PVPF 2024

Interview with Sundeep Singh Author of “Chasing the Horizon: A True Story of Grit, Hope and Perseverance

Dive into the inspiring journey with Sundeep Singh, author of 'Chasing the Horizon.' A true tale of grit, hope, and perseverance.
on Jan 16, 2024

Sundeep Singh is an ardent student of life, trying to demystify the perfectly imperfect world in his multiple roles as a father, husband, son, author, blogger, runner, and consultant.

He is a leading voice amongst the youth and often speaks about the power of positive thinking and perseverance. He is a strong proponent of living a purpose-led life. He recently ran 100 half-marathons in 100 consecutive days to spread awareness about air pollution.

By background, Sundeep is an alumnus of IIT Delhi & IIM Kozhikode, and is a Managing Director at Accenture Consulting.

Frontlist: Why did you choose the title "Chasing the Horizon" for your book? How does it symbolize the theme and message you want to convey?

Sundeep: We are all creatures of desire. We spend a lifetime shaping and chasing our goals, which manifest in diverse forms such as success, recognition, fame, appreciation, wealth, material possessions, and a sense of purpose, among others. When we are in the middle of a chase, it means the world to us, so much so that our entire Life revolves around it.
However, very often, we don't attain the much sought-after contentment even after successfully accomplishing these goals. We initially celebrate the accomplishment, get used to it, and soon start chasing bigger goals. In the process, we spend a lifetime in a chase but never really get there, just like a horizon that seems enticing, visible within grasping distance...but never really there and ever-changing. And I positively say this – it is this never-ending chase that "pushes" us to evolve, to become a better version of ourselves.

Frontlist: In the narrative, does Aman's journey as a carefree individual shed light on the delicate balance between personal happiness and societal pressures, particularly concerning career success? Additionally, considering the reflections of your own journey in the book—highlighting grit, hope, and perseverance—could you delve into some of the personal insecurities you encountered and your strategies for overcoming them?

Sundeep: Yes, there is a delicate balance – not just between personal happiness and societal pressures, but across multiple priorities. We are all juggling multiple balls (just like a clown!) in our different roles, and we cannot afford to drop any ball.

In Aman's case, he is a carefree kid who loves playing pranks, worships Tendulkar, and couldn't care less about career & growth. However, he soon gets trapped in the mad rush of cut-throat competition all around. From being a happy-go-lucky kid, he rapidly transforms into a subject of mockery and humiliation. He slips into a state of haze that masks his ability to think rationally.
When I reflect upon my own journey, I feel most of 'my' insecurities emanated from 'others'. Yes, it may sound ironic, but it's true – rather than looking within, we often tend to look outside for answers, and that's the foundation of all insecurities. As a clueless student sitting in the FITJEE classes, I often used to worry about how other students always seemed to know the answer. I envied their confidence, their abilities, their marks, their material possessions, their happiness, their everything…

Over time, I have developed my own mechanisms to navigate these insecurities. Three things have particularly worked well for me –
Firstly, I have started looking within for answers. I stopped playing the victim card and owning my actions. I stopped thinking that the world was conspiring to downplay me, for the reality is that the world couldn't care less.

Secondly, I learned to make peace with ambiguity. I realized that when you are in the middle of a journey, it is okay not to have full visibility around the path to success. It is okay to feel lost. What is not okay is to let that uncertainty hinder your ability to get up every morning and do the right thing.

Last but not least, I have realized there is immense power in just hanging in there. I don't think any more about the long, difficult path ahead; I just take one step at a time. As they say, you don't need to see the full staircase; just take the next step in good faith.

Frontlist: How can individuals find a balance between setting ambitious goals and being practical? When establishing personal or professional objectives, what advice do you offer for navigating the fine line between hope and practicality?

Sundeep: The first thing to do here is honest introspection. You need to ask yourself how badly you want the thing you set as your goal. Is it because you are truly passionate about it, or is it because 'others' expect you to get it? If the answer is the latter, then you are probably drifting away from practicality and becoming too ambitious in your chase. In my case, I was struggling badly till I was chasing the dream of making it to IIT without being genuinely passionate about it. Things started to change only when the desire to get it came from within.
Now, coming to the practicality side of things - always have a back-up option. That immediately relieves a lot of pressure. Don't get stuck on one goal as if it's that or nothing. There are so many paths to success, more so today than what it was two decades ago. Go all-out with full conviction and dedication while chasing your goal, but with the assurance at the back of your mind that if for some reason things don't work out, there are other options.

Frontlist: What specific life lessons do you aim to convey through Aman's story in "Chasing the Horizon," particularly in the context of talent and success, and how do you hope readers will apply these lessons in their own lives?

Sundeep: Through my book 'Chasing the Horizon,' I have tried to bring out several messages that I feel are relevant for our younger generations.
First of all, Life is full of choices and options – the ones you choose will shape your destiny. Making the right choices is not always easy. Sometimes, your ability to think rationally is masked due to the mess you find yourself in. In those instances, lean on the advice of people who genuinely care for you.

The next thing to remember is that even when you make the right choices, there will be hurdles along the way – hurdles in the form of insecurities, fears, distractions, mistakes, and detractors. Don't get overwhelmed and stuck when you encounter these. As long as you keep moving, you will be okay.

Also, remember that overcoming hurdles doesn't require exceptional talent or abilities. It just requires unwavering commitment and patience. You cannot control the outcomes, but you can control the process. Focus on things that are in your locus of control. Your thoughts, your efforts, and your actions are in your control, and that's all you need to control the process.
In the larger scheme of things, also remember that the journey never really ends; the goals just keep evolving. If possible, fall in love with the journey rather than with the destination. If you can start enjoying the journey, the struggles, the efforts, the victories, the ups & downs along the way, you will have loads of fun along the way

Frontlist: How does the pressure to excel in exams for institutions like IIT or IIM affect students' well-being, and what strategies can promote a healthier experience amidst academic demands and emotional, physical, and social challenges?

Sundeep: Competitive exams can take a toll on students' well-being. Most of these exams come at a very fragile age when the students are going through a lot of physical changes and emotional turbulence. There is no silver-bullet to address these challenges, but some simple tactics always help.

First of all, it is important to eat healthy. Sometimes, exam pressure leads children to resort to junk eating as a 'mood-lifting' mechanism. As much as possible, remind yourself that while it offers instant gratification, it actually depletes your energy reserves. Try to eat simple, healthy food and stay hydrated. It helps a lot. The results may not be immediately visible, but you will notice the difference if you consistently follow it over a period of time.

Secondly, take a good rest and sleep well. In our quest to 'create' more time, we often cut down on sleeping or resting time. Sometimes, it is inevitable, but that cannot be a default option as it again reduces your productivity if done repeatedly over time.

Lastly, remember that every minute you spend on something can be spent on five other things. You could be studying, playing, spending time with family & friends, sleeping, listening to music, and so on. Please make sure that you consciously evaluate that what you are doing in the moment is the best use of your time, and if it is not, do something different. The moment you follow this principle, you will start eliminating non-value-adding, unproductive activities from your schedule. You will find yourself spending less or no time gossiping, cribbing, or worrying about what others think about you.

Frontlist: How can parents support their focused children without adding unnecessary pressure? What strategies and approaches can parents adopt to encourage their child's efforts without making them feel overwhelmed?

Sundeep: I think parents can do two things to support their children better.
The first is to fix an inadvertent mistake they end up making even when they have the right intention to support their children. They often share the success stories of others to motivate their children. Sometimes, these success stories lead to more pressure than do any good. Listening to these success stories, the students start to create a very high, sometimes unrealistic, bar in their minds. What children need to hear more about is something that they can relate to – maybe people's vulnerabilities, insecurities, failures, mistakes, and then also the tactics they deployed to overcome these.

The other thing that children need is unconditional support. The key word here is 'unconditional'. In my case, this is the thing that really helped me more than anything else. My parents gave me the comfort that they would stand by me regardless of how badly I messed up. My mother, for instance, completely downplayed the stress I had created in my mind when I once scored 2 marks out of 25. She reacted as if nothing had happened. Similarly, when my school teacher called my father to complain about my habit of falling asleep in class, my father calmly (yet firmly) requested him not to wake me up the next time he saw me sleeping in class. That's the kind of unconditional support that children need.

Frontlist: As a prominent voice among the youth, what key message or guiding mantra do you advocate for the younger generation to foster success and personal growth?

Sundeep: Life is not a 100-meter dash; it's a long-distance marathon. As is typically the case in a long-distance marathon, you will go through many ups and downs.

When you are going through a successful phase, don't let that get to your mind, for like all things, that too may not last forever. Equally importantly, when you are going through a difficult phase and lack the motivation to go any further, just remind yourself, 'This too shall pass,' and keep moving. Just hang in there.

As much as possible, learn to detach from the joys and sorrows that Life brings along and master the art of following the process and enjoying the journey. Easier said than done, but if you can master that, you will go very far in Life and have loads of fun along the way!