Keep Trying Your Best

One of the first things I often hear out of someone’s mouth, after they attempt to do something and fail, is that they tried their best. It’s good to know that even if you couldn’t get what you wanted, you at least pushed yourself hard to succeed. But what exactly does it mean to try your best?

My version of trying your best seems to be different from how a lot of other people see it. I’ve seen many half-heartedly attempt to accomplish something only to proclaim proudly they had tried their best. But to me, trying your best means actually doing everything you possibly can do to make something happen.

I hate the thought of failing at something simply because I didn’t do everything I could have possibly done to make it happen or I was just not trying my best. So I’ve developed a list of rules I hold myself to, so I make sure I’m always trying my best.

1. Go 100% all in

The first rule of trying your best is to make sure you’re actually doing your best. It seems so simple, but this is one thing most people forget about. Trying your best implies you gave 100% effort. Anything below that number means you’re not doing all you can.

Anything less than 100% might be why you don’t succeed. If you’re only giving 90% or even as high as 95%, that extra 5-10% might just be the difference between reaching your goals and failure.

2. Try multiple times

Giving up after the first attempt seems pointless. It assumes that all your future attempts will also fail and that isn't necessarily true. It’s like a guy who asks out a girl once and gets rejected. So he concludes that it won’t work out with any other girl anywhere. That just doesn’t make any sense.

Trying your best requires multiple attempts, not just one. Rejection is a big part of the process for success in most fields. When it happens, it doesn’t mean you don’t make another attempt.

3. Remember to Self-Reflect

This rule follows closely with the second one. If you’re making multiple attempts to accomplish something, you don’t want to just keep trying the same things over and over again. To really get the most out of each attempt, you need to self-reflect. Self-reflection can give you insight into potential areas of improvement so you can think of new strategies and angles to try next time.

After each failed attempt, you should be getting as much feedback as possible. What made it fail? Where did things go wrong? You can take all that information and improve your next attempt therefore increasing your likelihood of success.

4. Ask for advice

Getting advice from others on what to do is not only a good idea, but is often essential. If you have access to someone who has already succeeded in something you want to do, their advice can be gold.

They can provide insights you never thought about before and details you would normally miss. Perhaps they notice something about you or your approach that could be improved. Many times you might not even see it unless someone points it out to you.

5. Remain optimistic of success

Pessimism is fatal. After you start to think of all the bad things that will probably occur you start to find ways to make them true. By remaining optimistic, you make sure that all those pessimistic thoughts don’t sabotage your efforts. The last thing you need when trying your best is for your own negative thoughts to get in the way.

6. Even If you fail, do it in a dignified manner

Even if you try your absolute hardest, you still might fail. That sad truth can make any setback an emotionally devastating experience. The important thing to remember is to take that failure in a dignified manner. Don’t let failures consume you. Perhaps the reason you didn’t succeed has to do with a factor outside of your control. You may never know.

7. Always project confidence, no matter what!

No matter what you do, try to project as much confidence as you can. That even applies to situations where you’re totally freaked out and fear failure.You can’t expect to get anywhere if you present yourself as someone who has no self-belief. Fake confidence if you have to. Faking confidence can eventually help you build up real confidence.

Therefore, being able to say that I tried my best isn’t good enough. I want to know that I really did do my best. I don’t want to be satisfied knowing that I failed at something and I really didn’t give it my best attempt. I hate to think of all the things I’d miss out on if I really didn’t give it my best shot each and every time.

Love all But get Attached to None!!!!

“As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.”  Dalai Lama

We get so attached to everything we have, everything we do, we get so attached to our ideas, our way of doing things, we get so attached to places, to the things we have… We get so attached to the people that enter our lives, not knowing that all of our attachments will only bring us anguish, sorrow and suffering. Many of us can’t seem to grasp the idea of non-attachment. I know I could not understand it at first, but as time went by, and as I started to ponder more on this idea and as I started to practice it, I got better at it. I am not saying I am at the level where I can have things, where I can move from one place to another, where I can leave or be left by those I love without feeling sad. I really believe it takes time and practice, but I am definitely way better at it than I was one year ago, and one year ago I was better than I was the year before that.

It will be easier if we could appreciate what we have, if we could appreciate our friends, our family, if we could love all of them without being attached to them. I know it might sound crazy, insane; you name it, but think about it for a second. Nothing in this world lasts forever. You know it and I know it. The people you love, they will leave you one day, the career you now have, one day will be over, and the house you live in one day will no longer be yours. The body you have, your beauty, your youth, they will all be gone eventually, so why not try to accept this fact?

“Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things? Giving birth and nourishing, having without possessing, acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control: this is the supreme virtue.” Lao Tzu

You see, we all want to have many friends, we all want to be loved, we all want to have beautiful things, the more expensive the better, we all want to travel to beautiful places, live in big and luxurious houses etc.  I can tell you that I want this too, I want them all, but this is not the problem. The problem is that most of us get so attached to all of these things, all of these people, all of these places, and once we lose them, and one day we will all go through this, we will be heartbroken, devastated, and the pain will be so hard to bear. For me, this is very dangerous. Let’s say that, if for example, you lose someone you love, a person very close to your heart, a person that you were attached to, what then? You see, the chances are that you will be in a great deal of pain when this will happen.

Unfortunately, there are people who aren’t so strong, people who can’t deal with the pain, and eventually lose their minds, while others, may even end up taking their lives. Isn’t this a tragedy? This is why we need to understand that nothing lasts forever, that people come and go, that things come and go, and that there are days when we have more, while other when we have less. Some days we might be healthy while other days we might be sick. Some days we might be safe and some days we might be in danger. It goes on, and on, and on. We can’t identify ourselves with this world, with what we have and what we don’t have, with what we do and what we don’t do, we can’t identify ourselves with our minds, with what we know, because, when we will be without those things, when we will no longer do the things we used to do, have the looks we used to have etc., we will feel lost, abandoned and empty.

We all have heard the stories of those wealthy people who lost their fortunes, and because of that, they decided to put an end to their lives. This is what happens when you only live for accumulating more, and more, and more, and this is what happens when you identify yourself with all of them. Where is the peace in that? These people will never be content no matter how much they accumulate for they will always look to those who have more than they have and they will feel that they don’t have enough… living with the fear of losing it all.

I personally am working on being content with who I am at the moment, with what I do and what I have, and I will express my gratitude for everything that I have achieved so far, for the wonderful people that are present in my life and for the wonderful people that keep on showing up, for the wonderful person I have become, and I will try to love myself, I will try to love the people who are present and not so present in my life, and I will work on giving up on my attachments to them, because I now understand that this is for my own good.

“Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn’t possess and act but doesn’t expect.” Lao Tzu.

Now, it is up to you to decide whatever you think it’s best for you.

Dream "BIG"

Life is short. Way too short to just sit back and wait for something to happen to you. That’s why we all have dreams and goals we want to accomplish. That’s why bucket lists are so popular.

Knowing that life is short, you should try to maximize the amount of positive experiences you get out of it. After all, you don’t get to restart your life over again once you reach the finish. So you might as well dream big since you won’t get another chance to do it. And besides, you can get a huge payoff from those big dreams.

Big Dreams Come True

I don’t think anyone epitomizes the importance of dreaming big more than Christopher Columbus. Sailing across the Atlantic to find a trade route to the West Indies was a huge undertaking. But it wasn’t his only goal. In fact, he had far bigger things in mind from his adventure.

Along with the estimated needs for his plan, his proposal asked for an extortionate price for his services. Columbus wanted to be appointed Governor for any lands he discovered, given one-tenth of all the revenue from those lands and also appointed “Great Admiral of the Ocean”. These demands were outrageous even within his time. But as you know, his demands were eventually accepted.

It’s hard for me to say whether Columbus’s demands were a shrewd business tactic or evolved out of arrogance. Either way he got a huge payoff from his trip just by thinking big. And I think there is a lesson you could learn from this story.

Don’t settle for mediocrity. Big things can and do happen to people if you can just find the courage to pursue them. If Columbus had settled for more reasonable demands, he wouldn’t have received so much for his efforts. Even if the source of his demands was arrogance, he still got way more than he reasonably should have.

Ask for Your Big Dreams

As the story about Columbus shows, part of dreaming big is about asking for those big things. That can be a big risk, but well worth the chance. Sometimes you need to ask big in order to really get anything accomplished.

For example, I knew a business executive who had started freelancing as a small business consultant. His thinking was simple. Since he was just starting out, he should ask for a smaller fee until he built up more experience and industry knowledge. It all seems reasonable in theory, but put into practice reveals a different story. No one wanted to hire him.

After close examination of similar competitors, he realized the key difference. Everyone else was asking for much bigger fees. There seemed to be a correlation between what people asked for and their perceived value. Once he raised his fees, his work increased. The only thing he changed was his asking price.

What this shows is that you sometimes need to ask for more. If you’re asking for too little, people might think you really don’t offer as much value as you really do. The last thing you need is to burden yourself with unnecessary hurdles. Think big and ask for it. You’d be surprised at how often it works.

Not only should you ask for more from others, but also yourself. If you’re not pushing yourself about what you can do, you’ll never know what your limits are. In fact, you’ll probably find that you really don’t have any limits. If you ask more of yourself on a regular basis, you’ll get more.

Why You Should Dream Big

The good thing about dreaming big is that it allows you to fall short and still gain a lot. Confucius once said “If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s OK. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.”

Dreaming big pushes you to heights you might not have reached otherwise. Imagine someone who pushes themselves to be President of the United States or head of a giant corporation. Such high goals will necessarily require a lot of work and achievement. Not everyone will make it, but a lot of good can come out of it.

As someone pursues one of those goals, they may push themselves to heights they normally wouldn’t see. Someone who dreams of becoming President might reach as high as Senator or Governor. As Confucius would say, these people didn’t reach the stars, but they still hit the moon. And that is still a great achievement itself.

Live Life Big

Big dreaming can make your life big as a result. You can get more than you would normally expect. And really, wouldn’t it be great to get just a little bit more out of our lives?

It’s big dreaming that has led to some of the greatest achievements humans have ever had. Spaceflight, the eradication of smallpox and the internet all started out as big dreams. Someone had to think of those big ideas first before they made them happen. Your dreams are no different.

Are you dreaming big enough?  What are some of your big dreams?

Creative Inspiration

We generally feel that only poets, writers, artists and actors are the creative sort. In fact, every human being is endowed with creative tendencies. As a visionary leader, you need to unlock the natural state of creativity that sleeps within the minds of every one of your people. You must help your employees to think smarter and inspire them to explore new pathways of thought. Begin to see your workplace as one giant idea factory, as a place where creativity and innovation are recognized and rewarded.

 Let your people know that they will now be allowed to take some risks. Teach them that failure is nothing more than learning how to win and that though some of the risks that they take may lead to setbacks, many will also lead to innovation. Spread this sentiment throughout the organization. Encourage creativity and make it clear that you are now open to listening to, understanding and implementing the best ideas of your people.

The essence of creativity lies in originality of thought. You have to propagate the dictum: see what all see, think what none think. Make your people be curious, spontaneous and playful like children and flex their imagination. 

To understand better, here is a story. A yogi was sitting with his disciples, high in the foothills of the Himalayas. As a test, he drew a line o the dirt and asked each student to make the line shorter without erasing any part of it. The students were perplexed and couldn’t think of a way to shorten the line without touching it- except for one student. He had been the one who had studied the hardest and practiced the longest. He walked over to the line that the master had drawn and quickly drew a longer line next to it. He did not touch the first line in any way. The teacher smiled and applauded, “Very good, now the first line is shorter.”

This is the kind of original thinking you must propagate. Shed the shackles of the traditional ways of looking at things so that you can master the uncertainty that a changing business world brings. One of your highest priorities should be to create workplace that rewards curiosity and recognizes that new ideas are the seeds of success. Remember, even one good idea can totally transform your organization.

In order to foster creativity within your workplace, work should be fun. Playfulness is not reserved only for kids. There`s nothing wrong with people letting their hair down from time to time and enjoying a solid belly laugh. There`s nothing wrong with letting people have fun at work. And allowing them the chance to have fun through their work is a brilliant leadership philosophy because it will conform to all that you truly do put people first. It shows you care. Fun and laughter are the doorways to the hearts and imaginations of your people.

 A company that plays together stays together. Organize fetes, contests and sports day to make your people laugh and smile and grow love working at your company. Never forget that when you ensure that your employees laugh while they work, they will ensure that you clients laugh while they buy.

“Own Your Life!”

The truth is that nobody forces you to think, feel, or behave a certain way. While you may be ostracized by society or even punished if you don't follow certain rules, still nobody else can "make" you do or feel anything.  You are not a victim to people or circumstances. This is not to say that you can control all situations, certainly you cannot. But you alone are responsible for your thoughts, emotions, and actions in relation to that situation.  

Try it yourself...if you could "make" a person be nicer, wouldn't you do it? Can you "make" someone like you or love you? Can you "make" someone happy? You can create certain circumstances that you think will illicit that "happy" response, but you cannot choose his emotion for him. Another person cannot "make" you cry...you chose to cry because he did not react like the loving and kind person that you wish he were.

If you chose to be sad because you feel a loss, that's fine - own it, don't blame him for it. If you choose to be p.o.'d and throw pillows at him, go on ahead; love it, choose it, enjoy it as your own emotion. But if you imbue him with the power of letting him dictate your emotions, you are giving up your power.

Do you really want to spend your life letting other people decide how you feel? Doesn't sound like much fun to me. They might as well tell you what you like to eat, and what you like to wear, and which people you like too....now that's a robot. Use your own mind; make your own decisions about how you feel.

If you're not responsible for your emotions, then who is? If you let others choose all your emotions, are you not also then charged with the responsibility for the emotions of other people? I personally don't want that responsibility of handling another person's preferences in that way...I'll stick with my own, thank you.

Feelings are managed. No, I am not presuming to dictate that a person should feel a certain way in any particular situation. You are entitled to feel whatever you want to feel...happy, sad, mad...and then to translate that to any action. But you are responsible for that feeling and that choice of action, and not entitled to blame others for it.   No one can make you feel a certain way anymore than they can make you act a certain way. "I shouted at him b/c he made me mad" is inaccurate. "I shouted at him because I wanted to" is accurate.

But it's not just a matter of semantics or language ....it's a matter of accepting the feeling as part of who you are.   Just as we control our actions, we should also control our thoughts and feelings...it's part of the same internal discipline. To believe otherwise, is to believe that everything is a matter of chance, that you do not and cannot affect things in one direction or another.

Courtesy # Kathy Gates

Introduction

Hello,

Well, now that I have identified this is where the World is, too soon or too late, I had to get involved.

So there's something about myself. My name is + Syed Hareem ul Hasan , and I am a CFA LEVEL 1 Candidate, who has already done his ACCA qualification along with a BSc Hons Degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University, London - UK. 

Formerly, I used to work as an auditor in Audit & Assurance Department at KPMG Pakistan (Member Firm of KPMG Global, Mainly known as BIG 4 Firms of the world). Currently, I am working as an Finance Trainee Officer in Risk Management Department at Al-Baraka Investment Bank. This bank is based is Bahrain and operates in 15 different countries including Middle East and Asia. 

The world we live in now, is getting very complex day by day, and there's really no fixed formula for success due to the fast paced nature of change we're experiencing and if you don't keep up with what's going on outside, you're simply, losing out!!

In this blog, I will try to express and share with you about what I have learned about life, it's value and change we must bring into our lives to groom ourselves, to develop a personality that can outshine anyone at anywhere and above all to be the controller of our own lives. I will be equipping you with techniques on how we can control our lives and shape up our desirable future by our actions of present.

I have a very staunch believe that we are the controller of our own destiny, what we do now will come after us later in our lives. Critics of my belief tend to say that our destiny is already written , we can't change it... It's fixed..I speak out to them if such is a case why bother to study,learn,work why not just play,have fun and party around cause if it's written no matter what we do nothing could take it from us.

You can follow me here, or @ # Mehareem on twitter, please get in touch! 

That's it! Will definitely see you soon :)