A LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF

It was another hot afternoon in one of those days in the month of June and as I took the cab for the airport rushing to see my family in Dubai, my phone rang and there I saw the name of the top PwC leader flashing on the screen who had called to congratulate me.

I had made Partner!

If you have ever spent some time in the consulting industry, you would understand the insane feeling of merely seeing the word ‘Partner’ written in the email signatures. For someone who has not rubbed shoulders with any consultant, making into partnership is somewhat comparable to getting your name etched into the Leaders Board of the famous Lord’s Cricket ground in London (phew, I know it’s a bit far-fetched but for me it really meant that way).

As I boarded the flight, a sea of overwhelming emotions took over. Surreal how those magical instances from the past flash in front of your eyes leaving behind a beautiful large collage of faces and moments that have made meaningful difference in your lives.

It’s between these moments that life happened for me… and I thought it’s worth drafting a letter to my younger self talking about the most important lessons the consulting life has taught me.

Hey Young Najam,

I know what you are thinking right now… “what would be your future like in the next couple of years, isn’t it? “

Well, let me simplify this, you will create your own journey which will make you unique. All I can do now is draft a simple set of pointers that will perhaps help you in navigating your life more meaningfully and possibly make you successful in your career (btw, you will live quite a fulfilling life at least until you’re 37). Here it goes…

People, people, people… you will realize, it was and will always be about People. Leaders suggest – ‘surround yourself with people who can replace you in your current role or profile. When they grow, you grow automatically’. Embrace diversity in the world around you. Take care of your people, not just your clients but also your employees/teams. Always look for inspiration from people around you, especially from the ones who dare to not share your point of views. And yeah remember, you will be challenged for wearing your opinions, for having your own voice. Never be guilty about it.

Genius is perseverance in disguise… learn to push your envelopes. Be inspired. Life will be an ebb and flow of success and failures. Chase your dreams and be relentless about it. You will experience failures, especially in cracking the major exams, but life won’t stop there. Accept, listen, learn and move on.

If you want to be taken seriously, be consistent… When discipline meets hard work, success happens. Be it in your school, your university, workplace or even in the gym, what defines you will be your ability to stay ‘consistent’. A very senior Big4 partner once told me – ‘In cricketing terms, life is not a Twenty20 but a Test match’. You will have to learn when to make things happen and when let things happen to you.

Read, read, read… this surely is one such habit that you should learn from your elder brother and I promise, you will be forever indebted. For someone coming from a humble background and not exposed to the global world, books will act as the bridge… reading will not just open up your mind but will also make you a much better conversationalist (and a storyteller), an art highly underrated in today’s contemporary world. Make reading a part of your day and your life.

Travel… in your lifetime, wherever you have opportunities to travel (and meet new people), embrace it with both hands. You may end up joining consulting industry which naturally gives you immense opportunities to travel and meet new people from all walks of life. You will start appreciating the fact that how people are shaped through their language, culture, history, geography, and family values and so you start appreciating the diversity.

Staying connected with social causes… Listen to me, I know you will get busy with your career, your finances, your weight, your future and I promise, it will all fall in place (without you even clearly realizing it) but never miss opportunity to connect with the important social causes. Makes you realize how blessed you were always… being humble, kind and caring will act like a tonic for your soul and it works like a positive boomerang. You won’t realize, this perhaps would give you a whole new purpose in life.

Sports, always have time for it… I know you’re going to be a hard driver in sports. You will have some great moments and there will be moments when you will be stumped badly (and when it happens, lose gracefully and with dignity). Regroup, make corrections and prepare for the next contest. As a famous saying goes, ‘Fail fast, fail early, fail often’.

and finally, take time to enjoy life, enjoy moments, value friends, family and meditate, and enjoy the journey…

Understand that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Plans will fail, things will go wrong, you'll learn to live with it. Part of what makes life so grand is we never know what’s coming next. Take the plunge and may you enjoy everyday of your life.

All the best, your older self.