Contrarian thinking
Following the crowd is our ingrained survival mechanism. Being stuck in slow-moving traffic for six hours over the Xmas weekend made me realize that sometimes it does not serve to be where the crowd is. In life and entrepreneurship, we want to go with the crowd for fear of being left out. However, as we take the contrarian route,
(1)we are open to the journey itself rather than the destination
(2)we are not distracted by what the crowd does
(3)we are explorative with a willingness to learn from our mistakes
“It is a lot better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction” – Richard Feynman
Year-end reflection
As the year ends, it is time for some good reflection. I posed myself a simple question ‘What does it take for a good reflection?’. I found three factors coming into play.
1) reliable memory
2) unbiased narrative
3) Open eyes with a willingness to see things as they are
Even though these seem like good factors, they are not realistic. Our memory is not always reliable. Our narratives are biased and self-serving. Our eyes cannot see our blind spots. The only way to have a good year-end reflection is to use the journal entries as a mirror to see our past selves. if we do not have one so far, we start one entry today in preparation for next year’s reflection.
“I can recapture everything when I write, my thoughts, my ideals, and my fantasies.” Anne Frank
Ending rumination
As the new year starts, I have resolved not to ruminate on what has happened in my life. While it is not easy, I learned from one of my mentors that I could potentially be draining a lot of my energy through rumination. The habit of rumination strengthens the evidence of how we messed up things in the past. One reason could be that my mind wants to ensure I have learned the lesson from the past. Hence, it is better to tell the mind firmly, “my dear friend. I have learned the lesson and I am equipped to deal with the future in a better way.”
“Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard, Philosopher, Father of Existentialism