When I was starting out, I was desperate
Almost everyone is a fool when they are starting out. It is perhaps a necessary foundation stone.
Raw and Real Conversation
I have been writing since 2014.
It was only in late 2018 that I decided I needed to make it a full-time thing.
Okay, that’s half the truth.
The other half is I realised until I made a plunge, life would just go on as it is: unchanged.
I had also recently gotten into a second job, after successfully failing at my attempt to “quit my first job and start my business."
So, I was desperate too.
In that state of needless desperation, I might have made a couple of mistakes.
One of those was to reach out to a prolific writer on LinkedIn, and asking him to “promote/refer” me.
In hindsight, it was a foolish decision.
The way to grow in any career is to start by helping people who need your help, rinse and repeat. (As I write in The Career Changing Guide as well). Or another way is to reach out to people whom you seek to help through your (paid) work.
But hand on heart, DM-ing a stranger to see your work and promote it, or worse, refer you was outrightly desperate.
Why am I telling this to you?
Because last week I received 3 messages from smart and driven individuals trying to make it big in changing their career.
It was very clear from their messages that they were desperate to make that move.
And I don’t blame them. I was one of them at one point of time.
Now that I have been blessed to walk the path from desperation to experience, I think I might have some pieces of suggestions that would help anyone who is trying to change their career:
1. Know what is your end game. (Big reputation, big reputation…okay let’s get back to business.)
For example, my end game is writing books (for myself and for my clients), and make my readers feel a bit better through the truth I am writing.
It eliminates the need to create reels, shorts, or even hop for likes on LinkedIn. I’d much rather grow this newsletter and my blog and write beautiful books, and let every other metric rot.
On the other hand if I were a dancer, my goal would be to go viral on reels and YouTube.
Thus, knowing who you are and want to become helps you let go of desperation of doing things just because everyone else is doing them.
A lot of people also think that they are not clear of what is their endgame. And that’s totally fine. Endgames change. Mine has. Might do so in the future too.
Do you know what you want for yourself for the next 90 days? Start from there.
For example, let’s say you are a dancer who wants to conduct corporate workshops for dancing. While you would want this to be your full-time thing eventually, as of now you want to do that while working in your full-time job, and paying your bills.
If I were in your place, I would not curse my luck for writing 3 LinkedIn posts about “my love for dancing” and not getting viral.
I’d rather reach out to a small company, maybe a startup with 5-6 people, conduct a workshop for them, gather feedback, and then rinse and repeat. Gradually, reach out to bigger companies.
My social media game then would be tailored to my journey as a dancer for corporates, instead of me always being a wannabe.
That journey would share:
Why corporates should have dance workshops
Why are you doing this
Why what you are doing is the need of the hour
And tens of thousands of ideas and lessons that would emerge during the process.
I am always surprised at how much edge the very act of “doing” has.
2. Know that there is more than one way of getting what you want.
You simply have to shut the chattering voices of the social media, devices and chatters around you, and make some time to think how can you get what you want.
The above example of a dancer is exactly that. You are not waiting to get to a certain number of followers to make it big. You start with execution by reaching out to your customers.
Wonderful things happen when we stop thinking of social media as the bread and butter of everything we do.
3. Always focus on giving, not on “making money”.
When you focus on giving and adding value, you will be blessed with money in more ways you can imagine.
When people focus on “making money” they are ignoring the aspect of law of nature, which is law of being a giver. When you become a taker, you can hardly focus on becoming a giver. All your actions now become transactions.
On the other hand, when you become a giver, you are fulfilled.
In spirituality, we are taught “daata ke haath sada bhare rehte hain”. Of course please charge for your services and goods and everything you offer.
But there is a difference of mindset, a difference of vibration we radiate to the world. I’d suggest you operate from the mindset and the vibe of a giver while making money.
The joy (and money and success) you will receive is something that will leave you in awe.
To sum up, here is my suggestion to anyone who is wanting to change their career and are desperate (like I was once):
Know your endgame.
There is more than one way of getting what you want.
Be a giver.
Unusual steps, unusual success.
2 Raw One-Liners:
Your role, no matter what you do and who you are, is to make others feel emotionally safe.
If someone unconsciously makes sure they dominate others, nothing is a bigger failure than this.
Once you have decided to move on, note down the reasons you made the decision. Visit them often. And then, don’t budge, baby.
3 (for) Real gratitudes I have been feeling lately:
The joy of being able to go for a meditation retreat 2-3 times a year. No words would do justice for the environment there.
The joy to be able to read good books and reflect from them. Do you recognise how big of a privilege that is.
The joy of roof over our heads while the world around us is drenched in rain. Isn’t that the biggest miracle of life? Not everyone has that…
On that note, I’ll take off my friend.
Hope you found this useful.
I’ll see you next Saturday. And coming up with a very cool ebook (and a first non-serious, yet reflective one) for you very soon.
Till then, stay raw, stay real, and never stop reading.
Nishtha Gehija
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Instant access ebooks for your reading, and spend some time with yourself:
The Corporate Life Handbook: The book everyone working a corporate job needs :)
The Career Changing Guide: My bestseller so far :)
How to Deal with Heartbreak: Because, life happens :(
Every Writer Needs to Read this: I wish I had this one, when I was starting out as a writer
This is What You are Looking for (Paperback): Small Life Lessons for a Happier Life