Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di

There are many things which I don't like about myself but there are a few things which I am quite proud of! It is the dedication with which I commit to things.

Till the time I finished my graduation, after having dropped the idea of doing fashion designing, I was not sure about what to do careerwise. I have always wanted to write but I wasn't too confident about it at that time. My brother suggested MBA and I quite liked the idea. I applied for many colleges because I had already dropped a year, since I did not appear for CAT during my final year. To cut the long story short, I dedicated myself to the preparation whole-heartedly. For the first time in my life, I even heard my mom tell me, you have been studying for too long, why don't you take a break! I got many interview calls and I took admission in the 2nd college I cleared. There wasn't time to wait to finish off all the calls and then decide. I have no regrets. It was a good college and I met my future husband there :-)I was obsessed about Advertising and in one of my first few posts on this blog, I have discussed in detail how I landed the only Advertising job I wanted, on campus.While I was working in Mumbai, my then boyfriend, now husband, was in Pune. I think Neeta travels should have offerred me annual membership discount for the number of times I travelled between the cities!I quit my job 1.5 years back, but all the time I spent in that Marketing Communication profile I did my best. I am sure my ex-bosses and ex-team members also felt the same way about my dedication. I would always be straight forward on what was possible and many times I pushed myself hard on meeting some difficult deadlines. Because the exhilaration of a job well done is something else. I always reveled in the glory of finishing my commitments successfully.I had been nudged covertly and overtly several times on when we wer planning to start a family. We were given examples of how couples were barely taking 9 months to produce offspring, we had taken way too long. As if they are going to take care of my kids! Anyways I was always clear, I want a baby only when I can offer him all my time. I was not going to compromise either on my job commitments or responsibilities towards my child. He deserves my attention and time. I quit from my job because I wanted people to remember me for the good work I had done, and not somebody who struggled to strike a balance and live every moment in guilt. I have my limitations. I can either be an excellent worker or a good mom, in my standards. I cannot be both with perfection. With due respect to all working moms, it is strictly my opinion and honest admission about my priorities, which are mental peace and perfection. In the last 1.5 years, I have never missed my job, neither have I regretted my decision. I do crave for a break once in a while but I am thankful to God that I have been given this opportunity to spend so much time with my baby. These moments are priceless.

The Weekend that Was!

I don’t know whether this weekend was a good one for me or a real bad one. It is all perceptual you see. So what happened?

• My Weekend started with the rashes on my wrist looking filthier (Yuck!) which did wonders for my spirit.
• I fell from scooty, when I was lost in my day dreams and suddenly got accosted with a big, unexpected pot hole. Good thing is I got minor bruises on my hand and knee, and I also got pampering and TLC from my hubby…so it was not that bad actually. Thankfully, I always wear helmet. I was so mad while coming back at the condition of the road that I hurled a lot of abuses to the Corporation.
• We had great fun watching ‘Hostel’ together with friends on TV. Although a gruesome movie, thankfully, all such scenes were cut.
• Dinner was lavish, for we and our next door friends decided to have it together, so it turned out to be bonanza……hmmmm….. Sumptuous!
• Finally on Sunday morning we went to the Gym. I’m going to be steer clear of weights, because I know I will not be able to be regular. So I just want to stick to cardio. We also planned how we will go cycling once the roads are all done. Dreams!
• We finally saw “Ice Age 3” and I slept somewhere in the middle. It was OK and since I have not seen any of the earlier ones, may be that could be the reason of my boredom.
• I had lofty plans of joining Driving school, but all went into the drain as I hurt my plan and my spirit plummeted to a new low!
• Next 2 days are going to be hectic, as I have to attend Product Shoots and also complete all the follow ups with all the vendors, give some approvals, negotiate some rates…….woooh!
• Pune is really a laid back city in all sense, even the professionalism is a little laid back. When I was in Mumbai, we were trained to be on our toes for whatever Client asked for; in Pune, despite being on the Client side, I have to be on toes with my Vendors (read agencies). People really have some high notions here. The kind of work agencies pass on to Clients would have been unimaginable for us in our ad agency in Mumbai. And after that, they have guts to cross-question us!

I remember, how we had been told that you have to be smarter than the Client. You must know all that is to know about their brand in order to inspire confidence in Client. Ah! Mumbai is definitely in different league when it comes to professionalism!

· Today I tried some fast cooking with my brand new Microwave. It is really quick. You just microwave your veggies for couple of minutes and then sauté. It really saves a lot of time.

· This week is going to be special…..won’t tell right now. Work is going to be as usual. I am looking forward to Rakhi and till now, not sure what to gift the bestest brother in the whole world J

Loving your Work

There are a couple of things which I have learnt from my husband and have come to truly appreciate it – being honest with work! For me, responsibility is a big thing. If I’m entrusted with something, I do take it very seriously. Same goes with him. Actually, he is still way ahead of me.

I find so many people cribbing about salaries, about how they are under-paid and so on and so forth. I never really get into all these. It is not that I don’t like bigger pay-checks; for me, it is about peace of mind. I don’t bargain that. When I joined my first job, I did not even paid attention to how much the company was going to pay. It was my dream company during my MBA. Period. I quit Advertising, which I was absolutely crazy about while in college, after 1.3 years. But then, I am content that I can say today – “been there, done that”.

There is no end to a home and a car, then a bigger home and a bigger car and so on. The contentment is inside us, what do we really want from life! 20 years down the line, will I be more satisfied by a mansion and a line up of swanky cars, or by the pride of being able to make a difference in whatever we did!

Hate is surely a strong word; let’s say, I don’t like people who are not sincere to their work. Fine, your work may not be your true calling; but you did take it up, so why not give it your 100%? Why do a half-hearted job? Someone has rightly said:

“Either you do what you love, or love what you do.” There is no other way to "LIVE" life, everything else is just a waste of precius time.