Written Goals

Olympian Vow

The opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics was a spectacle to watch. With all the acrobats and the sheer scale of what they managed to pull out of a hat, or rather a birds nest. It sure must be an event to see and experience. Experiencing the electricity of the atmosphere must be something that would be unparalleled.

As i wrote earlier, the Olympics can well become a milestone. Some kind of a deadline. By the time the next Olympics comes around i will have knocked out all the extra flab ( that i put on watching the other Olympics that went by..) could be a worthy objective !

Four years later, i am reasonably sure that i would quip that it was like yesterday that Beijing happened. So, in essence having an Olympics to Olympics kind of milestone is going to help big time. Like we had 5 year plans before !

The Olympics usher in a different spirit. By some strange concoction, to see that many cultures come together, compete, hold hands, stand on the podium, cry on the sidelines, wave a flag…somehow makes the world come so much more closer. Somehow offers hope that we still can be one race ! The race of people !

So these days, i am watching competitions and learning new rules. Like archery. Where Korea beat China. And watched not only the game, but many other elements. Like how the bow string sits on the archers lips & i could almost hear the archer whispering a message to the arrow !

It is an electric spirit ! The Olympic spirit.

For a fleeting moment, the heart wished, that it would be the Indian team hitting the bulls eye ! But the very next moment, it didn’t matter. At all !!

It was man’s quest for excellence that was on display. That quest for stretch & excellence is not bound by boundaries of nations. That is a sight & spirit to relish !

So, here is the vow:

I am going to be physically present in 2012, London. As a citizen of the world, to cheer for them all. For mankind. To physically see the quest for excellence and those Olympian stretches.

Anybody wants to join ?? And for each Olympics to follow. A four year reunion would be great. And no, this is not wishful thinking.

Mark these dates in your calendar : 27 July to 12 August 2012.

The written word

End of a year. And beginning of another. For years on end 31st of March draws the financial curtains on a year. This year was no different.

For the year April ’06 – Mar ’07 , I decided to have very clear written personal goals for one full year. That year ended with 31st March ’07. And when I reviewed them by the last week of March ’07, it was a mixed bag. But, i realised, i had moved.


Some results for the previous year and plans for the new year.

  • The weight went down. The waist went in.
  • The medical tests were done & they were all ok !
  • New equations with new and old friends were forged and great cheer all around. I met some awesome people! And of couse others left me in some awe!
  • This blog started rolling and people do read my writing. Which is a resurrection of sorts.
  • The extra qualifications kicked in, with possibilities of adding many alphabets at the end of my name! And what learning. What fulfillment!
  • I know how my money looks. Earlier, I never knew where it went. Now, I know.
  • The finances need restructuring. (Awww) The art of balance. The imbalance wrecks a pretty picture
  • Time spent with wife, family and friends needs to be properly balanced out with professional and personal growth activities. The imbalance wrecks a pretty picture. Again.
  • I bought my first insurance policy, without anybody selling it to me. I sleep at peace.
  • Picked up the tennis racquet after 15 odd years. And after eight – nine months, I still have a decent serve and a neat top spin forehand! Applause!
  • Stamina needs improvement. At the end of 45 minutes of clay court tennis, am panting like a dog after a king’s hunt.
  • The weight needs to go further down. The waist further in.
  • I need to track expenses better, although this year was much better than usual times
  • More friends. More books. More reaching out. More giving. That’s for this year

One of the greatest take aways for me for 06-07 was the beauty of written goals and their coming true despite some trying odds. I rue the fact that this did not strike me much earlier in life despite having clear written goals on the professional front !

Hoping i dont sound like a wannabe “How-to-make-your-dreams-come-true” self-help-book -author, i can write with so much authority that flows from experience,

You will be pleasantly surprised how well your desires come true ( or come close to it), just because you write them down and keep track of them.

I am.