Be a Bolt

A few days back I was having an interesting discussion with my team and so thought of formalizing my viewpoint and share it with the world. Living a life of working more than 14 hrs a day, weakens the mind in many ways, for example, it starts to feel lazy,  or gives up in the middle too easy, it gets restless or feels frustrated and angry etc. So it's highly important to remind ourselves about, what's the actual goal is and then consciously put efforts in clarifying every minor doubt we have. Now, there are few apparent differences between working in a startup vs working in a corporate. And in this blog, I will choose to throw some light on not so obvious ones. So kindly pay more attention than usual, cause, well, it's not so obvious.

Being a part of the startup is exciting, teaches you plenty. Every day is new and you get to solve a variety of problems. This is obvious. But on the other hand, it also tests every last cell in you. It causes pain and stress, twice the amount you can bear. It’s a marathon of 1000 sprints. It's like pushing a heavy rock against a steep mountain. It's like giving a birth with low painkillers. It's a chase, a race not for the ego or the money or the fame but instead to self-evaluate if you can be the last man standing. This, requires an unending stream of discipline, hard work, patience and above all motivation. And, this my friends is not so obvious.

Motivation, as I mentioned, plays a big part in the startup. Not only founders but also every other member involved needs a constant injection of motivation and so I chose "Bolt" to look up to. I remind myself to "Be a Bolt". It forces my mind to ask instead of “Is it easy?” , “Is it worth it?” and this simple change of words does it all. It empowers me to continue. It boosts back the energy and willpower to give in all I have. I get back to race and start running with "Bolt" next to me. Now please don't underestimate the importance of taking breaks and resting. I am not against it. But there is a thin line between resting and being lazy. So just requesting you to be conscious and be aware of it when you are resting.

I have worked in corporate jobs for a few years and so I can compare it with my startup experience. The challenge, the responsibilities, the long working hours, the stress, the hard work, the exhaustion is definitely not easy but its always worth it. The worthiness, of working in a startup, is not coming from the money you make, fame, satisfaction of one's ego or getting a reward of any kind. These are too obvious and blurs the mind in seeing the reality. The worthiness actually comes from something that's deeply ingrained within the human spirit. It's in discipline, patience, tenacity to chase and making ones dream come true. In racing against all odds and reaching the final line. To quote bolt "there are better starters than me, but I’m a strong finisher." The worthiness comes from finishing strong.

To start anything comes in easy, to finish strong doesn't. Most people do start, but only a few make it. Finishing strong takes 10000 hours of efforts. It's not for a faint heart. It's not for a lazy mind. It's not for someone looking for a fair share. It's not for an impatient mind. Why? because it's not a trade, it's an investment of time and efforts, that too a long-term investment, whose terms itself are uncertain, malleable, unrigid. Running in such a race takes a lot of failing and falling, and every time you do, you need to come back even stronger.

In life, when you get a chance, choose to work in such places, which causes immense discomfort. This will break you out of your comfort zone, your bubble and rather grow you. Growing always is painful. When growing you are leaving your existing attachments and to do this consciously is not at all easy. But again do not let your mind ask "Is it easy" and if and when it does force it to rather ask "Is it worth it?" Look up to someone and every day work on pulling yourself out from a ditch, one step at a time. Be aware of the ditch you are in, don't get angry over it. This ditch is your comfort zone. It will soothe and calm your mind but will never let you grow. Please be very aware of this.

To conclude, if you seriously wish to GROW, and I repeat seriously, I will highly encourage everyone to be a part of a startup, especially if you are young and in IT. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Be a part of the team which is hungry and trying to chase something meaningful to you. And surely, have some source of motivation that you can latch on, cause you will need plenty of it along the way. And if have no one, well you can always share mine which is, "Be a Bolt."