A couple of days ago I had a very interesting chat with a friend whose story is one of the most inspiring ones for me. Almost ten years ago he moved overseas with his entire family, to a country where he did not know the language, starting from near scratch and today is probably the largest company in his industry globally. I was chatting about his journey and asked him what were the key strategic milestones and building blocks. There was silence for a few moments on the phone and then he said, – ‘Keep Ploughing’.

Those two simple words had powerful messages.

Of dedication and commitment. Setting high goals is easy, but those of us who stay the path, day after day are the ones who have the greatest chance of succeeding.

Of moving all the time. Neither getting paralysed with challenges, not resting on our successes. Sometimes when we are overawed, the mind just packs up and we are unable to do things that were otherwise easy to do. And when we taste success, if not careful, we forget the discipline that got us here.

Of constantly innovating. Nothing lasts forever. Just because things are going well, does not mean we stop preparing for the next phase which may look completely different from the way we do things currently.

Of focussing on the action, not worrying about the results. A good farmer knows that the fruits will only come when he ploughs, seeds and waters the plants well.

And when he shared some of his experiences, the biggest insight was allowing life to guide us, and making ourselves available to be led. Determination without faith can break us in tough times.

Not everyone is born with a big platform. But each one of us is capable of creating something beautiful and valuable, when we dedicate ourselves to an aspirational goal, no matter how far or impossible it may look. The secret lies in the simplicity of the two words – ‘Keep Ploughing.’

(Picture-Famous clock in the town square in Prague)