Redefining Success: From Winning to Continuing
Success is a word we throw around a lot — sometimes as a destination, sometimes as a measurement, and often as a feeling we chase but rarely pause to define. Today, I want to share my definition of success and I want to do that with a story.
I start with this quote that resonates deeply with me.
"Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence."
That quote by George F. Will hits home for me… You see, I am a former professional and now failed athlete. Although, depending on the day, I tell myself that I am a recreational athlete. Recreational just sounds nicer.
Growing up in India, cricket wasn’t just a sport — it was my drug. A drug I needed to carry on living. I wasn't sure why I was so obsessed. Looking back, I realize I risked being in trouble by my Indian parents and teachers alike every other day just to be out and about in the sun, rolling in the mud. What was I chasing?
I think I was chasing excellence. Hence the quote. "Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence." I didn’t want to just watch greatness — I wanted to be a part of it. But as I write this, I did not get to be a part of it.
When I was just three years old, I sat through an interview with a state school board. And maybe, they saw something in me. To my Mom's immense disappointment, I was admitted to a school known for producing elite athletes (not engineers or scientists) — a school that’s given seven international cricketers to India. I wanted to be the 8th (or 9th or 10th....)
Anyway, I was a varsity athlete at my school, and later in my teenage years, I was one for my university. The university tenure was rough. I wasn’t able to do well. At times, my teammates did not look me in the eye due to my failures. Yet, I was chasing that dream. After graduation, I went back to playing full-time. And I did well. But here’s the thing — in India, sports and education don’t go hand in hand. You can pick one. Maybe succeed. But try to do both? You likely end up like me - an MBA candidate at Foster School of Business who is a weekend warrior in recreational leagues that no one really cares about.
Cricket was the only thing I loved to the point where success or failure was irrelevant. Until it wasn’t. In 2016, the year I was chosen as a net bowler for IPL teams RCB and SRH by the Hyderabad Cricket Association, I quit. Not because I thought I wasn’t good enough, though the injuries and rejections certainly piled up. I quit because my father underwent an open-heart surgery. Suddenly, the cost of chasing my dream became too high. I felt that my inconsistent income and consistent injuries caused some unspoken pressure on my parents. So I chose to walk away, move to the U.S., and try to build a "normal" life like my parents wanted. Some of my friends made it big – one in particular made it really big (M. Siraj – now a World Cup Winner).
But cricket followed me. Or maybe I followed it. I became an All-American at the University of Florida. The first one from UF (named by American College Cricket). UF honored me with a leadership award for bringing Cricket onto the map. I got drafted in the minor league Cricket tournament in the USA. I was even invited to the USA national trials (Southeast zone). For the last 9 years, I have played in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Washington. But every time I got close to what felt like the next step, something happened — a week before the Minor League Season, I ruptured my plantar fascia and was on crutches for 2 months. On the day of the USA cricket trials, I broke my finger in a fielding drill. Then there was an ATFL ligament rupture and a zone 3 metatarsal fracture, and a posterior tibialis tendinitis. I can go on… but you get the gist.
Recommended by LinkedIn
I never made it big.
On a personal front, things weren't always smooth. Career went very well, but relationships did not. I fell in love, and it did not work out. Between 2018 and 2023, I saw my family and friends back in India for about 4 weeks. Work and COVID did not let me travel home. I lost a precious friend during this time. Pushing for an MBA, I wanted to get into the Ivy League. I wrote the GMAT 5 times. But here I am.
So what do you call a story like mine? It's not a conventional success story — at least not by the scoreboard. Did I fail in my chase of excellence? Time will tell.
But here's what I want to share: Success isn’t always winning. It’s continuing.
It’s in showing up. It’s in redefining your identity. It’s in accepting reality.
Life as a competitive athlete taught me a lot of things. Most importantly, though, it taught me how to lose. How to adapt. How to survive without applause. And maybe that’s my story — not a hero who won, but a human who continues.
Program Specialist III - Global Payments/Accounts at Uber
1moCouldn't have shared it with a better picture mate. With the legend himself. 🙌
Former Director and Scientist, Defence R&D Org. (DRDO) | Visiting Professor (Management) | Author
1moA new perspective....
Google Revenue Strategy & Ops MBA Intern | UW Foster MBA ’26 | Ex-Product & Revenue Strategy, Disney
2moBeautiful and you are always a champ!
Warrior✨
Product @ Fluke | MBA Candidate | Ex-EY
2mo♥️