Term objectives - Nov & Dec 2008

Family
- Continue to support Sireesha, Disha & other family members in the times of need =>> On track
- Assess the wily intentions people may have; stay away and be in control =>> On track
Work
- Do well in whatever I am given =>> On track
- Exercise good communication and relationship building skills =>> On track
Health
- Don't fall ill at all =>> On track
- Reduce and maintain weight at 70kg =>> On track
- Eat a balanced diet =>> On track
- Think and weigh for necessity before I spend money =>> On track
Badminton
- Successfully complete the tournment =>> On track
- Get into a good routine (Tue - coaching; Thu - self training; Sun - playing competetive games putting learnt skills into practice) =>> On track
- Learn well and successfully complete the coaching course =>> On track
- Practice a skill well in the self training session and review if I am using it in the games =>> On track
Social
- Keep the the existing relationships healthy; don't overdo them =>> On track
Current affairs
- Focus on Africa and Middle East; establish some patterns (political; economic; diplomatic; social; geographical, etc) =>> Extended to all the countries of the world; on track
- I must be able to paint some harmonious pictures of the countries and sub-regions in this region =>> Extended to all the countries of the world; on track
- I must be able to comprehend the situations in this region very well; including visualisation =>> Extended to all the countries of the world; on track

Significant Achievements - Sep & Oct 2008

1) Sireesha and Disha settled down well into a manageable daily routine. Assisted them in this - daily chores and setting up with all the things required.
2) Maintaining familial relationships at appropriate desired levels; not getting too much attached with it. Still slipping into emotional pit at times. Need to assess the people more carefully for their wile.
3) Health has been satisfactory. Caught cold a couple of times so far. Need to resist this a little more strongly. Good control on weight; well maintained at 72kg. Would be good to bring it down to 70kg in the next two months. Financial health is ok. Made a very bad decision with two things - bought an expensive Nanospeed badminton racket that is not meeting my need. Had been a little hasty in enrolling for Badminton coaching. Broke two rackets!
4) Social relationships are healthy. Sometimes feel emotionally dependent and let down by a few in the circle. Need to maintain that thin line between a good relationship and a demanding one!
5) Work - conduted some interviews; attended teh consulting training that is quite useful; did a good job with the C&W proposal.
6) Badminton is going well. Am slightly better than two months ago but lost the focus a little bit. The routine is also in a bit of a disarray. Made a bad decision with the racket. Probably a little hasty getting into coaching training. Need a better plan that must be well execuetd. Learnt a lot of tactics and lessons though. Able to defeat the club players consistently. Becoming a little arrogant.
7) Maintaining the clothes well. Feeling it to be in control.
8) A picture on how to make productive use of the economist is evolving slowly. More in next term objectives section.

Why don't I complete things

I seem to have a lot of enthusiam when beginning new things but it quickly fizzles out once I settle down or achieve the initial quick wins. I lose focus and fail to achieve excellence or progress myself forward with continuos improvements.

What are the reasons for this?
Lack of visibility or idea of a definite end goal.
Long of a long term plan.
Not documenting the entire plan and reviewing it on a regular basis as I discover new things in my way and as the plan and the end goal needing amendments.
Getting derailed and diverted by some temporary roadblocks.
Mind floating onto new ideas and interests.
Getting lost in the daily routine.
Feeling bored of the goal itself; not enjoying it anymore.

What can I do for this?
At least a couple of things
- When the initial small achievements are accomplished set new challenges to keep myself motivated. This will also lead to continuos improvement and as a result excellence.
- When struck by temporary challenges don't get annoyed and lose focus. Remove the roadblock and refocus. Set fresh goals or refresh the unfinished goals and move on!

Result of getting 99% right and 1% wrong

How does it matter to get 99% right and 1% wrong in any activity I undertake?
It depends on the margin of error for success and failure (these two firstly clearly identified!) It depends on the importance of the activity. It depends on the the excellence I target to achieve.

Keeping these exceptions aside let me assume that it is a fairly important activity whose result is of significance to me. In such situations completing the activity with minimum use fo resources is the target. I may get 99% of it right but may fail in 1%. This 1% may spoil the whole purpose and give me grief. Am I being too severe with myself on this. Probably yes and no!

Attempt to get it 100% right. Why take a chance? When I have decided to do something why not focus and make the best attempt to do it successfully! At the same time do not get mired by the failure and not tax myself with the burden of failure. Mistakes are bound to happen especially when I attempt new things and a number of things. May be avoid attempting new things! Enjoy the set routine before a change is necessary.

Just 10 things!

To understand a subject do I do not need to learn everything in it? Is it not good enough if I understand say just the most important 10 things abt it very well. Applying Pareto principle here 80% of the knowledge can be gained with understanding of 20% of the most important aspects.

So when I embark on any new area of learning list down the 10 things that I would seek to learn and understand.