Ash Rao

3 KEY LESSONS LEARNT FROM 2023

Ash Rao

It is that time of the Year again - time to hit the restart button, make new resolutions, start a positive habit, or end a negative one!

Before we look forward, it is important to look back and retrospect the past year so we can learn from our past mistakes and feel grateful about our wins, so we start this year with a renewed positive energy!

Doing this self-reflection is like holding a mirror to see both our strengths and flaws and this can be a powerful tool for personal growth!

If you haven’t tried it yet, I urge you to try it! I can assure you; it will be an eye-opening experience where you will realize that this exercise reveals many moments in your past year where you will feel proud of yourself and also many moments that will teach you valuable lessons on the past mistakes so you can move on and progress from those experiences!

2023 was a very eventful year for me and my introspection process truly uncovered some key lessons which I am glad to share here!

LESSON #1: NUDGE YOURSELF

What do I mean by that?

I mean that do not look for external sources for inspiration for getting motivated to do things. Many times, external sources whether it is a positive upbeat song or a movie, whether it is a good friend nudging to keep trying harder or if you have a coach to keep you accountable - all of these are great to get you started on your goals but without a process of without selfmotivation we cannot get far!

So often we find ourselves in that situation where we take up something and cannot complete it - I have personally faced similar challenges and what I have learned is that you and you alone need to develop that drive, that self-motivation to keep going and complete the task at hand.

You need to nudge yourself, have a system where you reward yourself for every small win that will give you motivation to keep going further.

When I reflect into 2023, I see that following this simple tip has helped to achieve some milestones although I did not have any external motivational factors.

Last year was a critical year as I took on a Leadership role at my workplace in addition to my regular role and took on the responsibility as a Global Hire lead for our Asian Professionals ERG group at Gartner, this role pushed me way out of comfort zone but in a good way - it was challenging and fulfilling experience to lead many initiatives centered around increasing visibility and showcase the amazing work done by Asian American Community here in US . I was fortunate to host several coffee chats and interview many eminent Asian professionals as part of this initiative at Gartner. But again, most of these initiatives were self-driven and optional as there are no external motivators or monetary awards but doing this helped me hone my leadership skills and gain visibility in the company which will help me in long term career growth!

So, the lesson here is –When you are given a challenge and it is optional for you to take it, nudge yourself, step up and take it! You will either succeed in that or will have a great learning experience from it! You will win either way.

LESSON # 2: SAY YES TO OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL PUSH YOU OUT OF YOUR COMFORT.

Oftentimes opportunity knocks on the door disguised more as a challenge or a small risk! 2023 was one such year for me!

Life provided me a few such wonderful chances which I am glad I took it upon myself to say yes to and while these pushed me out of comfort zone it also stretched me and forced me to grow in ways that I never imagined.

to work with many reputed designers in New York Fashion Week which led to many local shows here in Austin and like a ripple effect this led to me collaborate with local charities like Sewa International USA, Hindu Charities to raise funds and help for causes like providing education and necessities to the under privileged children both in US as well as motherland India. Saying Yes to such opportunities was a bit scary but it really forced me to be bold, get out of my shell and boosted my confidence to another level!

So the biggest lesson here is don’t hesitate to take on something new which pushes you out of your comfort because only those will stretch you and will mold you to be better version of yourself!

LESSON # 3: FIND YOUR BALANCE

I walked the ramp as a model for many fashion shows last year. I even got an opportunity

I learnt this lesson the hard way and last year taught me not to aim for everything but instead find my ideal balance in life! Most of us are constantly juggling multiple priorities in life and oftentimes, it is not possible to drop the ball on any of them.

Family time is important, finances are important so you just can’t quit your job, health is important and so is social lifeand not to forget that we need to follow our passion while doing this delicate balance act of multiple priorities in life!

When I initially started Podcasting, I enjoyed it so much and it became my creative outlet but as months rolled by, I noticed that I was slipping in other areas and couldn’t keep up. Losing that balance not only affected me but my loved ones too as I started to lose my temper easily, I wasn’t fully present and was stressed all the time! I had to reshuffle and let go of the stuff that I couldn’t manage so I can focus on what really matters.

This taught me a valuable lesson in life that we need to find our center and stay grounded, so we don’t lose sight of what really matters in life.

Spending quality time with family, growing your wealth, traveling, taking care of your mental as well as physical health, - these are important and non- negotiable which is why balance is so crucial in life! I realized that having a balanced mindset is most essential in life while consistently making small incremental progress towards our own goals!

Following this principle, we will transform slowly but surely and become a better version of ourselves.

So, the lesson that I want to share is find your balance, stay grounded - nothing is more important than your own mental peace and anything that causes you to lose your mind and induces stress may not be worth going after!

To sum it up, as you step into 2024 take your chances, nudge yourself, go out of your comfort zone but always stay centered around what matters most to you!

As you get ready to embrace all the opportunities that life has to offer, do not forget to pause, look back and reflect on how far you have come!

Wishing you all a joyous, abundant and a successful 2024!

About

ASH RAO

Ash Rao is an established HR/ recruiting leader and a certified career coach. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion and currently serves as part of the leadership. Board for Asian and Pacific Islanders Professionals at Gartner working towards increasing.

Visibility and amplifying work /impact of Asian American professionals.

Her work has appeared in major publications like Thrive Global, Fast Company, Social-hire. com and Powerhouse Global Magazine.

An infectious positive communicator, her writing style is conversational and inspiring. Ash’s published work focuses primarily on better careers, workplace productivity, success habits and self-improvement. Ash launched her own podcast show called “Passion to Profession” where she published around 30+ inspiring stories and interviewed many accomplished guests unravelling what it takes to convert your passion into professional success!

Ash currently works as a senior global HR and recruiting expert at Gartner and is based in Austin Texas.