About Me Advice Change

Looking Forward to 2009

December 31, 2008 0 Comment Usman Sheikh read

“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” John M. Richardson, Jr.

As I look back at 2008 it seems a bit of a blur. Everything moved so fast I can’t believe the year has already come to an end. I can clearly remember setting up this blog exactly a year ago and posting my first entry in the early hours of 2008. A lot has happened in these last 365 days. I am really happy that I was able to keep my resolution of blogging everyday and to tell you the truth, I am quite relieved that the pressure has finally been lifted today. However, what I have gained is hopefully a lifelong habit of documenting my thoughts in writing and also sharing them with the rest of you. The act of writing down your thoughts on a regular basis has been therapeutic and a great learning exercise. A lot of things have become much clearer and more importantly my thoughts seem to be much more structured.

Looking at 2009 I have not really had the chance to sit down and think about the resolutions I want to make for 2009. My life has been a bit of a tizzy these last couple of weeks with a lot of traveling and more recently being down with a nasty bacterial infection. However, I plan to use the next couple of days to reflect and think about what I want to achieve this year. There are many new ventures I have planned for the coming year which I will be sharing with all of you in greater detail in the coming weeks. There is an e-book I want to publish this year. Lastly I want to really improve this blog in 2009 and actually convert it into a profitable one with strong growth prospects. What I need to do with the goals listed above is to convert them into SMART goals. Ones which I will be able to measure and be specific about in order to reach them.

Unlike last year I do not plan on making any one major commitment without giving it adequate thought and research. This year my resolutions are going to be well thought out and be formed on the basis of some larger goals I want to achieve in the next couple of years. Keeping the bigger picture in mind when developing your goals is essential. We need to take these small steps in order to finally reach our destination. Expecting to make huge leaps is possible, but that is associated with enormous levels of risk. One of the things that this year of blogging has taught me is that slow and steady wins the race. We need to begin our journey somewhere to be able to make a impact. I will keep all of you updated on resolutions in the next couple of days. I want to thank all my daily readers for their continued readership. I look forward to serving all of you in 2009 and if there is anything I can do to help improve your experience on my blog please let me know. Happy New Year to everyone. I wish all of you the very best of luck and success.

About Me Inspiration

Personal Legends

April 10, 2008 1 Comment Usman Sheikh read

“It is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is.” Paulo Coelho ‘The Alchemist’

As a child I knew I wanted to go into business. Maybe it was my father’s influence , my interest in related subjects at school came naturally. It is one of those mysteries of life which are hard to explain but deep down inside, you just know this is the way to go. However at twelve years of age, no dream is large enough and no hurdle too high. Then, between the ages of thirteen to nineteen, different things happened which changed my life.. I learned the hard way for one so young that business was not always a bed of roses, that people lose a lot of money while in it . On the other hand, I also saw that investment bankers have a glamorous lifestyle through which they get to be involved in business, whilst not having to assume any risk.

Social media also played a part, and by the time I was in high school the concept of being a businessman got buried under all of these influences. So much so, that I changed my mind and was now getting ready to become an investment banker and live the good life. I got into business school and everything was going as planned till…..my first internship at an Investment Bank. I quit three days into the job. There was just something wrong for me with this environment . There was an obvious disconnect, we were on different wave lengths. I took this as a sign and went back to the original plan. Switched from business school to study Economics and decided to get to know more about the ‘real’ world .

I made a lot of friends who shared a similar passion and soon each one of us was helping the other get to fulfilling our dreams. Along the way we faced many challenges which tested us, it is not easy to say no to high paying jobs straight out of college and working for minimum wages building something from scratch. The few of us who remained true to our dreams are still fighting through daily challenges to get to where we want to be. In the book the Alchemist tells a boy a story about how, leaving the path of your Personal Legend will soon arrest all the signs for this on this new path, life will consume and cover you with all its activities and soon you will find yourself doing something very different from what you had originally planned on doing. Instead, trust your instincts, and do not be afraid of pursuing what you really want in life. I know it is easier said than done but my experience has been more than worth it.

About Me Advice

Crossing the Rubicon

March 24, 2008 1 Comment Usman Sheikh read

The Rubicon, is a river in northern Italy which Julius Caeser crossed in 49BC from which point it was not possible to go back. Crossing the Rubicon hence refers to passing through that point from where return is no longer possible. This may be due to a host of factors, such as, it being physically impossible to turn back, too expensive to go back or that the path is too dangerous. Working with startup companies I find it a most exciting part of the journey when that point of no return is crossed . However, please make sure that before crossing your Rubicon you are doing so for the right reasons.

When I setup this blog on the 1st of January 08 I crossed a point of no return. I let all my readers know that I was going to spend the next year updating this blog on a daily basis with advice and insights on entrepreneurship and life. I did so because I felt that I had a little experience which could help others who are in the process of setting up a company or working at a startup for the first time. From that day onward I had a responsibility to everyone who was reading this blog to make sure that at the end of every week I gave some advice which could be potentially helpful. It doesn’t make a difference if I have one reader or a million, my responsibility remains the same. Eleven weeks later writing my blog has become one of the most fulfilling part of my week.

If you are on the verge of starting your own business, deciding on a certain career path or even getting married, the one thing which you keep in mind before making these big decisions is “do it for the right reasons”. You shouldn’t let anyone force you into such decisions Look at them from all perspectives, align them with your value and belief systems and when you make up your mind ,cross your Rubicon without a whisper of a doubt.

About Me

Why I started this blog

December 31, 2007 2 Comments Usman Sheikh read

For as long as I can remember I have always been fascinated with the world of business. I started reading up on companies when I was around 13 and bought my first stock when I was 15. Registered my first company when I was 21 and I have never looked back. I have been involved with companies ranging from manufacturing of industrial products to a pet salon. These last 4 years have been an absolute blast. I have met and worked with people from all around the world. Together we have achieved great success and at the same time have had our share of failures as well. I have done everything from simple account keeping to being part of creating vision and mission statements.

Even though I have been through a lot, there is still so much more to learn and experience. This blog aims to document my development as an entrepreneur and a person and to let the world know about the companies I am involved with. Feedback is something that I will be really looking forward to.

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