The Rules That Its Okay to Break

The Rules That Its Okay to Break I never really felt like I fitted in at school. I labelled myself a ‘misfit’, and sometimes even a ‘failure’, because I didn’t comfortably fit into certain boxes or categories, and because breaking the rules sometimes made more sense than following someone else’s path.   But as I’ve grown up I found that being a rule-breaker and a misfit  have  served me  pretty well! I’ve never really been one to ‘go with the flow’. I always felt compelled to shake things up, to take the road less travelled, you know? And I believe a lot of entrepreneurs go through the same thing. I would never advocate being reckless, but I think it’s time we acknowledge that there is the power and value in strategically swimming against the tide. Breaking the “rules” (who wrote those, anyway?) is sometimes the most productive thing you can do for manifesting your vision.   Here, I decided to share the rules I broke and why  you  should think about breaking them too.  â€œNever work with friends or family”  I threw this one straight out of the window and here’s why…  What do you want from those who work with you in accomplishing your goals: loyalty, honest communication  andshared passions? You’ll be hard pressed to find someone better placed to provide these things than your nearest and dearest.  I’ve found that the candidness, dedication, and  the  shared passions I have with my closest crew of friends has made them ideal colleagues. They  get  me, they  get  what I’m trying to create, and when one of us succeeds we all succeed. When it comes to my music, I need to be comfortable enough to  expose  myself creatively, to be vulnerable. The trust I have with my friends make them the ideal people to help with my musical career.  And I couldn’t think of anyone better placed to collaborate with on  MPower  (our mental health  organisation) than my mom. We’re already on the same wavelength, cherish the time we spend together, and share the same vision for a compassionate and nondiscriminatory society. We were already a ‘team’, we just  formalised  it by working together!  â€œFollow the crowd, don’t fight the current trends”  When I had the idea for Svatantra, the public in India didn’t think very much of the microfinance industry. Microfinance means loaning small amounts of money at fair and affordable rates so rural women with little to spare can grow their businesses. But there were a lot of  organisations  around going by the name of ‘microfinance, who loaned money at extortionate rates. That tainted  the industry’s  reputation.  But I believed in the potential benefits of microfinance when it’s done RIGHT.  When it comes to any business, you’re playing the long game. Often, you  have to  plant the seed and then wait to see the fruits of your  labour. Five years on, Svatantra is thriving and so are many of the women who benefited from our approach to microfinance. Our customers speak for themselves, and their success is shifting the way people view microfinance.    â€Don’t  dream too big” I was obsessed with music ever since I was young. But even when I was at college, performing regularly and writing my own material, I was still scared to tell other people that this was what I wanted to do with my life. It’s so important to  realise  that life is short and  in order to  be happy we must do what we’re really passionate about. My dream is to be the first Indian artist to break into the commercial international music arena. Has it been done before? No. Does that mean its impossible? Certainly not! When I decided to set up Svatantra, I was just 17 and people told me I was dreaming. I was “too young”. What did I know? Who did I think I was?!  Sometimes this is a defensive mechanism other people put in place to protect you they want you to keep your goals small to cushion the blow should you fall short. That’s well intentioned, but only  you  know if you have the fortitude and inner resources to withstand failure or criticism. And whether you’re willing to take that risk anyway.  I set up my mental health initiative having looked at the at the suicide rate in India and all the stigma attached to mental health. The numbers were overwhelming, how was  I  going the turn the tide? But I didn’t feel like I had a choice but to try. What was I meant to do, stand and watch?  â€œTrust evidence over intuition” Whether youre contemplating leaving a relationship, starting a new business or venturing into a totally new career, trusting your intuition is  so  important.   Music was not a traditional path, it was not the natural progression expected of me. But it  felt  right, and it still feels right. I have overcome some hurdles, and I expect more on the journey, but I have no doubt that I am doing the right thing. People are beginning to respond  really positively  to my work, my last song went platinum in India and we had loads of radio plays and streams from around the world. It is an awesome feeling to see real numbers and downloads where I had previously only seen a vision of what  could  be. When you begin writing a song it can be intimidating, just you and a blank page. But amazing producers across the world stepped forward to work with me, from Atlanta to Oslo, and now I have four songs coming out  early  next year! “Work day and night. Your vision should completely consume you.” This is SUCH an outdated attitude! Work-life balance is so important to build something sustainable. It can be easy to ignore your own personal needs when youre trying to build a business or a career,  but more and more people are  recognising  that mental health is as important physical health if either of those are compromised your work output is going to suffer.   I volunteered on a student mental health helpline during my time at college in England and saw  first hand  the self-defeating results of putting yourself under so much pressure to perform it made  really talented  people completely crumble.  While focus, dedication and gritty hard work are important, you can’t be in the best position to reach your goals if you’re operating at 50%. Long term, balance is so much better than burning out. This guest post was authored by Ananya Birla At the age of 22,  Ananya  Birla  has already won many awards for her contributions to Indian business and society. Hailed as a  United Nations  Young Change Maker  and one of  Forbes Asias Women to Watch,  Ananya  was just 17 when she set up the social enterpriseSvatantra Microfinance, which provides micro loans to rural entrepreneurs, mainly women. Last year she launched a luxury lifestyle platform called  Curocarte, which designs and sells unique handmade products from around the globe.  Her family, the Birlas, have had a significant role in Indian business since the 18th century and supported India’s independence movement.  Ananya’s father Kumar Mangalam  Birla  is the chairman of Fortune 500 company Aditya  BirlaGroup, India’s first truly global corporation, which has activities in industrial materials, mobile telephones, retail and financial services.