'Maintain focus on the work at hand, filter out the rest' (IANS Interview)

Author Prajeet Budhale, a certified coach from the International Coaching Federation, narrates a parable to tellingly drive home the point about the need to remain focused.

A king had a visitor who asked: "Oh king and my dear friend, I have seen you do so many things throughout the day. But I find you composed and focused on achieving what matters in your kingdom. What is the secret of your success?"

Before the king could answer, he was called aside. Since it was dusk, he gives an oil lamp to his visitor, asking him to tour the palace but to ensure that not a drop of oil fell on the floor else he would be beheaded.

When they met over dinner, the king asked the visitor about the tour. The man replied that since he was so focused on ensuring the oil did not spill, he missed out on the rest.

The king replied: "Just as you maintained your focus on the lamp instead of getting caught up with the beauty of the palace, I maintain my focus on the light of the work I do instead of getting caught up in the other things around me."

"Staying focused is a significant part of the message," of INFIN-EIGHT (Fingerprint/Rs 250/221 pages), Budhale, who has more than 20 years experience in leadership, sales, sales management, customer service, operations and consulting, told IANS in an interview for his debut novel.

"If you analyse our lives, everything is about 'what we focus on' that determines what we achieve and what we experience. The book breaks the conventional paradigm that 'we can achieve anything we believe we can achieve'. The book helps create a new paradigm that 'We can achieve infinite success in the finite zone of our strengths, beliefs and resources'," Budhale added.

The book helps identify innate strengths, create future goals inside the realm of these innate strengths and align our resources of time, energy, relationships and emotions to the goal. The book doesn't stop at giving ideas, but helps converge the ideas into powerful action plans, the author explained.

For working professionals, the book enables them to identify their innate strengths as well as create compelling goals in their area of strengths. It helps them devise a development plan for skills, knowledge and experience, and also build relationships and partnerships that drive success. It also designs a step by step tracker for achieving goals and aids with managing emotions effectively.

All this is covered in the format of eight principles -- I, as I am/Natural Field Of Excellence/Future Goal/Independent Ability/Not to Knot Relationships/Independent Partnerships/Tracker For Progress/Emotional Equilibrium in the book.

"The book is not a knowledge enhancer, but a step by step guide to fine-tuning results and well-being in one's own life. It is crisp and to the point, without wasting time on examples and concepts which matter the least to the new age readers," Budhale explained.

How did the book come about and how long was it in the writing?

"I have been working over a decade in consulting to add value to more than 170 clients with my work. In this process of enhancing organisational effectiveness, I paused one day to write down an article that outlines the key practices that help create professional success. Soon I realised it would take more than an article to communicate the essence of success. Eventually it took shape of a book.

"In fact, the principle of 'persistently consistent' which is outlined as a concept in the book helped me complete the book. Even in the peak of pressures in life I kept to writing 10 pages a day. In a year I had substantial material which was later edited to create INFIN-EIGHT," Budhale said.

What of the future?

"Personally, I realise that the amount of practical insights I have due to my work need to be translated into benefits for many. I have already begun authoring my next book. Like INFIN-EIGHT, it will focus on another critical aspect for professional success. My professional focus continues to be on finding crispest and simplest ways for learning, which leads to tangible results. You will see some path breaking work in this space in the next 18 months," Budhale concluded.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be contacted at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in <mailto:vishnu.makhijani@ians.in>)

--IANS

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