Personal, Professional, Social

There was a time when our personal lives were truly personal. We never declared to others whom we were meeting, what we were doing on an everyday basis, where we were going etc…. and then we had a professional life which was very formal and goal oriented…We were working to get money to fulfill the needs of the family….We also had a social life…where meeting others at social gatherings was not a necessity but a change from normal routine.

Today….

We do a lot of social meetings online or via social channels…
Our professional life seems to be incomplete without participating in social channels…
and our personal life is painted in various colors by others on social channels….(through likes, comments etc etc…)

Are we setting the right boundaries and limits for these three aspects of life?

Are we really in the need of getting constant affirmation from everyone about our interests and activities?

How do we cope up with the ever increasing demands of building a personal, professional and social brand?

Does it increase our productivity?

These are questions to ask ourselves…. No one should and can set these limits for us. We should define our life – and our personal boundaries…

How hard is it to spend a day without interacting on social media?

It’s not a bad thing to do…as long as your goals are not taking a back seat.

The world is very result-oriented. They look at ‘What has someone achieved?’ and not ‘How he achieved it?’… 

So, if someone can spend 20 hours on social media and still achieve milestones in life….he/she will be praised.

It’s for you to define the ‘time limits’, the ‘topics’ and the ‘friends and people’ in your life.

The day you can do that….you have overcome the pressures of social media and built your own very personal brand.~ That isolates?/identifies? you from the rest of the crowd.

Career or Success?

It may sound ironic but it’s true – “Your career need not be the key to your success.”

Career is something we choose to pursue, in order to earn a living. People who are able to get into their ‘dream careers’ are lucky, but the ratio is very less.

Career decisions may be influenced by circumstances, family pressure, social standing, academic grades and several other things. For some, career is not a choice but a responsibility. People may or may not get successful in what they pursue as a career.

However, it’s important to understand that success may not always be driven out of your career choices.

Success is a state of mind – It can have many definitions – Being popular, being wealthy, getting liked by everyone, being content, being healthy or being able to fulfill the needs of the family and so on.

A lot of people pursue side businesses (besides their main careers) and become more successful in them. Many people get lucky in winning lotteries and consider that as success.

If a person is in a particular job role, should he stop looking at other avenues of being successful? For example – pursuing a hobby, starting a side business, doing charity work etc.

Doesn’t this imply that we all should be flexible to take up different roles and see what makes us most content and most successful?

I am always impressed by people who are multi-talented. For example – They may be engineers but pursuing a cooking course alongside. Isn’t it amazing to see how flexible they are with life and the possibilities it offers?

Before trying various options, it is important to define what success means to you and how important are the roles besides your main career stream.

Keep your eyes and ears open and look out for your dream role! – A hobby, a passion! – Plan to pursue it. You may have to plan your finances and time accordingly. But, we have only one life – it’s now or never! Do what you like and see if you want to keep doing it…!

Be flexible, be energetic, spread enthusiasm and inspire people! Be successful in what you choose to be ‘success’ for you!!

And just when I was writing this article, one of my colleagues came to my desk and told me about all the work she has been doing besides her main job. She takes writing classes, song writing classes, travels for conferences and a lot more! Wow!
I told her, that her words are an inspiration for me and many others as well.

Success is not necessarily driven out of your career!