If you have been following my blog, you might have seen the first part of this series.
As I complete 20 years in the training industry, here are 10 more
11. Prioritize yourself – especially if you are a woman. I can’t count the number of times I felt like giving it all up because things got demanding at home. But if you love something for yourself, stick to it. You owe that to yourself! And don’t feel guilty!
12. Things usually never get easier. That’s the plain truth! Will all the problems in our personal lives ever vanish? Will running a business get any easier? I think you can guess the answer.
13. Some things do get easier. Well! I don’t want to leave you with a bleak picture of life! The more you do something, the better you get at it. In 2014, It took me a year to get a handle on how branding works. But now creating content and planning my social media are just routine things I do.
14. Don’t follow all trends – When image consulting was huge, people said I should do that. When personal branding was on the rise, people jumped ship. But I love training and I stuck to it resolutely!
Make your decisions based on what works for you and not that what the world says!
15. Don’t be afraid to create trends. I’ve spent enough time standing on the edge too scared to take the plunge. But when I did jump, it was always worth it! One such fun thing was Unscripted, the impromptu practice sessions I started last year! I didn’t know if it’ll work but I did it anyways.
Spoiler alert: the next Unscripted event is coming up soon!
16. Pay forward. Not everything is about money. It’s our moral duty to pass on our wisdom in any way possible to help others.
I realised I had been doing it for years starting with the exhaustive post on how to become a corporate trainer. I do free sessions for colleges, help out colleagues with branding advice and that’s my way of giving back.
17. It’s okay to feel like crap. On some days, that’s the default for an entrepreneur. Or even as a woman who has different roles to juggle. But it’s okay. Give yourself permission to feel it without judging yourself.
18. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to make mistakes. No path to success is devoid of blunders.
There was a time when I launched online presentation skills sessions – at a time when online sessions were an alien concept – and no one turned up! But that’s part of life.
Pick yourself up after every failure. dust yourself and get going.
19. It’s okay to feel stuck. During the years when I just posted content and my business wasn’t great, I questioned my very vocation. It’s okay to think others are moving fast and you are not – as long as you keep moving. It’s okay to think nothing’s working – but keep at it. It’s okay to think, what’s the point. But if you gut tells you you are right, keep going.
20. Just be yourself: It’s taken me a long time to come on my own! I am almost a generation apart from the current lot of professionals. But I also know that I have stayed true to my values and strove to be me despite all the odds. And I am happier and more content because of that.
Be yourself! That’s the only way to lead a successful life
Do any of these lessons resonate with you? Would you like to share one big lessons you have learnt in your career?