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TEN Strategies
to be SUCCESSFUL in LIFE & BUSINESS
By Dineshrie Pillay
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted for resale or use by any party other than the individual purchaser who is the sole authorized user of this information. Purchaser is authorized to use any of the information in this publication for his or her own use only. All other reproduction or transmission, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage or retrieval system, is prohibited without express written permission from the author. LEGAL NOTICES While all attempts have been made to provide effective, verifiable information in this Book, the Author assumes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any similarity to people or organizations is unintentional. If advice concerning business matters is needed, the services of a qualified professional should be sought. This Book is not a source of business information, and it should not be regarded as such. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. If expert business assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. As with any business advice, the reader is strongly encouraged to seek professional business counsel before taking action.
Copyright©2012 by Dineshrie Pillay
Table of Contents
1. Purpose.............................................................................................................. 4
2. The Power of Negative Thinking ......................................................................... 8
3. Attitude............................................................................................................ 11
4. Action .............................................................................................................. 14
5. Association....................................................................................................... 17
6. Standards ......................................................................................................... 20
7. Failure.............................................................................................................. 23
8. Persistence....................................................................................................... 26
9. Quality Questions............................................................................................. 29
10. Comfort Zones................................................................................................ 32
Resources that you may want to explore: ............................................................ 35
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 4
1. Purpose
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you
have to do.”
Epictetus
Before you can achieve any kind of success in life, you need to start
with a purpose. At this stage, I would like to distinguish between a
life purpose and a goal.
Definition:
o A goal is an attainable short term, time-bound, outcome based,
and measurable activity.
o A life purpose is an overarching calling that drives you to do
something. It is something that you carry for your life.
So for example, Simon might have a goal this year to complete his
studies towards a business qualification. This is a goal, for once he
has achieved this, Simon will move on to a new goal - like gaining
more work experience using his newly acquired qualification.
Concurrently, Simon’s life purpose might be to become a
consultant, trainer, and speaker inspiring people on how to become
entrepreneurs themselves. He will use all the life experiences that
he has gained, among other things being, the studies towards his
business qualification, in his work when he consults with individuals
and groups.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 5
Personal Digression:
I myself struggled with the concept of defining my ‘life purpose.’ What if I
get it wrong? What if I change my mind along the way? How can I be
certain that I have defined it correctly?
In the course of trying to define my life purpose, I came across this
simple exercise – it is called the $20 million test, and comprises two
separate questions – do these independently.
The $20mil test
Part 1:
If I told you today, that I am giving you a cheque for $20mil, with one
condition, that I will invest $10mil of that money on your behalf into
property that will earn you a minimum return of 10% rental income of
$1m per annum that will increase with inflation each year. What will you
do with the remainder of the money?
On a page write down how you would spend that money.
Part 2:
Now assume that 10 years has lapsed since you first received the $10m,
and you have traveled the world, purchased the car and house of your
dreams, bought whatever you desired, what else would you do for the
rest of your life, knowing that you have a steady income flowing from
rentals?
I like this exercise as it shows that when money and the attainment of
personal wealth, and material desires have been achieved, most people
have a greater dream of making a difference of some kind to the people
around them, or to society at large – This in essence is your life purpose!
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 6
Once you have gained some insights on what your life purpose is –
you can take the next step and write down a ‘Life Purpose
Statement.’
Life Purpose Statement
This is a summary of what you would love to be, do, and have.
As an illustration, your purpose statement could be something like:
“I, [name withheld] hereby declare before others and myself that
the purpose of my life is to be an expert on the subject of
entrepreneurship.
I will do this by learning from the greatest entrepreneurial minds
that have graced this earth. I will study their work and read their
biographies. I will focus all my energy on understanding the factors
and traits of becoming a successful entrepreneur and I will share
my knowledge with others in the form of my books, CD’s, on-line
videos, trade-shows, and conferences.
In this way I may have social prestige and financial abundance
whilst making hundreds of people feel good every day, leaving a
legacy for others to follow and working with people whom I admire
as entrepreneurs.”
Once you have written your purpose statement, constantly review
and refine it. Then link everything that you do to your purpose –
you will become more inspired to do the work!
Expert insights
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 7
1. What are your short-term goals for the next 12 months?
2. What is your ‘higher calling’?
3. Have you defined what your life purpose is?
4. Have you written down your life purpose statement?
5. Do you constantly review and refine your life purpose
statement?
6. Personal plans: do you know what you will be doing over the
next day, week, month or year?
7. Have you linked everything that you do to your purpose?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 8
2. The Power of Negative Thinking
“The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.”
Thane Yost
You probably would have read and heard a lot about the power of
‘Positive Thinking,’ but do not negate the power of ‘Negative
Thinking,’ as well.
Once you have documented your ‘life purpose,’ and detailed plans,
before you take action, you need to consider what can go wrong
with the implementation of these plans – this is essentially what
negative thinking is about.
By thinking about what the worst outcome could be, and working
backwards, you will be able to come up with possible ways to
mitigate failure. Remember that this step is not about avoiding
failure - because you are most likely still going to encounter failure
of some sort - this is about how to be most prepared in the event
that an undesirable event occurs.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 9
Personal Digression:
In my own planning, I first write down the key factors and
milestones that are crucial for a successful outcome. Then by using
a series of simple “What If” questions I am able to think and plan
for potential problems:
1. What if the budget is underestimated?
2. What if the allocated resources to this project are incomplete?
3. What if the timeframes are too optimistic?
4. What if the people assigned to this project are misaligned?
5. What if there are delays?
The above questions are meant to illustrate the process. The actual
questions that you use will naturally be dependent on the outcome
that you wish to achieve.
However, the principle remains the same – your objective is to
employ the power of negative thinking by asking “What if”
questions. By doing so, you will gain insights on possible risks
highlighting what could go wrong with the plan. Once you identify
these risks, your next step is to have at least one back-up plan in
place for each critical stage identified, to ensure success of your
desired outcome.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 10
Expert insights
1. Do you have a detailed plan in place?
2. Have you thought about the worst possible outcome and
worked backwards to try to avert it?
3. Did you employ the power of ‘negative thinking’ to identify
potential risks?
4. Do you have at least one back-up plan in place to mitigate
these risks?
5. Do you have the resources in place to employ this back-up
plan if required to do so?
6. Have you tested your back up plan/(s)?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 11
3. Attitude
“Think highly of yourself because the world takes you at your own
estimates.”
Unknown
It is commonly known that it takes about 7 seconds for a person to
make a first impression of you. People take their cues from your
attitude as to how they should think about you.
In truth, your attitude is visible to everyone. Develop an attitude
that projects to others that you are worth a lot – this is how others
will value you.
There is a phrase that says, ‘Dress as seriously as you wish to be
taken.’ Dressing for the job that you want and not for the job you
have now, is part of having a winning attitude.
Attitude is also about having self-confidence in your abilities and
self-worth. Part of building self-confidence is to ensure that you do
your homework, and are well prepared for any type of question or
obstacle.
Attitude comes from believing in your own abilities. Whilst there
may be naysayers around you that may be putting down your plans
– ultimately you need to believe in your own ability. Never let the
voices on the outside become louder than your voice on the inside –
this is part of having a winning attitude!
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 12
Personal Digression:
I have summarised below a checklist for you to ensure that you
always have that ‘winning’ attitude:
1. Take pride in your look. Your clothing, shoes and hairstyle are
on display and need to be in line with the image you wish to
project;
2. Take time to regularly groom yourself. Untidy hair; overgrown
facial hair; pet-hair on clothing, does not project a winning
attitude;
3. Walk straight and briskly. Keep your head up and make eye-
contact with people that you talk to;
4. Invest in a least one good quality suit; pen; handbag; travel-
bag and briefcase. In meetings clients will make an
assessment of you based on the items that you surround
yourself with;
5. Think twice about the hotels that you stay in as these too
project an image about you;
6. Believe in your abilities and become a friend to failure – this is
how you will build character and strength – traits of having a
successful attitude;
7. Practice your techniques; research in advance and become an
expert in your chosen field as this builds your self-confidence
that will give you the winning attitude.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 13
Expert insights
1. Do you have a winning attitude?
2. Are you taking the time to invest in your wardrobe and
personal grooming?
3. Do you walk briskly and make eye contact with people?
4. Do you have a high self-worth?
5. Are you an expert in your field of work? Do you take the time
to research in advance?
6. Do you believe in your own ability and self-worth?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 14
4. Action
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher
There is a natural sequence of events to any experience:
1. First: You think about what you would like to do;
2. Second: You start talking about what you would like to do;
3. Third: You take ACTION and do what you have stated you
would!
As beings, we move towards our most dominating thought, so it is
important that we monitor our thoughts as these thoughts
eventually lead to our actions.
Once you have set your goals, and have clear action plans - look
out for opportunities to act on them. If an opportunity presents
itself, do not hesitate or wait for the ‘perfect’ opportunity. There is
no such thing as a ‘perfect’ opportunity – it is up to you to take
action and make the best out of the opportunity that has presented
itself. You will gain more knowledge and experience from starting
right away than you would learn by doing nothing.
If you do hesitate to take up the opportunity, it might be because
you fear failure and it is this fear that causes you to procrastinate.
It is important for you to break this fear as quickly as you can, else
you might be making empty promises.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 15
Personal Digression:
My personal ‘action steps’ can often involve any of the following
activities:
1. Find someone who has already achieved what you want to do.
Take them out for lunch. Ask them for little tips and tricks of
the trade.
2. Read biographies of great leaders. Make your own notes and
regularly read these. Doing so is like sticking your hand in a
jam jar – eventually some of that ‘greatness’ sticks to you!
3. Research the internet on the work that you would like to get
involved with – there is a wealth of free resources that could
give you a head start!
4. Invest in your education – take extra classes, purchase DVD’s
and CD’s to listen to. Search the newspapers and online
associations – some of them offer free courses that could give
you additional insights!
5. Develop your service and or product and offer it to people at a
discounted price or for free – ask for feedback on how to
improve.
Part of taking action is to build momentum. In order to build
momentum, you need to focus on achieving a goal with passion
and intensity. Start with a simple action plan and constantly keep
busy. Surround yourself with a mentor or someone who can play
the role of an, ‘accountability coach’ – this is a person that you
regularly report your progress to.
Constantly challenge yourself to achieve more. Be your own worst
critique and push yourself to deliver greater standards of work.
Once you have built momentum, never stop growing. The moment
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 16
you stand still is the moment when you will lose momentum and
your goals take longer to achieve.
Expert insights
1. What is your dominating thought? Is it in line with your
biggest goal that you wish to achieve?
2. Do you take advantage of opportunities that are presented to
you?
3. Do you take action and use the people and resources around
you to get started on your goal?
4. Do you invest in further education in pursuit of your goal?
5. Are you building momentum? Do you keep busy in the pursuit
of your goals?
6. Do you critique and challenge yourself to achieve greater
standards?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 17
5. Association
“Associating with like-minded, success-orientated, joyful individuals
– or dream teaming - is the most amazing success tool that exists.”
Mark Victor Hansen
In taking action, I did mention that you should consider surrounding
yourself with ‘accountability coaches’; ‘mentors’; and/or read
biographies of great leaders. This is essentially what association is
about!
In reality, you can only do so much by yourself. I agree that you
can achieve your goals, in your own time. But if you surround
yourself with like-minded individuals who have already achieved
what you would like to achieve, then you can shorten your own
learning curve and reach your dreams quicker.
If you want to achieve really big things in life, then you will need
other people to help you to accomplish these. You need to hire the
best people; outsource work that you do not have the capacity or
expertise in; delegate work to others, and have partnerships and
affiliates with people and companies that complement your work.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 18
Personal Digression:
Below are my top tips to associate yourself with greatness:
1. Find a club, society or association that you can join whose
members already have achieved what you are setting out to
achieve.
2. Choose your friends carefully. Over the years, it will be okay
for you to ‘lose’ some friends along the way. As you grow as a
person, most of your friends will not grow in the same
direction that you are growing in – most likely, these are the
friends that you will no longer keep in touch with.
3. Surround yourself with people that have achieved what you
are setting out to achieve as well as with people that have
failed. Talk to them. Ask them questions. Learn from both
groups and refine your plans and back-up strategies.
4. Start a collection of inspiring music, quotations, and readings.
Every day – spend some time to listen and read these
inspiring messages.
5. Write a list of people that inspire you. Try to set up a meeting
with them – take them out for lunch or coffee and ask them
to share with you their secrets of success. If this is not
possible, read their biographies or find out more about them
using the power of the internet!
6. Fill your mind with inspirational teachings. Read books; collect
newspaper articles; subscribe to free on-line newsletters.
There is a wealth of information around you!
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 19
Expert insights
1. Are you surrounding yourself with like-minded people?
2. Are you regularly reviewing your friends and ‘shedding’ some
along the way?
3. Do you belong to a club, group or society where you can meet
and associate with like-minded individuals?
4. Do you have your own collection of inspiring readings,
quotations and/or music that you read or listen to daily?
5. Do you have a mentor or ‘accountability coach’ that is guiding
you towards the achievement of your goals?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 20
6. Standards
“The important thing is not to stop questioning”
Albert Einstein
Our schooling system has done an excellent job in teaching us to
compare ourselves against the next best student. There are
prizes issued out for, “The top student of the year,” or awarding the
student with the highest mark in each subject. On leaving school,
we become used to measuring our success in life against the
person next to us. This is a flawed system!
Truly enlightened people never seek to be like other people. They
seek to be superior to their former selves. So, on leaving school –
the standards against which you measure success should not be
based on someone else’s standard, but on your own!
Do not try to compete against other people. Compete against
yourself.
Regularly review your standards and then raise them! Every day,
every week, every month, and every year, strive to increase the
quality and standard of your work – or else – you will remain at
your level and slow down your growth process, thereby losing
momentum as well as denying yourself inspiration and fulfillment at
a higher level.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 21
Personal Digression:
Below are some questions that I would suggest you regularly ask
yourself to assist you to raise your personal standards:
• Why am I living like this?
• Why am I working in this job?
• Why am I working and living in this city?
• Where in my life right now am I restricting myself? What can I
do differently?
• Where do I need changes? What change can I implement
now?
• Why am I always broke? What can I do to start saving?
• Am I contributing to my society? If not, why not?
• What can I do differently to look after my health?
• Why am I not looking after my image? What can I do
differently?
• Why am I not exercising and keeping fit?
• Why am I not finding the time to study further?
• Why I am stuck in my own routines?
• What can I change right now to increase my standards?
• How can I spend more time with my family?
• What can I do differently to have more life balance?
• What trait or habit can I adopt, if practiced every day would
change my life?
In summary, you need to push yourself to deliver the very best in
everything that you do, because it has your name on it. Strive to
increase your standards in all 7 areas of life: career; education;
family & personal relationships; spirituality; health & fitness; society
and wealth.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 22
Expert insights
1. Are you comparing yourself against your personal standards?
2. Are you regularly reviewing your standards in the 7 areas or
life and increasing it?
3. Are you pushing yourself every day, week, month, and year
to deliver a higher standard than you did before?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 23
7. Failure
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising up every time
we fail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Failure is part of life’s journey. In order to achieve success, we need
to face failures.
Here are some universal truths about failures:
1. If you are not experiencing failure on some level in your life,
you are probably not trying! It is better to try and fail than to
do nothing at all.
2. There is no such thing as a failed project – rather look at it as
a project with unexpected results – learn from the
experience!
3. Do not give up regardless of how many failures you
experience! Remember that Edison did not fail – the light
bulb just did not light up 10 000 times!
Advice on dealing with failures:
1. Never declare to yourself and to the world that you are
beaten! Stay in the game! You never know when the next
chance or great opportunity may present itself to you!
2. If something unexpected happens and takes you by surprise,
keep your cool. Say to yourself: ‘I should have known.’ Be
flexible to adjust.
3. With all failures, conduct investigations to understand what
went wrong and how to prevent it in future.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 24
Personal Digression:
Some of my most memorable life lessons have resulted from my
failures.
In failing I have learnt:
1. That there is no shame in asking for help – humility has
extended my network of support.
2. With all my failures I have been blessed to meet and work
with diverse people that offered me advice, supported me
through my challenges and guided me to success.
3. Just as I have failed, someone else has failed at the same
thing too and found a solution – I can learn from them.
4. We are all human and capable of achieving anything that we
set our minds to. A strong self-belief is an important element
to overcoming failure.
5. In order to grow, we need a balance of support and challenge.
This means that there will be people who will support us in
times of our failures and be sympathetic to our situation; and
there will equally be people who will challenge us to achieve –
we need both types of people around us to move forward in
life.
In order to conquer big aspirations in your life, you need to
overcome any self-doubt that you may have. If you are uncertain
how things are going to turn out, you are not alone. None of really
know – this should not stop us from trying! So go ahead and make
all the mistakes along your journey to success!
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 25
Expert insights
1. Make a list of all your ‘failures’ within a journal. Below each
item, write down at least 5 benefits or life lessons that you
have learnt from these failures.
2. Do you have any self-doubt about where you are in your life
right now or with any goal that you are pursuing?
3. Do you share your ‘failures’ with people around you? Doing so
shows a level of acceptance and greater level of appreciation
for the experience. By opening up to others – people often
share their personal experiences and advice with you.
4. Do you take the time to analyse your failures, speak to people
and learn how to improve at your next attempt?
5. Do you surround yourself with a balance of people that both
support and challenge you during times of failures?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 26
8. Persistence
“Brick walls are there for a reason. It is not there to keep us out.
They are there to remind us how badly we want something.”
Randy Pausch
If you want to be successful in business and in life – you cannot
give up!
It is a fact that the majority of the most successful business leaders
in the world had experienced their greatest success just one step
beyond the point at which defeat had almost overtaken them.
In order to persevere with your goals, it also means that you need
to build discipline.
It is discipline that gets you up at 5am in the morning to go to the
gym. It is discipline that gets you to constantly keep up to date with
your research and knowledge. And it is discipline that gets you to
investigate past failures, learn from them and try new things in the
pursuit of achieving your big goals.
Discipline is needed in order to persevere!
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 27
Personal Digression:
Looking back on my high school and varsity years, I had always been a diligent
and hard-working student. I passed my courses with high marks without much
difficulty.
My biggest and most memorable failure came when I was attempting my
accounting board examination for the first time. I failed – twice! Enter: my lesson
in persistence and discipline.
When I studied for my 3rd attempt I fondly recall: waking up at 3am in the
morning to study before going to work; getting back from work and revising in
the evenings; sacrificing outings with my family and friends; studying over long
weekends and holiday seasons; attending extra tuition; and seeking help from
other tutors.
I passed on my 3rd attempt.
When I applied for a role within a corporate company, the recruitment agent
incorrectly noted on my portfolio to the client, that I had passed my board
examination on my 2nd attempt.
During the interview with the manager at the company, I started off by correcting
the mistake and admitting that I passed this examination on my 3rd attempt. I
was not sure how that piece of information might impact the interview, but it was
important to me that I correct the error.
To my surprise and delight, the response that I received was, “Thank you for
letting us know and well done on your achievement. That shows that you have
tremendous resilience and persistence to pass the examination on your 3rd
attempt – that is just the type of people we are looking for!”
I was hired for the position!
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 28
Expert Insights:
1. Do you persevere with your goals in spite of any obstacles
and difficulties that you may experience along the way?
2. Are you are resilient person? Do you bounce back quickly
from any challenge and come out stronger for the experience?
3. Are you disciplined?
4. Do you have a set of tasks that you perform on a daily basis
in the pursuit of your success?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 29
9. Quality Questions
“Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better
questions and as a result, they get better answers.”
Anthony Robbins
Do you remember the formula earlier for creating an experience?
Here is a recap: first step involves your thought. What you think
about, you speak about, and what you speak about, you take action
on, and this is what you end up experiencing.
Asking quality questions is a process of rephrasing what you want
to achieve, in a way that seeks to open your mind to new
possibilities. It is said that as human beings we only utilize about
10% of our brains total capacity – imagine if we can unleash the
remaining 90% of capacity just by asking quality questions.
Professional coaches have been using the technique of quality
questions with their clients for years. The entire methodology of
coaching is to pose a series of questions to the client in a way
that the client comes up with the solution, rather than the coach
telling them what to do.
In order to utilize this technique, you also need to understand the
power of open versus closed questions.
Closed questions usually have a one or two word answer.
• Example: Question: Did you lock the door? Answer: Yes I did!
Open questions leaves more room for the person answering the
question to explore options and alternatives, thereby using more of
their brain capacity!
• Example: Question: What are the implications of leaving the
door open?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 30
Personal Digression:
I have personally experienced the power of asking to myself and other people,
open-ended, quality questions. Once you get used to rephrasing your thoughts and
words into quality questions, the outcomes are:
1. Enhanced thinking process – you expand your mind to new options and
alternatives that you would not have thought about!
2. Increased creativity and innovation – lateral thinking invites creative
solutions to your problems!
3. Leadership skills – you learn to pose quality questions to people who
usually approach you for solutions. Using this process, people around you are
empowered to come up with their own action steps that they are more
inspired to implement.
Below are some examples of how to rephrase familiar questions into quality
questions:
Example 1: Old: I cannot afford a holiday to Singapore!
New: How can I go for a holiday to Singapore and get paid for doing it?
Example 2: Old: I have a few ingredients to cook – I need to go out and get some
groceries!
New: How can I use the existing ingredients that I have to create a new dish?
Example 3: Old: I do not have time to wash my car – I have so much of work to
do!
New: How can I get my car washed and still be productive at the same time?
With the above examples, I am sure that the principle of using
quality questions is now clear to you. If not, here is a popular quote
from Sir Richard Branson who said, “You look at things and say
why? I look at things and say, why not?” Let us not forget how
many innovative and creative ventures that Richard Branson has
been involved with. Such is the power of asking quality questions!
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 31
Expert Insights
1. Do you take the time to rephrase your questions to yourself
and others into quality questions?
2. Do you ask yourself quality questions every day?
3. Do you take your list of goals and ask quality questions on
how to pursue or implement them?
4. Do you have a standard list of prepared, quality questions
that you pose to your mentors and people within your
association?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 32
10. Comfort Zones
“Be not afraid of growing slowly, only of standing still.”
Anon
When you are focusing on your career or your business, it is easy to
get into a rut and not allow yourself to try new things. After some
time passes, life takes over, and you get so used to routine that you
become scared to try new things.
Do not let this happen to you! Be aware of when this occurs and be
willing to step outside of your comfort zone and do things that you
have never done before. This will provide you with a new
perspective on your life.
Be aware of The Peter Principle: as you master one level of
responsibility, you become promoted to another. Eventually through
promotions, you reach a level of incompetence or a level that is
beyond your ability. At that level, you can temporarily, or even
permanently plateau because you won’t allow yourself to rise
beyond your own level of internal order. Going beyond that plateau
requires you to increase your internal order: to push yourself
beyond your existing comfort levels; master new skills, and levels
of leadership.
In essence, you have to constantly challenge yourself to
achieve greater and greater accomplishments. To do this, you
have to leave your existing comfort zone.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 33
Personal Digression:
Another way of visualizing your ‘level of comfort,’ is to plot your progress for a
particular goal on an “S-Curve.”
An “S-Curve” plots the relationship of one variable against another. So as an
example, you could have ‘Time’ on the x-axis and ‘Stage of Completion’ on the y-
axis.
As long as you are on the steeper part of the ‘S-Curve’ it implies that you are
learning and growing. At this stage you are trying out new things and gaining from
the process. As long as you on the steep climb, you are being challenged; you still
have not mastered what you are doing.
The moment you start moving to the top of the ‘S-Curve’, this implies that you are
coming to the end of the cycle of learning. If you do not challenge yourself further
at this stage, by starting a new ‘S-Curve,’ you will start ‘falling down’ the curve and
get caught in the comfort zone that you have now set up for yourself. As long as
you are green, you are growing. The moment you are ripe, you start rotting.
‘Rotting’ starts at the top of an ‘S-curve.’
‘S-Curves’ are a good visual reminder as to where you are on your level of
‘comfort.’ This allows you to plan ahead to achieve bigger goals so that you can
remain green and growing.
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 34
In summary, challenge yourself! Be an explorer and try new things.
An explorer believes that there are new worlds, options, products,
services, and ideas waiting to be discovered.
Look for something that stimulates you to stretch yourself beyond
your normal limits. Then you must work on improving your skills
every day and never quit! Only a few people keep on improving
their skills for years and decades. These are the people that we call
great!
Expert Insights
1. Are you currently caught up in your own ‘comfort zone’? What
are you doing about it?
2. Are you constantly trying to challenge yourself to understand
something?
3. Are you continuously learning and developing your skills?
4. Do you consider yourself to be an explorer – always
questioning and trying to figure things out?
5. What are you currently working on that is stretching your
abilities to its capacity?
www.dineshriepillay.com ©Dineshrie Pillay 2012 35
Resources that you may want to explore:
Video: Image Make Over Tips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im1IJL3U7u8
Video: Public Speaking Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYVl7P3W1Yw
Career Management & Employability Blog: http://dineshriepillay.blogspot.com/
Dineshrie Pillay website: http://www.dineshriepillay.com
Workplace Readiness Programmes: http://www.neospectives.com