7 principles of Virat Kohli that have been the biggest influence on my adult life

FITNESS

For the first 23 years of my life, every day was a "rest day" in fitness parlance. In fact, I am probably giving myself too much credit by calling it that; it would be more apt to label each day as a "cheat day".

My initial few months at Goldman were far from being smooth sailing. My first role at the firm entailed work that did not quite align with my set of interests. Slowly but surely, I was losing my sense of purpose. My self-esteem and confidence had hit rock bottom. While I may have felt that it was not completely my fault for finding myself in this trough, I knew that it was my responsibility for digging myself out of it.

In late 2016, I happened to come across this video where Kohli describes the positive influence that being physically fitter had on his mental fortitude. The power of Kohli's words equipped me with the courage to enter uncharted territory i.e. the gym.

Kohli: Before and After

This is just what the doctor ordered! The gains were not limited to the body; they were doing wonders for my mind as well. By starting a chain effect, my improving physical condition was enabling me to perform at an optimal level in all areas of my personal and professional life. This is what makes physical exercise such a keystone habit. The beauty of fitness lies in the fact that there is no cap on how much you can improve. The 'it' in 'I have made it' or the 'there' in 'I have gotten there' is dynamic. They are quick to redefine themselves by moving farther as soon as they are temporarily met.

Before and After

Thus, as much as I would like to sprint the fitness marathon, I understand the importance of being long-term greedy in this everlasting cycle of challenge-progress-goal-challenge.