Category: #in2016

Diet Coke Deprivation

So, officially its been one week that I haven’t had a Diet Coke. Why am I subjecting myself to such a torture? Because I want to see if I can stay away from something that I love.

Enough of vanity. Coming back, its been 7 days without a Diet Coke and I have serious withdrawal syndromes! I miss holding onto an icy cold can. I miss seeing that drop of water run down the shiny surface of the slippery can. I miss that pop when I opened the can. I miss the tingling sensation on my tongue. I miss how it hurt my bad teeth. That reminds me that I need to see a dentist. I also want to see see a supermodel but that’s a thing for another post, on another day.

More than these carnal pleasures, I miss the breaks that I took to go and buy the coke. Diet coke had become my escape. If I was in a longish meeting and I needed to get out, I would blame my coke addiction and step out. If I was mindfucked about something, I would go for a walk, to go buy a coke and shake those cobwebs away. I could stretch my legs. I could gather my thoughts. I could see the sidewalks. I could observe a lot by merely watching. I could chit chat with the shopkeepers. I could watch people.

A can of Diet Coke has been a companion to me through thick and thin. Through good and bad. Through pretty and ugly. At places as fancy as five-stars and as “downmarket” as a roadside chai tapri. Through my travels across the world. Through my hideouts in college. Through my escapes in parties. Through my long drives with Vivek. Through my short meetings with sgMS.

Diet Coke allowed me to find something to hold onto while the world around me was engaged into drunken revelries. Diet Coke allowed me the company of something predictable at unknown places. It was a reassuring sign in a lot of foreign lands. It was a way to open conversations with people. conversations at bars, at restaurants, at parties, at airport lounges, in the flights with the air-hostesses and co-travelers. In fact in most long flights most air-hostesses start knowing that I want a lot of coke and that breaks ice, literally!

Damn I miss it. All of it. Everything that my addiction to Coke stood for, I miss all of it!

There are very few people, things that I have allowed to come close. Coke is one such thing. I will probably lapse back to the use. But I shall stay away till end of 2016 for sure. Let’s see I have what it takes to control my emotions. And while I am at it, I will probably take up the NOBNOM one of these days. Lets see!

Oh, if you spot me having any form of cola in 2016, you may claim Rs. 1000 from me. And I promise I will honour it. On the spot. But after I have had my coke.

What next?

The web for some reason is rife with “What next?” posts on Medium. I reckon some web celeb or entrepreneur kinds would have written his what next post and everyone else would have taken liberal “inspiration” from that post to create their own versions of What next. I dont want to miss out on the “trend.” And thus, here is my What next.

So, life has been great so far. The last year was a mixed bag. I made my mistakes, I learnt my lessons, I played all I could and I did some interesting things. Its time I capitalize and go to the next level (wow I sound like a motivational speaker! Damn!).

For me, what next is pretty simple. I will build on top of what I have and take it up from there.

In no particular order (I have three components to how I look at things – work, personal and writing)…

Work
Next is to establish the event management business that got off to a great start in 2015. It is nothing out of the world and there are a million event agencies in the country but it allows me to do some great work, make the clients happy and pay my bills. Next is to get better at it. Next is to create processes that allow me to deliver better work at cheaper cost. Next is to create a team that allows me to expand. Next is to learn things and inculcate in how we work as a team. Next is to find someone who helps me grow faster than I have planned for. Do you think you want to partner up? I am on saurabh.garg@gmail.com.

Next is to create a marketing support services business that my clients (both of them) have been telling me to do. Apparently I am very good at being a marketing support services guy and I need to create an organization around it. Next is to think about it. Next is to find a way to integrate it with the events business.

Next is to continue the chase for that startup business that can change the world. I mean it. Change as in change. Like Uber has changed the way we use public transport. Like AirBnb changed how we holiday. Like Twitter has changed how I meet new people. Like Tinder has brought to surface the fabric of society we are in. Do you have an idea that we could work on together? I am on saurabh.garg@gmail.com.

Personal
Next it to get more social. Meet more people. Learn more. Do more. More more. More. I love it when I am learning. And the best way to learn is to do. I want to do more things. Even if I have to stretch myself thin. I will do so. One life. Next is to do more (rather than merely thinking), chew more (rather than eating more), write more (AND read more).

Next is to find avenues to help more people. Whatever limited understanding I have about myself, I realize that I am happy when I help others. I dont know if its my vanity or my ego or something else. But I am supremely happy when I am helping others. I may not be the best help that they get but I am definitely better than nothing. You may argue against it. But I think there’s no harm and doing and then apologizing!

Next is to spend more time with my family and friends. I have ignored them for too long.

Next is to find love. Though I have missed the bus already with my age but I need to find love. For the next 33 years. Or may be more. I recently met someone who is punting that average human lifespan will cross 100 in the next 20 years. By that metric, I still have 67 years to go. Now thats a long long time. Lets come together and do wonderful things together 🙂

Writing
Next is finish Book2. And get it published. I am not sure if Grapevine will publish it (now that I have missed several deadlines). May be get a literary agent to help me? I dont know. But next for sure is to finish the book in this year quarter. I’ve got this year to a great start (this is the 4th post in 4 days) and I need to keep the momentum going.

Of course, I’ve been grounded all these 4 days and hence I’ve been able to write. Hopefully I’d continue to write even when I am traveling. Next few days should tell.

That’s about it. For me, in one line, next is to end the year better than how I started it. What’s next for you?

Hits and Misses of 2015

Good, Bad! Hotlinked from here.

We are now officially into the second day of 2016. And its about time I did I am very late for the review of the year gone by. Not the kind of reviews that KRK has made a living with; but the kinds that make you think and reflect and want to fix things.

So here are key hits and misses of the year. In no particular order,

Misses

  • Spent less time at home. Lesser time with my parents. I need to spend more time with them #in2016. None of us is getting any younger anytime and have to make the most of time with them.
  • Got fired. From a freelance gig. I mean, can you beat that? And more than getting fired, I was told that I did not “bring anything to the table.” May be I did not. I thought I was giving in everything but it wasn’t enough. It sucks to be told that you are not good enough. #sgMS kept telling me that all the time. And then there’s this. Anyhow, its a thing of past. And now that I think of it, I think it hurt so much because I took it on my ego I think. Whatever. I think I am over it. All the best to everyone involved!
  • After I quit my full-time job in Feb / Mar, three people from MDI gave me an opportunity to work on (paid) projects for them (or their companies). I promised things to them and they trusted me with briefs and I did not even get back to them. Despite my best intentions and effort I could not create anything for them that was worth their time or expectation. So I chose to hide. And no, in this business, reputation is everything. I can no longer do this. I will apologize to them. Pronto. And apologize to a startup that wanted to hire me but we could not reach a point of agreement.
  • Got an opportunity to write for TV. I did write a few episodes. But got fired! Not fired per se but I was told that what / how I write may not be suitable for TV. The producer and the creative director was really polite about the entire thing. Glad for the opportunity but I should’ve proved myself. And yes, I will give things another shot. I dont know when though.
  • Moved to Bandra. This is probably the biggest mistake I’ve made in a long long time. And I cant fix it till September of 2016. Cant do shit about it. Except wait. So I shall wait. Of course I’ve learned my lessons and I shall try and write a blogpost about it. Soon.
  • Book 2 should’ve hit the stands in 2015. But I am no where close to even finalizing the manuscript. I can blame it on my perpetual busy life but life is small and you ought to make the most of the time we have. No?
  • Broke heart of this amazing girl that I met on one of these dating apps. I did not intend to. It just happened. Its probably the worst thing I did in 2015. I dont know how to fix it :(. Any tips?
  • Lost money in a casino. At Macau and Singapore. At Macau, on the poker table, it was a mix of bad luck and pathetic play. At Singapore it was plain old stupid bad decision to play Roulette. 

Hits (again in no particular order)

  • I quit my full-time employment with Social Wavelength. They are a brilliant place to work and their brilliance has now been vindicated after the Mirum thing happened. However I had to row my own boat. I parted ways and its been one hell of a ride. The best part to come out of my stint at Social Wavelength was that I made a few friends while I was there. And I hope I will stay friends with them for rest of my life.
  • Initiated a Mastermind group with 8 other amazing people. We met regularly for about 6 months and then, haven’t met since Diwali. But the monthly meetings were great learning opportunities. Hope to get them back on track #in2016.
  • Met Raj! Everytime I meet him, I realise how much I love him and in awe of him. May not get an opportunity to meet him again but what the heck – you cant meet your God all the time! 
  • Starting doing events on my own. Thanks to a friend who gave me confidence to be able to take the plunge. And thanks to agony aunt for giving me the opportunity. It was huge considering I did not want to do anything without with my ex-boss. But then he got busy and I got hungry. Rest, as they say, happened! 
  • Two really good friends (with their respective spouses) moved into their respective houses homes. The ones they’ve bought. Amazing because even though its been ten years since I did my MBA, I cant seem to buy a car and these people have bought houses worth crores.
  • Traveled to Nigeria and Singapore. Two new countries. In terms of the ones I’ve been to earlier, I made a couple of trips to Hong Kong and one to Macau. It feels as if I have been to more places but cant recall. So may be, those places are not important. Oh, and I have to find more opportunities to travel. I can not grow old and not have traveled!
  • A really good friend, the kinds bros call brother from another mother, got married. Now, from the MML gang, there’s just Suds and I left. I reckon, I would be the last to get hitched. Lets see.
  • Met this girl in Delhi for work. I spent about an hour talking about work and all that. If I was not stuck on #sgMS and I was ok moving to Delhi, I would have asked her for shaadi. She has everything that I look for in a girl – talent, ambition, opinion, lust for travel, business sense etc. May be in next life. If PD says no in next life as well.
  • Decided that am done with Goa. I know I dont enjoy alcohol, or sea food, or parties or clubs. I do however like beaches and water and great ambiance. But every trip to Goa is mostly about drunker stupors, incessant eating, loud music and obnoxious taxi drivers. So I have decided that I am not doing anymore trips to Goa with friends. I will go there by myself, for work and with select set of people but I am done with Goa with friends. 

Thats about it for 2015. Pretty cool it was if you ask me. Though I hope I will make 2016 even more amazing. I am committed to take up my net worth to 10x the level it was in 2015. Help me reach there. You know where to reach me!

P.S.: Wrote these without referring to any notes or tweets or photos. The ones I can remember have to be important for me. No?

Notes2Self

  • I think of death often. It sucks that you learn so much and then one fine day you are gone! 
  • Though I want to get over #sgMS, she still is a large part of my life.
  • I am very emotional about what I do.
  • I need to stay in touch with all the people I know. I got a call from Renu Maam (Gravity) and I realized how much I miss these people.

Serendipity 101

yesterday Few days ago #sgMS asked me about some hotel that she had recommended to me some time back – she had apparently forgotten its name.

So, normally any words that come out of her, I latch on like they’re precious stones. I often tend to remember what she says and I am kinda quick on my feet as well. For things that I know are too tough to remember, I make long notes with Evernote (under the #sgMS tag, I have notes about what she likes, what she hates, the cities that she wants to
travel to, the kind of lifestyle she wants to live and so on and so
forth.)

Coming back, that day when she asked me, for some reason I could not recall the name of the hotel. And there is no way I was going to disappoint her. So I dropped everything I was doing,
to try and find the name of the hotel that she had once mentioned in the passing during an
innocent conversation. 

I went through EVERY email we’d EVER exchanged, browsed through
our recent conversations on iMessage and WhatsApp and read every note I
have made about her. It was a four-hour long exercise, excruciating to
start with but full of nostalgia as I saw, browsed, read.

I did everything I could but I could not find the name of the hotel.

However I did discover that I still love her. And I still pine for her. And I still want to be with her.

Of course she has a different take. She believes we are
happier away from each other. Of course she is never wrong and I am
never right. I trust her judgement and I shall remain away. In misery
celebration. I will not make any attempts to call her, meet her. I
hereby promise I will not initiate contact with her unless its
absolutely necessary. I will have my week moments and I will try and not
break this verbal written contract.

Wish me luck!

P.S.: Of course “absolute necessary” is a loose term and I may misuse it. But I shall consider this as a form of tapasya. If I keep at it for long enough, may be some day I’d get what I want – her!

I fold.

I fold!

This is one of those big decisions for rest of 2015.

I am going to stop playing poker. Few reasons.

1. I have been on a losing spree. As per my poker stats, I have lost 9 out of 10 times I have played. Also, I have wiped all my bankroll. Since I dont have any predictable earning, I am not sure how to build the bankroll without investing anything from my savings. And that, ladies and gents, is not happening.

2. Luck doesnt seem to be favoring me. Not luck, odds. I mean what are the odds that hand after hand you would have like 30 outs and you wouldn’t connect even one? Or you’d have pocket kings and every flop would have a string of aces? Or on the button you had hands so cold that you could deep freeze your coke with em. I am losing that perpetual “war with luck.”

3. I dont see myself improving at it. Improving at poker, I think, is a simple function of time, practice and reading. I dont have that time. There are just too many things that I am busy with – earning my bread, writing my next book, travel, trying to get fit and so on and so forth. Take guitar for example. Neo just got me a new guitar. A F310. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. May be I would focus on it for 2015.

4. There is no 4. The above three are reasons solid enough reasons to make me reconsider my poker “career.”

That’s it. I think I would get away from poker. Except that home game once in a while and that occasional tournament.

I know quitting sucks but you ought to know who you are and what could you do!
 Wish me lucky with the guitar 🙂

P.S.: I will get back to poker at some point in life. It gives me everything that I want – money, travel, decision making, access to great minds, time and all that. Just that I have other things to chase right now. May be in 2016?