Week 2/25: Play for the Upside
Chai With Ghai
Thank you for tuning in for the 2nd edition!
This edition’s weekly thought is inspired by Richard. Don’t worry, Richard will re-appear later.
Weekly Thought - Forget the ‘How’
A by-product of going through a rigorous MBA cycle is that all the algorithms in my digital life became catered to MBA-related suggestions. Because of this, I luckily stumbled across Professor Graham Weaver, founder of Alpine Investors, and a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School Of Business.
In one of his lectures, Professor Weaver shares the severe impact of the 2008 recession on his private equity firm, Alpine. The downturn forced him to deplete his savings to cover payroll and left seven of his companies in default. During this critical period, when failure seemed certain, he encountered an executive coach. This coach introduced him to an exercise that played a crucial role in Alpine's survival.
The exercise was simple - write your story/goal but with three conditions:
Condition 1 [Future] - It has to be set in the future (set a realistic timeline within which your goal is achievable)
Condition 2 [Nirvana] - Think Nirvana (Where would you be if you knew you wouldn't fail, or if you didn't care what society would say?)
Condition 3 [How] - Forget the ‘How’
Surprised by the simplicity of this approach, I began to compare aspects of my life where I had succeeded against those where I had not. A pattern became increasingly clear. While both successes and failures shared the first two conditions, it was the third condition that stood out as a distinct difference. The 'how' became the apparent reason behind many of my delayed or unachieved goals.
See a simple comparison below:
HOW?
During high school, I would watch the best guitarists perform and envision myself playing (FUTURE) where I am ripping the Sweet Child O Mine solo on stage (NIRVANA). But then I would snap out of it and wonder, how will I ever get there, I am so far off (HOW). Because I never took concrete steps to improve, I never became skilled enough to be the lead guitarist of the school band. [Failure]
HOW?
At UCLA, I had a similar experience when I saw an A Cappella group perform. I envisioned myself being part of one (FUTURE), singing my heart out in front of an audience (NIRVANA). But this time, I didn't get stuck on how I was going to make it through three auditions with no vocal training (HOW). Instead, I focused on the first step: how to ace the first audition. Doing this made things easier — I realized the first audition was just a solo performance. I didn't need to master a wide range of songs, I just had to nail one. So, I practiced only one song over and over. I adopted a similar focused approach to the next audition rounds and fortunately, this story ends on a high note! [Success]
In case you’re wondering, my audition song was Hiding My Heart Away by Adele.
Your Turn to Crack the Audition!
Now, try to repeat this three-condition exercise by thinking of a future goal that feels out of reach for you right now. Here's how you can start moving towards it today, following Professor Weaver's advice:
Once you’ve got your goal in mind, identify all the limiting beliefs you have—these are the barriers standing between you and your goal.
Transform these barriers into actionable tasks. Create a WRITTEN list that makes these steps tangible. For example:
List 30 actions that could edge you closer to your goal.
Identify 5-10 people who could support your journey.
Find 5-10 people who have already achieved what you're aiming for.
Now, focus on crossing off items from your list each day. And remember, avoid getting bogged down by the 'How'.
Weekly Non-Stereotypical Song Recommendation
You may have heard of the singer-songwriter Louis Tomilson. He was part of the famous boyband One Direction until they decided to call it quits. This week’s pick is his song Two Of Us (Richard’s Bucket List Official Video).
Remember Richard? The dashing guy from the 1940s mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter? Well, this specific song tells his story. After losing his wife of 60 years, Richard found himself with unfinished things on their bucket list. Thankfully, Louis helps him tick them off. As you can probably guess, one of them was riding a rollercoaster. Do give it a watch!
Richard’s story reminded me to forget the ‘How’.
Weekly Poll - Does Karma Balance The Scales?
I'm intrigued by your thoughts on karma—the idea that our actions, both past and present, shape our future. Put simply, if I did something bad today, does that mean something bad will happen to me down the line?
Growing up, I firmly believed in this concept. However, as I've grown older, I've started to question its importance, and it seems others around me are doing the same. Does it truly influence our lives?
Weekly Health Hack - Be Biased Towards Your Favorite Foods
I always thought not eating healthy boiled down to just not having enough willpower. But I started noticing that people around me, even the super-determined ones, were struggling. A common cause? Trying to eliminate all unhealthy foods cold turkey. Thinking “If I'm avoiding pizza, how dare I have a glass of Coke or a cookie”. Adopting this all-or-nothing mindset complicates what could be a manageable journey, leading many to ditch their healthy eating efforts within just a few weeks.
Ever faced a similar issue? Well, I have a solution!
Try this simple task:
List all the high-calorie or unhealthy foods you regularly consume. Then, circle the items that you would truly miss if you were to completely eliminate them from your diet—the ones you are biased towards.
See my list for reference:
After you've made your list, begin to phase out the items you didn't circle, while still allowing yourself to enjoy the ones you did circle.
The thought of going without ramen during peak NYC winters, or never munching on pseudo-healthy soya sticks with my morning chai, felt depressing. The thought of giving up other items, however, didn’t bother me as much. In the past 5 years, I have cut out the uncircled items from my diet almost completely, while allowing myself to indulge in the circled ones occasionally.
Try this and share your list with me!
PS - Recently, during a night out, I was trying to convince a friend to take a shot with me. Meanwhile, she was busy enjoying her pizza. Knowing my stubborn health habits all too well, she proposed a fair offer: “If you have a slice of this pizza, I’ll take that shot with you.”
Thank You For Reading!
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Feel free to give any suggestions, I’m always open to trying new chai recipes!
Contact Information
Email: kanavghai130@gmail.com