This is Day One

Day One!

17^thSeptember was my last day at work at Diageo, having spent four years supporting a massive transformation, that included re-structuring, new ways of working and building out a high-performance culture.

Although we had a farewell party a few evenings back, on my last day the team assembled together with HR folks from the region on Zoom to say a ‘final goodbye’.

The cake was unwrapped, and it said, ‘Happy Birthday’. (most cakes come for such occasions at office). Someone apologized, but unconscious process was clearly at work: recognizably this was a birthdate for me. A new birth to a new avatar. 

Today 18^thSeptemberis day one! 

Amazon is a 21-year-old company and yet each day is a ‘day one’ experience at work. Someone once asked Jeff Bezos at an all hands what ‘day two’ looks like.

Bezos response, “Day two is stasis. Followed by irrelevance. Followed by excruciating painful decline. Followed by death.” And that’s why each day at Amazon is always going to be day one.

As the curtain falls on time that marks day one, I have a lot to feel good about. It’s been an amazing day: including a website I flagged off late evening. I have never felt so exhilarated, ever so joyful. Hundreds of messages have poured in from friends and well-wishers and I have been touched. Blessings, goodwill and support have poured in and I have been so humbled. I feel blessed, grateful and truly privileged for the love and affection I have received.  

Day one is about ambition, vision and self-commitment, I imagine. I must remember that Tomorrow never comes. Tomorrow comes as Today. Every tomorrow comes as today. For today is always going to be the first day for what will be the rest of my life. 

For what happened until today is just my history. It cannot influence my geography. The past has no power over me, no influence in how I chose to live my Today. Unless I chose to let it. 

Let me commit to lead my life, One day at a time….one day at a time….