About The Episode
The importance of starting anything new before you are ready is a well-documented idea, especially in the area of personal growth. Yet, I wonder why so many including myself, have failed and/or continue to fail to take action before we are ready. This is a topic, and question that I get to discuss with Vamsi Polimetla who is a leadership expert, and founder of Make More Leaders. In our conversation, we discuss the importance of starting before you are ready and the significance of focusing on results rather than effort.
Prioritising Action Over Perfection
Vamsi explains waiting for the perfect moment or complete clarity can hinder progress and suggests that taking the first step, even with uncertainty, can lead to valuable experiences and personal growth. He encourages us to prioritise actions and habits as the way forward because they are the things that are within our direct control, rather than obsessing over outcomes, which are often influenced by external factors. This reminded me of a lesson I learned from The Quest For Personal Mastery which is a program available on the MindValley platform and dives deep into the concept of self-mastery!
Vamsi shared an interesting analogy to illustrate his point. He mentions a scenario where someone offers to fix a refrigerator and charges a large sum of money based on the hours spent working on it, rather than the actual value provided. He explains that in the professional world, it is important to focus on the results and the impact created rather than the number of hours put into a task. By focusing on the value we bring to the table, we can enhance our professional growth and contribute in a more meaningful way.
It’s Vamsi’s belief that there are two different perspectives to consider: professional growth and personal growth. In the corporate or business environment, he advises us to focus on the results they are creating and the value they bring to the world. By setting clear goals and understanding the impact we want to have we can increase our effectiveness and make a significant difference. On the other hand, in personal growth, where outcomes may be uncertain or outside of our control, Vamsi suggests focusing on the actions and habits we can control, as they lay the foundation for progress and development.
We go on to discuss further the unpredictability of outcomes and how we cannot control the outcome, such as getting a six-pack or reaching a specific level of fitness but can control the daily actions we take, such as showing up consistently and performing the necessary habits that contribute to where we want to go.
Adding Value in Professional Interactions
We discuss the concept of adding value in a professional context and Vamsi shares the importance of leaving people better off than when we found them, which he believes can be achieved by providing guidance, and support, and helping others achieve their goals more efficiently. When helping others, Vamsi highlights the secret ingredient of empathy and tailoring our actions to meet the needs and desires of those we interact with.
Our conversation moves onto the topic of conditioning and the choices we make. Vamsi explains that our conditioning is influenced by our upbringing, education, and societal norms which shape our beliefs, behaviour, and choices. However, he shares that we have the power to change our conditioning and make different choices through conscious effort and by choosing to surround ourselves with a positive peer group as well as seeking guidance from mentors or coaches and exposing ourselves to new perspectives through reading and attending conferences. Through conscious personal growth, we can begin to shift our conditioning and expand our possibilities.
Vamsi’s Final Message
We end our conversation with Vamsi sharing three questions he frequently asks himself throughout the day: “Who am I?”, “Where am I?”, and “What do I really want to achieve?”. These questions help him gain clarity, align his actions with his purpose, and make intentional choices. He encourages others to ask themselves these questions and recommends having a clear vision for the next three, five, ten, and twenty-five years. When you have a clear vision you can reverse engineering these goals by breaking them down into smaller milestones, and start to make steady progress towards your long-term vision.
In his final message, Vamsi repeats the importance of starting before you are ready and taking action. He encourages us all to compress our life timelines and focus on the finish line while being mindful of the journey and aligning our actions with our goals and values. Vamsi’s mission is to help individuals step into their true leadership potential and create positive change in the world and the lessons and wisdom shared here is a testament to that mission.
