Five lessons on how to get the best out of yourself

We all want to achieve our true potential, but to get there one needs dedication and an understanding of how to go about it. Vineet Nayar, founder of Sampark Foundation, broke the process down for everyone with his insightful keynote address at X-Confero: Unshackle Inhibitions. The week-long debate festival was organised by the Xavier’s Management Society (XMS) of St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.

Nayar’s Sampark Foundation imparts education to 7 million children in 76,000 schools in Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. So, when Nayar spoke on ‘the art of getting the best out of yourself’, we were all ears. 

Here are five takeaways from the session:

• Dream big: The first step towards getting the best out of yourself is to aspire to it. If you aspire low in life, you will automatically achieve low. The journey of getting the best out of yourself starts from the decision that you do not want to be average anymore.
• Set definitive goals: Simply talking about success will not get you anywhere. It is crucial to set a goal from the very onset and spend every day working towards achieving it. Be extraordinary every day and you will see that your life is extraordinary.
• Focus on innovation: The core skill which is relevant for tomorrow is your ability to think outside the box because innovation is what the digital age focuses on. Develop your critical problem-solving skills, critical thinking abilities and the ability to work in a team towards a goal. 
• Understand that life is not fair: Life is not always fair. It throws you highs and lows. But harping on the past instead of working towards the future is a grave mistake. The speed at which you pick yourself up and start running the race again is the recipe for your future success.
• Give back to society: Think of our society and give back to society in every way possible. Remember that you will be remembered for how many lives you touch. Understand that there is a limit to the wealth you will create and the growth you will achieve.