Maximise Potential

We all know exercise is very important to our overall health. Every New Year most of us set resolutions to lose weight but research has shown that most people stop exercising within a few weeks. I guess the reasons for exercising are not strong enough for people to sustain the activity.  Just wanting to lose weight may not be the most motivating reason. We need to find better reasons to keep ourselves going. Having a long term vision to live a long, healthy, vibrant life is probably a better reason to get onto an exercise program which will also be sustainable.  In the latest issue of Time magazine I came across an excellent article by Alexandra Sifferlin who has identified new research confirming 6 reasons we should exercise. Here are the 6 reasons why we should keep exercising.   It has Mind-Body Benefits  – This has been known for ages and we are sharper when we do exercise. The specific thing mentioned in this article is that out of 500 respondents who pr...

Here are the 34 quotes that have moved and inspired me.  "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" -- Muhammad Ali “Success in not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -- Winston Churchill "The only way to enjoy anything in this life is to earn it first." -- Ginger Rogers "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." -- Thomas Jefferson “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” -- Isaac Newton "I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets." -- David Herbert Lawrence "Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness." -- George Bernard Shaw "We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." -- Ronald Reagan "Never reach out your hand unless you...

Novak Djokovic has made history by winning the 2016 French open and becoming the first person since Rod Laver to hold four grand slams at the same time. This is an amazing feat. Considering that super stars like Federer, Nadal, Sampras and Agassi have not been able to do that this is beyond comprehension and a testament to the champion in Novak. I remember watching him in the 2007 US Open Final against Federer which he lost and thought this guy has a lot of talent but does he have the heart to survive the onslaught from Federer and Nadal? Well he has proved beyond doubt what it takes to be a champion.  I have expanded his name Novak with the champion qualities he displays. Here they are N – Never Say Die Spirit –Not since Jimmy Connors have we seen a fighter like Novak. His amazing victory over Federer in a US Open Semifinal where he came back from match point down to win was nothing short of sensational. In fact Federer said after the match that he would never have hit th...

Personal Development is the great springboard to further your career and life. As Jim Rohn the great business philosopher said “Work harder on yourself than on your job.” He also said Success is something you attract by the person you become. These are wise words indeed. Here are some simple steps on the path to personal development which have helped me. Get up early -  I have read everywhere that the most successful people are people who get up early. They use the extra time they get to plan for the day, exercise, read and meditate. Of course not everything is possible but I think getting up early offers options to do something for yourself. This is also the common thread among all masters like Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway and many others. Of course this also depends on the work you do. Some artists are more creative in the night. Eat ultra-healthy  - This is not easy to adopt but with practice it is possible. The first thing is don’t skip breakfast; eat lot...

Muhammad Ali is arguably one of the greatest sporting champions of all time.  Of course his most famous fight was The Rumble in the Jungle which was a boxing event in 1974 in Zaire. It pitted him against the undefeated world heavy weight champion George Foreman. The attendance was about 60,000. Ali won by knockout, putting Foreman down just before the end of the eighth round. It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century.” The most important lesson from this victory is that Muhammad Ali was the better prepared fighter and won by surprising his opponent. He was famous for his speed and Foreman was known for his raw power. He however defied convention and Ali went against his usual style and engaged with Foreman using punches. However the key was Ali allowed Foreman to keep throwing punches by leaning on the ropes and eventually wearing Foreman out. This was called "rope-a-dope" tactic. It proved to be super effectiv...

The Industries of the future is an important book as it talks about where our future generations can spend their time to make a living. I know there is a lot of talk about Robots taking over our jobs and a lot of books are coming out explaining this phenomenon. Obviously the key is to understand what humans can do better than machines. One of the important books in this genre is “Humans are Underrated” by Geoff Colvin. You can read the summary I wrote here.  Humans are Underrated Review . The author Alec Ross is one of the leading experts on innovation. He served 4 years under Hillary Clinton so he has firsthand knowledge on what is happening around the world. In the introduction he says that the last wave of innovation and globalization produced winners and losers. The losers were people who lived in high cost labor markets like the US and Europe whose skills were not able to keep up with the pace of change. The first chapter is titled “Here Come the Robots.”  25% of J...