This Tiny Investment Helped me Make More Progress in 2 Months Than I Have in all these Years.

I’ve been writing publicly since 2005.

But 10 weeks ago, I joined a learning cohort for 1 week. For the first time ever.

This *tiny* investment helped me make more progress in 2 months than I have in all these years.

Here’s the quick story (& 1 reflection question that will change how you think about achievement)

At 18, I wanted to crack India’s civil services exam. Gave it everything for 7 years without clearing the final round.

I entered the workforce at 25, much later than my peers.

I had no immediate job prospects due to a Masters’s degree in an “unemployable” subject — History.

But someone had noticed my reading habit and offered me a job at a new bookstore.

Someone noticed that I wrote well, and at 27 I got inducted into eLearning and instructional design.

At 30, I walked 1000 km across the Gobi desert with Bactrian camels. Got hooked on lengthy adventures.

At 32, I progressed and got employment as a learning consultant. I did not let my designation come in the way and was a permission-less apprentice for every function that interested me.

More people noticed and at 38, I was the COO of a 4500-employee-strong business unit at the same company.

At 40 I quit and moved on to adventuring full time.

By 41, I was planning, managing and executing adventure activities for persons with disability — from scuba diving to cycling across the world’s highest pass — while being an adventurist myself. I still do that today, now for others too.

The learning cohort forced me to pick up old habits, engage with my passion and put me on a journey of discovery.

At 44, I am a happy purposeful learner again. Someone may notice. Or not.

Remember, you are teaching yourself. Everyone else is just facilitating and enabling.

Learning = growing = getting noticed.

What was my degree in, again?