Reset | Restart | Refocus

After 12 years, 1.4 billion people almost saw their dream come true – India lifting the Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy. What a dominant performance we had in the group stage and semi-finals only to see Australia walk away with the trophy in the Finals. But do we realize that more than us, it was those 11 players on the field who had been living that dream for years and on the field for those 2 months and their heartbreak will be at least 14 times bigger than ours?

India has been knocked out in almost a dozen tournaments since 2013 but this time we believed that we would sail through. The team had their focus and eyes on the coveted champion title throughout, but alas we lost the day it mattered the most. But then what next, India went on to defeat Australia 4-1 in a T20 series. The team had to reset, restart and refocus. The next World Cup may be years away, but what we do in between is what is important.

In 2013, after a failed startup, I was dejected and unsure of what I should do next. Being academically brilliant and having quit a well-paying job, I had no idea where to head next and what to pursue professionally. I had to hit the reset button. I reached out to my professor and he asked me if I would be keen on doing something in the education space, so I decided to restart my professional career and refocus on my dreams. Years later, in my last stint, I was working as Chief Operating Officer of a listed entity. Sometimes taking a break is all you need to do.