Introduction
In a world where many of us find ourselves trapped in the monotony of corporate life, ticking off boxes on society's checklist, there's often a burning desire to break free and create something extraordinary. Miki Agrawal's book, "Do Cool Sh*t," is a rallying cry for those who yearn to live life on their own terms, challenge the status quo, and immerse themselves in experiences that truly matter.
This book is not just about achieving success in the traditional sense; it's about crafting a life that aligns with your passions, values, and aspirations. Agrawal's journey serves as an inspiring example of how to redefine your dreams and manifest your best life. Her mantra of "doing cool shit" becomes a powerful tool for self-discovery and personal fulfillment.
As we dive into the key ideas of this book, prepare to embark on an exciting journey that will challenge your perceptions, inspire you to dream bigger, and provide practical strategies for turning those dreams into reality. Your life isn't just meant to be lived – it's meant to be savored, shaped, and celebrated. Let's explore how you can start doing cool shit and create a life that's as audacious as it is empowering.
Embracing Change and Deviation
Miki Agrawal's journey begins with a simple yet profound lesson: embracing change and deviating from the norm can lead to personal growth and new opportunities. This idea is illustrated through her experiences studying abroad in London during college.
The Power of Presentation
When Agrawal wanted to study abroad, she approached her parents with a business-like proposal. This strategy teaches us an important lesson: presenting ideas in a way that highlights mutual benefits is key to earning approval. By framing her desire to study abroad as an opportunity for personal and academic growth, she was able to gain her parents' support.
Stepping Away from the Crowd
Once in London, Agrawal made an unconventional choice during a bike tour. Instead of sticking with her group, she joined some local Brits playing soccer. This decision underscores the importance of stepping away from the familiar and embracing the unknown when opportunities present themselves. It's these moments of spontaneity that often lead to the most memorable and enriching experiences.
Connecting with Strangers
From her adventures, Agrawal developed a simple yet effective three-step approach to connect with strangers:
- Dress to impress: A unique outfit can serve as a conversation starter.
- Smile genuinely and generously: A warm smile can break down barriers and make you more approachable.
- Prepare conversation ice-breakers: Have a funny joke or thought-provoking question ready to initiate dialogue.
Learning from Negative Experiences
Agrawal's time in London wasn't all positive. She found herself in a degrading internship at a PR firm, stuck with tasks that added no value to her personal growth. This experience reinforced a crucial life lesson: all aspects of life – relationships, work, even purchases – should be mutually beneficial. When she realized she wasn't gaining anything from the PR internship, she made the bold decision to leave, which eventually led her to a rewarding position at the House of Lords.
Practical Steps for Embracing Change
To facilitate positive changes in your own life, Agrawal suggests the following steps:
- Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper, creating two columns.
- In one column, list the people, relationships, and activities that inspire you.
- In the other column, list those that drain your energy.
- Actively work on eliminating or reducing the energy drainers from your life.
- Prioritize and engage more with the positive elements.
These actions demonstrate the immense potential of deviating from the norm. By stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing uncertainties, you open yourself up to fresh opportunities, meaningful relationships, and personal growth.
Daring to Dream
Agrawal's journey takes a significant turn in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. This tragic event served as a wake-up call, making her realize the ephemeral nature of life and the importance of living on her own terms.
Writing Down Dreams
Fueled by this newfound clarity, Agrawal took a crucial step: she wrote down her dreams. Her list included playing soccer professionally, creating films, and launching her own business. This act of putting dreams to paper is a powerful tool for manifestation and goal-setting.
Overcoming Obstacles
Agrawal's first goal was to explore opportunities in women's soccer leagues. However, she faced two significant hurdles: lack of experience and a nine-to-five banking job that conflicted with tryout schedules. Instead of giving up, she chose to confront these challenges head-on.
Making a Convincing Case
To overcome the obstacle of her day job, Agrawal approached her managing director with a heartfelt plea about following her dreams. Her approach offers valuable advice for those trying to manifest their own dreams:
- Seek out the kindest, most understanding person in a position of power in your organization.
- Ensure you have their undivided attention.
- Ask specific questions and provide precise information about what you need.
- Assure them that their interests are still a priority to you.
- Request their blessing – this helps them empathize with your passion and dreams.
Transitioning from Conventional Job to Passion
The journey from a conventional job to following your passion is filled with risks, but it can be immensely rewarding. Agrawal emphasizes the importance of treating existing responsibilities with respect to ensure a smooth transition. This includes thoroughly training your replacement or diligently handing over tasks.
Perseverance in the Face of Setbacks
Although Agrawal's soccer venture didn't pan out as hoped, her journey demonstrates the importance of chasing your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. The key takeaway is to muster the courage to ask for what you truly want – you might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Embracing Life's Twists and Turns
Agrawal suggests taking a leaf out of MacGyver's book and creatively navigating challenges using the resources at hand. Embracing the unexpected twists and turns of life is an essential part of personal growth and self-discovery.
Discovering Your Calling
After her foray into professional soccer and departure from her banking job, Agrawal found herself at a crossroads. This moment of uncertainty led her to develop the concept of "I-EX" – Internal Examination.
The Power of Introspection
Instead of rushing into any available opportunity, Agrawal emphasizes the importance of introspection to discover a path more in tune with one's aspirations. This process helps prevent burnout and ensures that your next steps align with your true desires.
Two Pivotal Questions
Agrawal's self-exploration began with two crucial questions:
"What am I genuinely good at?" This question goes beyond professional abilities and delves into personal strengths. For Agrawal, her list included sports, fitness, marketing, business, writing, languages, and building connections.
"What am I passionate about?" This question aims to match interests with dreams. Agrawal's deep-seated love for storytelling and films emerged as a guiding light, leading her toward the film production industry.
Embracing Uncertainty
After navigating initial hurdles in the film industry, Agrawal recognized that freelancers had higher earning potential. She made the bold decision to embrace the uncertainties associated with self-employment, driven by her passion and willingness to work hard.
Finding Your Life's Calling
To discover your own calling, Agrawal suggests asking yourself the same questions she did. Consider:
- Problems you've adeptly solved
- Unique contributions you've made in previous workplaces
- Your specific skill set
- Activities that bring you joy
- The kind of work that would make you feel proud
Once you've identified what you're good at and what you're passionate about, it's time to move into the application phase.
Turning Passion into Action
Agrawal's journey took another unexpected turn when she discovered the alarming practices in America's dairy industry. This revelation sparked a new entrepreneurial idea: creating a pizzeria that aligned with her values. To bring this vision to life, Agrawal developed a four-step approach.
Step 1: Dive into Research
Agrawal immersed herself in the world of pizza and natural foods. She used Google extensively to understand the dynamics of her chosen industry inside out. This step emphasizes the importance of thorough research before embarking on any new venture.
Step 2: Engage Your Network
Agrawal discussed her idea with knowledgeable individuals from diverse sectors. She asked specific questions about her envisioned restaurant's look, menu, necessary capital, and ideal location. This step highlights the value of surrounding yourself with experienced people during the brainstorming phase.
Step 3: Find a Mentor and Shadow Them
Agrawal gained invaluable, hands-on experience by shadowing a successful restaurateur. This step underscores the power of learning from someone who's already traversing the path you wish to walk.
Step 4: Assess the Demand
To confirm the viability of her idea, Agrawal conducted surveys to gauge potential customer interest. This step emphasizes the importance of market research in validating business ideas.
From Idea to Reality
Armed with knowledge, a refined idea, practical experience, and confirmation of demand, Agrawal was ready to actualize her dream. Over seven months, she raised seed money, meticulously planned her branding, and secured a prime location.
Agrawal's journey underlines that turning a business idea into a flourishing reality requires well-targeted questions, strategic planning, patience, and a relentless drive. However, she also discovered that community is a crucial component of entrepreneurial success and of being able to do the cool shit you want to do.
Embracing Community
Agrawal's experiences highlight the importance of building and nurturing a supportive community, or "tribe," in achieving remarkable endeavors.
The Power of Shared Experiences
Agrawal reflects on the many birthdays, games, and moments shared with her family and friends throughout her childhood. These formative experiences laid the foundation of her "tribe," emphasizing that achieving remarkable endeavors is closely tied to cultivating a robust community.
Lessons from Burning Man
To illustrate the power of community, Agrawal draws parallels with the Burning Man festival. This annual event, which began in 1986 with just a few attendees, has grown into a thriving community of hundreds of thousands. The festival's success affirms people's inherent tendency to seek togetherness.
Ten Principles of a Strong Community
Larry Harvey, the cofounder of Burning Man, laid out ten principles that embody the spirit of a strong community:
- Radical Inclusion: Everyone belongs.
- Gifting: Emphasizes unconditional giving.
- Decommodification: Creates an environment devoid of commercial sponsorships, encouraging genuine relationships.
- Radical Self-reliance: Nurtures inner resources.
- Radical Self-expression: Allows everyone to showcase their unique identities.
- Communal Effort: Celebrates cooperation and collaboration, fostering collective growth.
- Civic Responsibility: Shows the importance of public welfare.
- Leave No Trace: Advises respect and protection of the environment.
- Participation: Encourages everyone to be active contributors, not just spectators.
- Immediacy: Promotes living in the present moment and cherishing natural surroundings.
Being Through Doing
Among these principles, a general message stands out: achieve being through doing. This profound sentiment suggests an enriching way of life that urges us to be present, engaged, and proactive.
Practical Steps to Build Your Tribe
Agrawal suggests several simple actions to put these principles into practice:
- Rejoice when you meet your tribe members
- Encourage everyone to share their unique stories
- Choose deep conversations over small talk
- Value everyone's presence
- Strive to bring out the best in each other
- Uphold honesty
- Stimulate creativity and helpfulness
The Essence of Community
Building the right community is about more than just surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals. It's about creating an inclusive, supportive, and expressive environment that allows everyone to flourish. Remember, the essence of doing cool shit is not just about the output – it's also about the journey, the process, and the people you share it with.
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Journey of Doing Cool Sh*t
As we reach the end of our exploration of Miki Agrawal's "Do Cool Sh*t," it's clear that the path to an extraordinary life is paved with bold choices, self-discovery, and meaningful connections. Let's recap the key ideas that can help you embark on your own journey of doing cool shit:
Embrace Change and Deviation: Stepping out of your comfort zone and deviating from the norm can lead to personal growth and unexpected opportunities. Don't be afraid to take the road less traveled.
Dare to Dream: Write down your dreams and pursue them relentlessly. Even if the outcome isn't exactly what you envisioned, the journey itself is invaluable.
Discover Your Calling: Take time for introspection. Identify your strengths and passions, and find ways to align them with your career and life goals.
Turn Passion into Action: When you have a great idea, follow Agrawal's four-step approach: research thoroughly, engage your network, find a mentor, and assess demand. This structured approach can help turn your passion into a viable business or project.
Build and Nurture Your Tribe: Surround yourself with supportive, like-minded individuals who inspire and challenge you. Create a community based on principles of inclusion, self-expression, and mutual growth.
Learn from Setbacks: Every failure or unexpected turn is an opportunity for growth and learning. Embrace these moments and use them to fuel your journey forward.
Live Authentically: Align your actions with your values and passions. Don't be afraid to break away from societal expectations to create a life that truly resonates with you.
Be Present and Engaged: Achieve being through doing. Actively participate in your life and community, choosing deep connections and meaningful experiences over superficial interactions.
Continually Evolve: Your dreams and passions may change over time, and that's okay. Stay open to new possibilities and be willing to pivot when necessary.
Celebrate the Journey: Remember that doing cool shit isn't just about the end result – it's about the experiences you have, the people you meet, and the person you become along the way.
Agrawal's journey from a conventional banking job to a multi-faceted entrepreneur and author is a testament to the power of these principles. Her story reminds us that we all have the potential to create extraordinary lives filled with purpose, passion, and cool shit.
As you close this book and reflect on your own life, ask yourself: What cool shit do you want to do? What dreams have you been putting off? What changes can you make today to start living more authentically?
Remember, the path to doing cool shit isn't always easy or straightforward. It requires courage, resilience, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. But as Agrawal's experiences show, the rewards – personal growth, fulfillment, and a life rich with meaningful experiences – are well worth the effort.
So go ahead, take that first step. Start small if you need to, but start. Write down your dreams, assess your passions and skills, reach out to your network, and begin crafting a life that excites you. Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in your vision. And most importantly, believe in yourself and your ability to create the life you want.
Your journey to doing cool shit starts now. Embrace it with open arms, a curious mind, and an adventurous spirit. Who knows what amazing experiences, opportunities, and cool shit await you on the other side of your comfort zone?
As you embark on this exciting new chapter of your life, remember Agrawal's core message: life is too short to spend it doing things that don't light you up. So go out there, take risks, pursue your passions, build your tribe, and most importantly, do cool shit. Your extraordinary life is waiting for you to create it.