Brave Crackpot, Genius Jackpot »

Would you prefer to live a mediocre life, or would you let the boldness inside you come forth and give wings to your dreams?

Would you dare to pursue your big dream(s) or would you rather be satisfied just dreaming?

The Art of Steady Progress »

Many a times, I feel so dissatisfied with the rate at which progress is made on a project that I tend to take my eyes off the goal and focus on something else instead. Then, the law of inertia takes over and makes progress even more difficult.

In this post we take a quick look at the art of steady progress.

My New Year’s Resolutions for 2012 »

If you read my earlier article about 12 reasons why New Year’s Resolutions don’t work [for you], you will know that NOT sharing your resolutions with others is a reason for failure in fulfilling them.

So here I am posting my resolutions right here for you to see, trusting that doing so would help me towards fulfilling them.

How to sort desires to draft New Year’s resolutions »

It is important to first go through your list of desires, make sure it is ordered, and then choose your resolutions from that sorted list. The resolutions you thus shortlist will then have much more meaning in your life and contribute in big ways towards your life success.

Today we will take your life dreams a step further and see how you feel about all that you think you want, and whether you truly want what you thought you wanted.

What do you really want in life? »

A few days ago we gave a thought to the fact that each day is the first day of the rest of your life, and that you can be and do anything that you choose to from amongst the infinite possibilities at your disposal within your current circumstance, whatever they may be. You just need to take accountability for your life and how you take it forward.

I’m sure it felt good to read that post. But then, wasn’t that the end of the story? Did you take the inspiration a step forward and think about what it is that you really want in your life?

12 reasons why New Year’s Resolutions don’t work [for you] »

You might have heard some people saying that New Year’s Resolutions do not work. I however believe that it is not the resolutions that do not work, but rather we ourselves who do not work on our resolutions.

The reasons, as to why people think that New Year’s Resolutions are so elusive, are many! In this article, I would like to briefly talk about the top twelve factors, in my opinion, that lead to failure at fulfilling new year resolutions.

Have you really tried to succeed? »

Often we find ourselves saying things like “I can’t do that”, and “I will never be able to do that”.

When you say you cannot do something, is it really the case that you cannot do it, or is it that you do not even want to try doing it, just because you are not sure whether you will be able to succeed at it or because you do not feel a great amount of confidence in doing it?

Today is the first day of the rest of your life »

How many years has it been since you came into this world? And how many years is it that you have been blaming the so-called shortcomings of your life on other people around you and other circumstances that are beyond your control?

You are not a loser, are you? If I say I could prove that you are, would you dare to find out?

You will not get any bigger than you think »

More often than not, we wait for life to happen to us. We do not visualize what we want out of life. We do not think!

The mind works in mysterious ways. Scientists have, to this day, not been able to decipher the mysteries of the mind. But it is now a widely accepted fact that the mind plays a vital role in manifesting the reality that we perceive.

We usually do not want to get out of our comfort zones. The human mind can work wonders, only if we choose to get out of the comfort zone and take the required action. And that can only be possible when we exercise our will to do so. It is only possible when we think big thoughts and aim for the stars.

“Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.”
- Benjamin Disraeli

It is said that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. But I can assure you that this is absolutely false. And I am saying this with the highest degree of conviction, because I have come up the hard way myself.

I lived my younger years amidst significant shortage of…

The law of Inertia applied to Success »

I hope you have been having a fabulous time succeeding at your endeavors.

I’ve been held up with a little too many things and I had to take the help of Physics to get back on track. The simple and effective technique that I am going to reveal today has helped me many a times in getting out of the traps along life’s success journey.

Ever noticed how some days are so productive and you feel all charged up and enthusiastic about finishing that piece of work you had started? Everything seems to be working in your favor and you feel you might complete it all much ahead of schedule?

Then, for whatever reason, you get a little busy/distracted with something else, and the activity you had been so enthusiastic about just comes to a standstill? All of a sudden you seem to have lost track of what you were doing and seem to find no motivation to resume what had been stopped?

A source of logical motivation

My wife and I have this very short mantra that helps us quickly get out of any such roadblocks, almost instantly.

The mantra is,…

Do you think the Mexican fisherman was successful? »

A few years ago I came across this nice story, in a forwarded e-mail, which left a strong impression on thoughts about my future. As I re-visit this story today, it brings forth some interesting thoughts that I would like to discuss with you.

First, the story that I am referring to. If you have read this earlier, you might want to jump to the next section.

Do you feel guilty to live a successful life? »

Success has a lot to do with how you are able to deal with your priorities.

This post is for professionals who find it difficult to maintain a good work-life balance because of on-the-job pressures and unreasonable demands from their managers.

In today’s post we will look at a bitter truth that I know you will find difficult to admit.

But before that, I have some happy news to share. Last week…

Holy crap! I’m successful. The success story of my life »

This morning I woke up and realized I had become successful. Isn’t this what they call overnight success? I had been waiting for this moment for years, and here I am living the life of my dreams. I’m so excited, I just can’t wait to tell you about my story.

How about YOUR overnight success?

Before we move on to my story, I want you to take a moment to think about your success story. Are you successful? If not, when is it that you think you will be successful? Tell me in one sentence – What is it that would make you successful?

My not-so-dramatic overnight success story

I…

I quit my job, and this is how it feels »

It’s a dream come true scenario. Yes, I finally quit my job and the feeling is overwhelming.

And why not! Isn’t that how it is meant to be?

This article is not meant to be one that brings out all the positives of quitting the salaried job, but rather to express my own true feelings of how it is to have quit my job.

My story was different than what I had dreamt for it to be. I had thought that I would set up my foundation for a steady income through a side business of my own until I felt comfortable enough to let go of my job.

But life happened, and I actually took the plunge without a concrete plan in place.

It’s two months since I got myself out of the trap, and, to put it simply,…

Enticing opportunities vs clarity of vision »

How would you know whether an opportunity that knocks at your door is a worthwhile investment or just a distracting temptation?

As I mentioned in my last post, after I moved back home following the nuclear crisis, I had the option to take up a job so as to secure an income.

In fact, taking up another job here seemed to be the default and most appropriate option.

When God closes a door, He opens…

…a window! Jokes apart, just when I thought I had finalized my decision to not take up a job but rather pursue the entrepreneurial road, a great opportunity came my way in the form of an exciting and mouth watering job offer. But, was it an opportunity, or was it just a temptation that would distract me from my vision of financial freedom?

Last evening, I received a call from the company that I had separated from just a couple of months ago. They said…

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans »

It’s been an exciting year so far. I started of with some exciting goals, and what actually happened was even more exciting.

Interestingly, none of the things that happened were on the lines of the goals that I had set for this year. I was planning for this year to be the best I had in blogging and networking. While I made those plans and some more, life *happened* to me through the worst nuclear crisis the world has ever seen.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon

I’ve been very silent for the last few months on this blog, and you might be wondering what is going on with me. In today’s post I just wanted to give you a quick update on how things are broadly positioned.

Quitting my job, Beginning a new life »

Hello friends, I’m back! It’s been a crazy few months since the big earthquake and nuclear crisis shook up my life. A BIG Thanks to you all for your support and prayers as I went through some tough times.

As I start a new chapter in my life and set forth in a new direction that will change many things forever, today marks a new beginning here at Secrets of Success as well.

There’s much to say and much to write. I was wondering what to begin with as I get back into the blogoshpere, and I remembered the beautiful story from the book by Dr Spencer Johnson, “Who Moved My Cheese?“.

I am assuming in this article that you have already read this best seller. If you haven’t yet, you are missing out on one of the best advices on coping with changes in all walks of your life. Get this book today! I first read this book over a decade ago, and it always helps to revisit it whenever times change in any small way.

Today, as my life is undergoing some BIG changes, I would like to take some time to put these changes into perspective through the lessons from this book.

In Tokyo I need your opinion. Should I leave Japan? »

[Update: Read the full post for more detailed and earlier updates]

Update from me as of May 15, 2011:
It’s been two months since the disaster, and we now know that reactor #1 of the Fukushima number 1 nuclear plant has undergone a complete meltdown! They said it wouldn’t and now we know that it already had. It’s now known that the situation is worse than that of Chernobyl, with radiation still spewing out into the air, groundwater and the ocean. Food contamination has spread out from the north to far south of Tokyo. For those with common sense, it’s time to get the message.
Well, I logged in to post a quick update from my side. I’ve decided a few weeks ago to leave Tokyo and return home. This is probably the biggest decision of my life, one that will turn my life in a totally new, unknown and uncertain direction. Ironically, here on Secrets of Success, the end of this month is going to mark the beginning of a totally new journey for me, a journey I am determined to make a successful one. How the upcoming months and years are going to unfold will become a real life track record of how someone could start afresh and make success of his/her life. Over the next month or so, I’ll be totally tied up with quitting my job, moving out of the country in which I have spent a quarter of my life, settling back in my home country, and starting all over again on a new road to new successes. Bear up with me for another few weeks as this site remains silent. I’m going to be back with a bang!
—- End of Update —-

I’m here in Tokyo, with my wife and toddler son, and the last four days have been eventful and stressful, to say the least.

Amidst speculations of a nuclear meltdown, and foreigners leaving Japan, while at the same time reading some updates that state that the crisis is not as critical as being feared, I write this quick post to ask for your advice and opinion to help me take an important decision.

Given the current state of affairs, do you think foreigners living in Tokyo (more specifically, I) should leave the country?

Please visit this post and provide your advise based on your gut feeling. It’s quick, and it would mean a lot to me.

Thanking you in advance,

Mark

Is this what you are, or is it what you were? »

We are all born in certain circumstances, with some certain characteristics. We all grow to become someone different than what we were born as, and most certainly the circumstances change with the times as well. Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? And yet there are many amongst us who live with the notion that we are what we used to be. You think that you are not one of them? Read on…

If you had all the money you want, what would you do? »

We live in a world where we seem to have to first secure our wealth in order to enjoy what that wealth can bring. As we are brought up, we are well-conditioned to think about what we would do to earn a living. Most of us graduate with the thought of getting a high paying job and making all the money that we need to enjoy life.

Today I would like to ask you one question. Ok, let me make it two.

My first question is,…

1) How much money do you want?

Alright, I’m not your money genie. But seriously, do you even have an idea of how much money you want for the rest of your life?

I want lots of money. You want lots of money. We all want lots of money, enough money! But…