Month: July 2026

Maximizing Profits

~ Rishi ~ 1 Comment

This isn’t a business post. It is not linked to anything remotely business.

Why am I saying so? Because we instantly associate profits with business and work. But is that the only way to look at it?

The past few weeks, in multiple conversations with colleagues and friends, and in my thoughts, I came across this theme. How to maximize profits?

Well, you see, it is how our minds work. How we retain what we have been taught. And of course, how work consumes so much of our daily lives!

But we would be amiss to think about profits only in the context of our work or business. Of course, profits in that arena is what we all want to maximize. To gain more and faster. To prove that we are contributing meaningfully with the right impact. To ensure we can justify what we do.

Profit also comes in the context of our relationships. The positive mind may think of how we are benefitting each other in a relationship. The circumspect one will also think about how are we maximizing our closeness to someone to benefit in some form and shape.

There’s another angle though. How do we profit collectively and become better – a better family, a better community. How do we maximize this?

Then, there’s profit in the context of our health. How do we profit from healthy habits to elongate our chances of living more? Or how do we maximize our profits from the workouts we engage in, and if there’s enough return on investment of time and energy.

But here also there’s another angle. How do we maximize our profits and hit our goals while allowing ourselves to enjoy the little pleasures of life?

How could I forget money matters and profit in that context. How do we ensure we are maximizing our returns and adopting the right strategy for investing our hard earned money? Or how do we maximize both short-term and long-term profits.

Of course, there is another angle here too. How do we maximize our knowledge and hold on financial matters, such that profits are a by-product and not left to the skill of others only or luck.

If you look at all these aspects – relationships, health, financial matters, work or business – they are all interrelated. If we don’t handle them in the right proportion, profits from one domain could be at the cost of a great loss in another.

That’s a rather tricky thing to achieve…

Health.

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

It is such an important part of our lives, being healthy! How much importance we give to it is another matter.

Over the past few weeks, a thought had been playing in my mind – why are so many young, seemingly healthy people, falling sick or passing away? A couple of incidents happened within my known circles, and they only added further anguish to these thoughts.

As I thought more about this subject, I naturally started to think about my own lifestyle and what am I doing right or wrong – at least as per my understanding.

Over the years, I have been generally taking care of myself, eating in moderation, exercising regularly, and switching off from work as much as I can. So, my self-rating on some of these aspects was quite ok. But then, there were a couple of things that I wasn’t doing very well on.

Sleep, for one. My sleep patterns had been disturbed for the past few months and while I had tried to make it better, there was still room for improvement.

Controlling my urges in between meals. Having been disciplined at it in the past, I had loosened my reins. Resulting in random snacking at times, all in the day.

Taking stress about things that can be avoided, and always being worried about something or the other going on in life. I have always wanted to do my best, and that naturally leads to high internal expectations, creating tension and stress at times.

Most importantly, I had not got a health checkup done for a couple of years. No excuses here, apart from general procrastination.

As I took stock of these shortfalls, I started to map out improvements needed. Over the last couple of weeks, I have made conscious efforts to sleep on time and not overstretch myself on weekends. I have also become disciplined again about what I am eating, to the degree I can. Avoiding stressing myself about small things, while making peace with how things are, rather than fighting them all the time.

And finally, after some nudging in the office as well, I went ahead and got an extensive checkup done. There are a couple of concerns those tests unearthed, which is a good thing.

Knowing is half the battle won, they say. I say, it is just an internal acknowledgment and unless paired with action, doesn’t mean anything. So, next in line is a plan to bring down those identified troublesome markers.

Having turned wiser from this experience, I reflected on what took me so long to recalibrate!

I think it was just the fallacy of everything is fine with myself, and it is only others who get affected by health concerns. Too much overconfidence, or ignorance.

Probably a reason why a lot of us are unhealthy and unaware about it, leading to an illness or a never-thought about turn of events…

The Support System

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

The lights were zooming in. There was applause in the hall, as Viraj was called on the stage.

She got up and started walking towards the stage. Some people shook her hand, some shouted her name, and some just smiled. She responded positively to everyone.

As she reached the stares, she hesitated. Not because she was unsure of herself. But because she suddenly remembered those who had made it happen.

It wasn’t just her win. It was a collective effort. By her team which consisted of her husband, son, and mother-in-law. They had all played their part in her success.

She looked back, to where they were seated. There were big smiles on that table!

She climbed up. There was more applause. As she received the award for the best functional leader in her company, she could hear her son shouting for her.

In that instance, her mind went back a couple of years. She had taken a sabbatical from the company she had been working for seven years, to rethink about her future.

She had been a steady performer and had always been happy doing the job entrusted to her. With timely promotions and pay hikes, she couldn’t complain much.

Over the last few months though, she had been feeling unsettled. She wanted to do more but wasn’t sure if she was ready to take up those responsibilities. Battling with this uncertainty, she dragged her feat for a while.

Anshul, her husband, knew her well. He had always supported her and there was no need for her to feel that ways. But as sometimes happens with the best too, self doubt had creeped in. He just advised her to take some time off and think through on her path ahead.

Heeding Anshul’s advice, Viraj decided to go for a three-month sabbatical. This three months, she spent time with herself. She traveled a bit and unwinded.

As her mind relaxed, and she got more time to reflect on things, it became clear that she wanted to lead the function she was in. She had the experience and the understanding of doing so. And she saw herself doing more complex things naturally.

The only hitch – their young son was autistic, needing time and attention. She had been managing with Anshul’s help till now. But if she took up a bigger role, she would have to devote more time at work. How would they be able to manage themselves.

She didn’t have an answer. She pondered over it but still had nothing. As had been their practice, she discussed this with Anshul. He asked for some time to think and pondered over it.

In a few days, he came back with a solution. His mother, who was on her own now after his dad’s demise, could shift with them. She would be at home, to give the attention their son needed. And Anshul would himself take it slower at his workplace over the next year or so to settle things down.

She was apprehensive of the plan, because it would change the setup. But Anshul convinced her that they will make it work. He also had a chat with Kush, their son, and explained to him the situation. He was a very understanding kid, and instantly liked the idea of spending more time with his grandmother.

Settled in her mind, Viraj joined back the company and talked to her boss about what she had in mind. It was as if he was waiting for her to claim the role, and it was agreed to.

Bracing herself for the change, Viraj dived deep into the role and gave it her all. Over the course of the next year and more, she established herself as a natural leader. Her team couldn’t be happier, her peers respected her, and her bosses had confidence in her.

No doubt, when the annual awards happened, she won the best functional leader award!

Beaming with joy, as she climbed down the stage, and headed for her table, her family was waiting to hug her and congratulate her.

After all, it was the support system that made this all possible…

I have a dream!

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Such is the connotation with this statement that it’s almost considered cliched.

And yet, the power and excitement it holds is still something I ponder about every time I hear it.

This week, as I took some time off work and roamed around in the western forests of South India, this line kept coming back to me.

At first, I went back in time to when I was a child. The statement had no relevance for me then, except for the fact that I did have a dream.

To get into the armed forces and to fly fighter jets. As I have mentioned earlier in these blogs, that was not to be. I did join the Indian Army but the dream was shattered and I had to leave early on due to a medical injury.

Thinking back about those days, the only thing I can remember is the fierceness with which I protected my dream. How I went out of my way to practice, train, excel in things that I had not done before. All to live that dream! What lessons I learnt then…

My mind then fast forwarded to my headspace post MBA. Convinced that I was meant to do something more with my life, I dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur.

I left the job I had gotten after college, choosing instead to grind myself in the intricacies of a sector and sphere I had no clue about. It was hard but fun.

Again, the one thing that had me going was my dream of becoming a successful businessman. Building something from the ground up, daring to go where my sane mind won’t have gone.

It didn’t turn out well in the end but living that dream life taught me much. Some of that learning has helped me a lot subsequently.

As these memories kept swirling, taking inspiration from them, my heart asked me a simple question – then why are we not chasing something big now?

My mind raced to answer it. But before it could do so, my heart reconciled – because there’s no dream that is big enough, yet, to give it my all.

Yet. That’s the key word my mind recognised. It heaved a sigh. For it is pursuing a large goal right now. And it knows that it will take all my energy to achieve the goal I am behind right now.

The heart was smiling though. Because it knows that dreams often come when they aren’t expected. But when they come and hold, the force often knocks down walls built over years…