At TFI: Sense of Possibility (Day 2)

"I am not a pessimist or an optimist. I am a possibilist." - Max Lerner
The day being on 'Yellow Hat' or the 'Possibility thinking, here are few of the lessons I personally learnt on the ‘Sense of Possibility:
1. Flexibility in Planning: Where you can either stay the plan failed or the plan got evolved. But one learnt that Planning and Preparation are important. 

2. Persistence and Perseverance: Technically it could be called Pestering. Just don’t give up and keep on trying. May be for 10 minutes, the people will not be convinced, but at the 11th minute you can crack the nut. Thanks to Harsh for teaching me by the way he was convincing people.  

3. Sense of Possibility: Big task at hand; Setting High Expectations - okay this is good. But one does get doubts of achieving the set goal. The game of earning Rs.25 each (which one thought was a ‘practical joke’ played by TFI on the new fellows) taught me that it is in fact possible to achieve that goal which one thought impossible, not simply difficult; one just needs to TRY. One realised that ‘Earning Rs.25 each’ is an analogy of the TFI’s vision of ‘excellent education for all children’. At this juncture, the apprehensive part of the self asks for proof. The visit of the Akanksha kids and their presentation and interaction with Ms.Anjali during the second part of the day gave the necessary evidence. Though the doubtful self has not been completely banished, it is slowly getting chipped away thanks to the day’s experience. Still, one holds few doubts – which are in fact helping to keep a heightened sense of attentiveness and a readiness to learn more. But a step forward was taken today and progress is being made.

4. Team Work: Companionship & Fellow-traveller; More than one head thinking; Complement each other's Strengths and Weaknesses; Sense of Identity (Odd Job Wallas)

Two more mantras that I had been using in my pre-TFI time were:

Start small: Even a 1000 miles journey starts with a single step (Learning at TFI: But remember to set a 1000 miles vision – Set Big Goals; Have High Expectations; Raise the Bar)

Copy success: So that you don’t reinvent the wheel (Learning at TFI: Ask for help; Value team work)