This one is a really long one...Read at your own risk...
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On the outer, I looked very ambitious to all. Had to put up a brave and smart front to everyone, after all. But on the inner, I always was the timid 'small town girl' with a smartish head but few ideas of my own. So while I had heard of the word goals, I never had a clear opinion on them.
At a time when people were thinking of becoming Doctors, Engineers et al, I was still having fun writing articles. While everyone stepped on the entrance exams bandwagon, I crossed the dirty, cob-webbed, old newspaper stacked aisle of the Ludhiana office of Indian Express. Everyone else thought that their teens were the stepping stones to a career, I thought I already had one. Proud and happy to be getting a Rs.5k pay check per month after working college hours as a journalist writing sports stories, I never paid heed to anything that my friends mentioned about CAT prep and SATS. I thought this was my true calling and writing was my sole goal. All deadlines crossed and there I was with my pocket money and a stressed out face saying my goodbyes to friends departing for higher studies to Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, some even London.
That is when my Mom took charge of my life and told me to set my goals. I thought I couldn't be left behind alone in Ludhiana, again forgetting the goals and looked for courses in Delhi. Found one that suited both my parents and my interest (atleast for the time being, my intt was not staying back in the rat race to go out of Ludhiana) and off I was to FORE School of Management. Half way into the course, I was pretty sure this was my calling and soon getting a good job and settling down in Delhi seemed to be the goal. In the top 10 of my college course and a recommendation from the Dissertation prof later, I landed a job in Samsung earning Rs.10k. WOW! I had doubled my pocket money within an year. Though my parents had spent 3 years worth of this salary to get me there.
One week into the job and I( with my bright thoughts) decided that I was not to be anyone's subordinate and couldn't handle the 9 to 5 jobs. With an export unit as bait thrown by Papa, I was back in Ludhiana, only to spend boring hours in his factory of an auto ancillary. I couldn't make out a brake cam from a wheel brake, but then again most of you can't too. And soon lost interest. But this one lasted for six months though. While lesser mortals aka less smarter friends from the course( atleast thats what the over confident me, thought) were doing well in good jobs and making a life out of themselves, I stood ground asking for my Indian Express job back. Writing seemed to be my calling but now I was happier having fun and being the boss of my own life.
Life was going nowhere and for the third time, I repented having goals. I joked about friends earning small amounts and slogging all day, I laughed as friends still studied for post-graduates while I, having 2 years of work ex as a journalist and a Masters Degree in my pocket, woke up at 11 AM, chatted with friends, went out for long walks, had fun in the city's coffee shop and thought this was Life's calling. Just waiting to get married, I guess. Only that was also taking its own sweet time.
One morning, Papa woke me up to tell me to pursue my writing dream. 'Write a book', he casually suggested. For the fourth time, I started doing something in life. This time there was a goal. I wrote the book. Atleast six chapters of it. I even named it for Papa. "Daddy said so". This is what I named it. With six short stories and some okayish writing, I thought I was finally going towards a goal. I was having fun writing the book and was sure I was going to be a writer. But the complacent me took over again and I got bored. Can you imagine? Bored off my own writing!
At 24, with no job, no goals and an unfinished book, I finally(for the fifth time) decided to take charge of my life. Short term goals, I thought to myself is what I should start with. My two point strategy was to make goals both for personal and professional(!!!!) life. So I set forth one goal which seemed to be the priority for me, my parents(desperate levels) and my family(also equally desperate). I decided to be married before 25. Now, wipe that smile off your face.
And I did achieve it.
An year into the marriage and I started WASANIS, my writing brainchild. I have written about that phase of life a lot and won't bore you again. To sum it, WASANIS is doing okay and we are having fun there. So at 28 I set another goal (again on the personal front). I decided to be a mom before 30. Start smiling now..
And I did achieve it.
So after a decade, maybe I was becoming good at setting goals and achieving them. So as Navya sleeps and I make you read my random rumblings, I have new goals to achieve before 35.
Read on to see what I plan to do in the next 5 years:
1. Earn Rs. 1 Lakh a month out of my writing.
2. Complete my unfinished book and publish it.
3. Have my own investment portfolio of atleast Rs. 50 Lakh. (Excl any of Mohit's money)
4. Learn French language. (only for the third time in my life)
5. Increase my countries traveled count from 11 to 25.
So there you are, I have shared my life's most intimate secrets on the blog and many of you (atleast a few who read the blog) know of this now. Requesting a little help in achieving them. Especially the third one. You can help by contributing money.
See you at 35.
R
-------------------------------------
P.S I have been informed by someone proofreading this post that I have missed two very important goals on the personal front. First is losing weight and acquiring a killer figure and the second is having another child.
I think I am going to tell the person concerned that 'losing weight' is never a goal and is a part of every girl's lifestyle. And that is one reason why I am going to be there soon.
About the baby issue, that is a joint effort while the goals mentioned can be mine alone in nature. How's that for avoiding that discussion? ;))
------------------------------
On the outer, I looked very ambitious to all. Had to put up a brave and smart front to everyone, after all. But on the inner, I always was the timid 'small town girl' with a smartish head but few ideas of my own. So while I had heard of the word goals, I never had a clear opinion on them.
At a time when people were thinking of becoming Doctors, Engineers et al, I was still having fun writing articles. While everyone stepped on the entrance exams bandwagon, I crossed the dirty, cob-webbed, old newspaper stacked aisle of the Ludhiana office of Indian Express. Everyone else thought that their teens were the stepping stones to a career, I thought I already had one. Proud and happy to be getting a Rs.5k pay check per month after working college hours as a journalist writing sports stories, I never paid heed to anything that my friends mentioned about CAT prep and SATS. I thought this was my true calling and writing was my sole goal. All deadlines crossed and there I was with my pocket money and a stressed out face saying my goodbyes to friends departing for higher studies to Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, some even London.
That is when my Mom took charge of my life and told me to set my goals. I thought I couldn't be left behind alone in Ludhiana, again forgetting the goals and looked for courses in Delhi. Found one that suited both my parents and my interest (atleast for the time being, my intt was not staying back in the rat race to go out of Ludhiana) and off I was to FORE School of Management. Half way into the course, I was pretty sure this was my calling and soon getting a good job and settling down in Delhi seemed to be the goal. In the top 10 of my college course and a recommendation from the Dissertation prof later, I landed a job in Samsung earning Rs.10k. WOW! I had doubled my pocket money within an year. Though my parents had spent 3 years worth of this salary to get me there.
One week into the job and I( with my bright thoughts) decided that I was not to be anyone's subordinate and couldn't handle the 9 to 5 jobs. With an export unit as bait thrown by Papa, I was back in Ludhiana, only to spend boring hours in his factory of an auto ancillary. I couldn't make out a brake cam from a wheel brake, but then again most of you can't too. And soon lost interest. But this one lasted for six months though. While lesser mortals aka less smarter friends from the course( atleast thats what the over confident me, thought) were doing well in good jobs and making a life out of themselves, I stood ground asking for my Indian Express job back. Writing seemed to be my calling but now I was happier having fun and being the boss of my own life.
Life was going nowhere and for the third time, I repented having goals. I joked about friends earning small amounts and slogging all day, I laughed as friends still studied for post-graduates while I, having 2 years of work ex as a journalist and a Masters Degree in my pocket, woke up at 11 AM, chatted with friends, went out for long walks, had fun in the city's coffee shop and thought this was Life's calling. Just waiting to get married, I guess. Only that was also taking its own sweet time.
One morning, Papa woke me up to tell me to pursue my writing dream. 'Write a book', he casually suggested. For the fourth time, I started doing something in life. This time there was a goal. I wrote the book. Atleast six chapters of it. I even named it for Papa. "Daddy said so". This is what I named it. With six short stories and some okayish writing, I thought I was finally going towards a goal. I was having fun writing the book and was sure I was going to be a writer. But the complacent me took over again and I got bored. Can you imagine? Bored off my own writing!
At 24, with no job, no goals and an unfinished book, I finally(for the fifth time) decided to take charge of my life. Short term goals, I thought to myself is what I should start with. My two point strategy was to make goals both for personal and professional(!!!!) life. So I set forth one goal which seemed to be the priority for me, my parents(desperate levels) and my family(also equally desperate). I decided to be married before 25. Now, wipe that smile off your face.
And I did achieve it.
An year into the marriage and I started WASANIS, my writing brainchild. I have written about that phase of life a lot and won't bore you again. To sum it, WASANIS is doing okay and we are having fun there. So at 28 I set another goal (again on the personal front). I decided to be a mom before 30. Start smiling now..
And I did achieve it.
So after a decade, maybe I was becoming good at setting goals and achieving them. So as Navya sleeps and I make you read my random rumblings, I have new goals to achieve before 35.
Read on to see what I plan to do in the next 5 years:
1. Earn Rs. 1 Lakh a month out of my writing.
2. Complete my unfinished book and publish it.
3. Have my own investment portfolio of atleast Rs. 50 Lakh. (Excl any of Mohit's money)
4. Learn French language. (only for the third time in my life)
5. Increase my countries traveled count from 11 to 25.
So there you are, I have shared my life's most intimate secrets on the blog and many of you (atleast a few who read the blog) know of this now. Requesting a little help in achieving them. Especially the third one. You can help by contributing money.
See you at 35.
R
-------------------------------------
P.S I have been informed by someone proofreading this post that I have missed two very important goals on the personal front. First is losing weight and acquiring a killer figure and the second is having another child.
I think I am going to tell the person concerned that 'losing weight' is never a goal and is a part of every girl's lifestyle. And that is one reason why I am going to be there soon.
About the baby issue, that is a joint effort while the goals mentioned can be mine alone in nature. How's that for avoiding that discussion? ;))
2 comments:
hey.. I love the new orange backdrop.. so lively! is it new or did i just notice it now? :P
All the best for achieving your goals! u might b able to achieve them before ur 35...
love n hugs to Navya!
Bumped into this blog while surfing on blogger. Must say someone's been doing some very good job on it. Loved most of your writing...
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