Aspiring Means Never Arriving
Stop aspiring.
Stop saying “I am an aspiring filmmaker.”
The words we use are really strong.
You are always going to be “aspiring”.
You are never going to get there, if you call yourself somebody who is always on the journey.
Instead say “I am a filmmaker”.
Print a card and say “Director, Cinematographer, Editor”.
Then just like the label you have to conform your identity,
you have to do that stuff now.
Suddenly you have movies because that is what a filmmaker does.
What does an “aspiring” filmmaker do?
He “aspires”.
If you want to quit smoking,
you have to say “I am a non-smoker”
You have to change your identity.
Because if you identify yourself as a “non-smoker”, you are going to conform to that identity.
What does a non-smoker do?
They hate smoke.
It makes them sick.
They stay away from cigarettes.
You got to checklist yourself.
You got to go 180 degrees.
If you do it gradually, it won’t work.
I went from “I hate sports. I hate working out. I hate exercising. I love food.”
To “I am an athlete”.
I changed my identity.
By the next day everything changed.
What does an athlete do?
Loves to workout.
Makes time to workout.
There is no time?
You make time when you love something.
As soon as your identity changes,
your label changes.
You conform to that.
So that’s the power of the identity we choose,
the words we choose to describe ourselves.
Stop “aspiring”.
Start “being”.
Useful Idea
For years, I’ve described “Happy and Rich” as a pursuit. Something to aim for, not to arrive at. But listening to the above idea of identity made me question that belief.
What if I already am Happy & Rich?
Writing that feels uncomfortable. It sound like bragging. But it’s also true.
I have work I love with people I admire.
I have health on my side.
I have an incredible family.
I have more money than I’ve ever had - all self-made.
I have challenges I get to solve everyday.
By my definition, I am already Happy & Rich.
So here’s the insight: Being Happy and Rich aren’t just outcomes. They are states of mind. You attract more of what you already are. Once you identify yourself as Happy & Rich, you start acting like it. You take care of your body. You give back. You solve meaningful problems.
Closing Reflection
Words matter. Labels matter. “I am” reshapes how you act, and how you act reshapes who you become.
So I no longer say “I’m pursuing Happy & Rich.”
I say “I am Happy & Rich.”
What I pursue instead is meaning - in my work, my family, and my learning.
👋 I’m Harsh. I build businesses with people I like and share useful ideas for living a Happy & Rich life.
Here’s where I spend most of my time:
iDeals Virtual Data Rooms – helping IB, PE & Corp Dev close deals faster
M&A Community – where dealmakers connect, learn and grow
Happy Ratio – loaded wraps that make healthy eating delicious
Marcellus Investment Managers – compounding wealth the right way
Zero1 by Zerodha – a curated network of high quality storytellers that build what this generation needs and not what it needs to be sold.
Harsh Batra (Connect with me on LinkedIn)