largely a decision.
Flexibility is your biggest asset.
You don’t have to do things like everyone else.
Focus on what matters. Few things matter, but those that do need maniacal focus.
Getting rejected is ok. In fact, if you do it quick enough, rejection speeds up your road to success. (Similarly, rejection doesn’t matter until you stop trying. Once you stop trying, getting rejected becomes a big deal.)
Taking care of the things (and people) you love in your life matters everyday, no matter how busy you are.
Learn the language of the people you wish to speak to and communicate with (French or analytics.)
Don’t stay busy. Get real things done that matter (ignore what looks like your job and focus on what really is your job.)
Being who you want to be and who you think you really are is largely a decision.
Yes, yes, yes.
And it’s also a process: a series of choices, actions, behaviors. It’s about doing. I think people sometimes confuse wanting with being: but it is in doing that we become. What I like so much about this list is that it’s about ways to do, not simply things to want.
Thanks for this!
Super post, Need to mark it on Digg
Rather interesting. Has few times re-read for this purpose to remember. Thanks for interesting article. Waiting for trackback
It’s good you learned some important lessons, but the more important question is: what are you doing to do with what you learned?
the ‘win / win’ / ‘lose / win’ quote is from Raging Bull.
love these quotes. can you tell the story behind a couple of them?
wow!
I came here via Seth’s post about SAMBA and must say he did a great job because these are some excellent truisms!
I usually would never comment on a “Lessons Ive Learned” post but most of these seemed to resonate with me.
thanks for sharing-
Jon Spooner
Thanks for sharing these insights, Ishita! I’ve learned several of them in the past and now maybe I can learn a few more from your experience instead of painfully stumbling across them myself. (:
I love your quotes! You are right, truth ain’t easy. SAMBA sounds like a wonderful program. I follow Seth’s blog and love it. I got my MBA in the traditional manner, except it was at an all women’s grad school.
Good luck to you.
Ellen
I liked your “Learn the language of the people you wish to speak to and communicate with (French or analytics.)” Makes a lot more sense when you think that success is all about communicating and communicating well.
Congratulations on your graduation, Ishita.
Here’s wishing you success.
Wow..
Great lessons and to the point
“Ignore what looks like your job and focus on what really is your job.” – This is a great challenge of my start-up.
brill.
Nice list. Over time , I too have found all of these things to be important.
Excellent set of learning list…thanks for sharing!
Great list! Thank you!
Great list. Everyday we browse hundred different pages – for an answer to let us do something different. No matter who we are, in essence this is it, a student, employee, jobless, big employer, mom, dad or someone who is retired!! This applies to everyone!! Good post.
Nice take away..!
GOOD SITE, FOUND VIA SETHGODIN.TYPEPAD.COM
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Saturday,
$$$ JULY-18-2009,
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thanks Chris! all the best,
ishita
thanks Sajith!
Hey Sri,
It’s applicable across all areas, you hit the nail on the head. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for the comment!
ishita
Thank you Sriram!
gratzie, D!
thank you chris!
Thank you Sheila!
Hey Ananth,
Thanks so much!
Hey Amitabh,
So right you are. I’ve really learned the lesson of communicating in the language of the person you’re talking to. Otherwise, little progress is made.
Best,
ishita
Hey Joseph,
You feel like you have to do everything, right? I make a list of the top 3 things that absolutely must get done, and unless i cross those off, i can’t focus on the minutae that arises throughout the day.
Thanks for the comment!
Thanks Ellen! A woman’s grad school sounds wonderful, more ego or less, i’m curious.
Best,
Ishita
Hey Pace,
I had a mentor who said “i’m learning from the mistakes of others because there’s not enough time in the world for me to make them all myself!
best,
ishita
Hey John,
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you liked the lessons (I’m still learning them of course!)
best,
ishita
Oops, raging Bull it is!
Which quote would you like a story about?
working on that now! hopefully something that changes the world for the better.
thanks,
ishita
thanks for the comment! not sure how to mark on digg tho.
Yay, its kelly!
its all about doing, you’re right on the money. we want want want too much with very little doing sometimes.
Hey Ishita,
An awesome post, for the first time in my life read the post along with all the comments…even the comments made a lot of sense
Congratulations Ishita!!!! Woo hoo. I’m so excited for you. I would love to hear what your plans are next…..keep me posted. To a twin – from a twin.
Congrats Ishita on your new job with Seth Godin. Cheers.
Good one. I have experienced some of them myself. But at the end I needed to learn another lesson: ‘Remember the lesson when it matters most’
Thanks Ishita,
For an awesome post, its really a good one. You thanks to everyone who posted comments , i think the credit of thanks goes to you. I usually get daily blogs by seth godin,
Today he mentioned a lot about your work and process.. its too good to being in this community.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/07/ishitas-here.html
Thanks Dear.
Thanks for posting about this, I would love to read more about this topic.
such a great learning, i just shared this valuable and timeless insights on my blog too for my readers.
Sorry but I don’t share most of these ideas.
Thanks Chris, your support means alot!
best of luck
ishita
so true, Vibhav. it’s only when you can harness the lesson at the right time that it counts!
happy twin connection!
jill, your support has been awesome, thanks alot.
will keep you updated as we go along!
sorry to hear that, i’d love to hear your ideas and lessons that are meaningful.
thanks so much muhammad!
thanks for sharing the lesssons with your readers and spreading the love.
thanks Joan!