My book Monetising Innovation (Bloomsbury) got published recently, just a little more than a year back. It seems, that many things apparently start happening once you publish a book. While there are comments, encouraging and some in veiled contrite, there are two prosaic questions that start haunting a rookie writer.

The first one is ‘How do you know that you can write and the second one is ‘How do you get time to write?

These questions transpire very often from my own corporate brethren who might have been nurturing a passion to break free from the routine grind. I am trying to answer both questions here.

1. You are more than your designation (Answer to the question ‘How do you know that you can write)

The corporate world is creepy, seriously. And, if not conscious, you get smitten. Even a simple greeting has ruled here. The position on the hierarchical chain can dictate the way you would be responded even to a mere good morning; it might be a cold stare, a nod, a stingy smile or at best equal reciprocity if you are close enough in the hierarchy. Here, one trades humility with arrogance for success.

It’s a matter of time before you mutate and become the designation rather than the person in you. And that’s all is the end of the story for you…your aspirations start revolving around your designation and the materialistic stuff that you long for… your passion and the person in your start rotting in some dark dungeon!

If you still intend to achieve something beyond what has become the daily chore, I would like to share that there is a way out. It’s very simple and has only two simple steps:

Be conscious of the person you are

First, be conscious that organization designations are mere titles and don’t qualify that a higher designation is superior. These don’t travel beyond even to the precincts of the cubicles. Spend a few minutes every day before going to sleep and morning to remind yourself who you are and what you want to achieve.

Spend some time every day on what you want to do

Once clear on what you want to do, make sure that you spend some time every day on the identified passion. I am discussing this in the next point.

2. If you want, you will find out time (Answer to the question ‘How do you get time to write)

When one talks about finding out time every day, it’s an outcome of Sacrifice, Prioritization and Discipline.

Sacrifice, if I can use this word here is about not wasting time on TV, Facebook and Whatsapp or on anything that is not adding to your cause. I can assure you, that one can extract one and a half to two hours here. Talking about Prioritization, once you have two hours of time, spend it on what you want to achieve. Discipline is, sticking to the set schedule.

If I may, let me share a personal experience here. It was during the period of three years when I was working on the book. I used to commute to work in Lower Parel in Mumbai from Thane. This distance of thirty-six kilometres used to take more than three hours to commute both ways. However, I could utilize at least two hours of this time to work on the book and meditate as well. Otherwise, an arduous journey in sapping Mumbai traffic was converted into an opportunity that worked.

I hope this helps you too… to pursue your passion…

Let me surmise as well now. I am not coaxing you here to leave your job. Rather I would say, put your heart and soul into it.

But just be conscious – be conscious that you are more than your designation.

#liveyourpassion

#youcandoit

#doitforyou

#livethelittlethings

#entrepreneurs

#beyourself

#monetisinginnovation

#innovation