Recently, a friend and his wife visited us from Coimbatore, a vibrant South Indian city celebrated for its post-summer drizzles, people with polite demeanor, renowned colleges, and thriving entrepreneurial culture. His wife, an accomplished obstetrician, is highly sought after for her exceptional skill and compassionate care for expecting mothers.
Curious about their travel plans, I casually asked her, “How are you heading back to India?”
“We’re flying Singapore Airlines,” she replied, “to avoid multiple transits.”
“Oh…SQ31?” I asked.
“Yes. You remember the flight number?” she said, pleasantly surprised.
“Yes, it lands at 6:30 PM in Singapore, just in time for me to meet friends for dinner,” I said with a smile, “SQ31 is my first choice too to visit Coimbatore.”
As the conversation shifted toward her profession, I couldn’t resist asking, “How many babies have you delivered so far?”
“About 10,000,” she replied, matter-of-factly.
“10,000? That’s incredible! How did you reach such a number?”
“I’ve been practicing for 25 years,” she said with a modest smile.
“And how many hysterectomies have you performed?” I asked.
“Not too many—around 6,000,” she answered calmly.
I was floored. “6,000 isn’t too many? No wonder so many mothers choose you!”
She simply smiled, her humility shining through.
“Will you ever retire?” I asked, curious about her future plans.
“As long as I’m productive, I won’t,” she replied, embodying the spirit of a consummate professional.
At that moment, her career path struck me as remarkably similar to SQ31’s steady flight path. Who would have thought I’d take a career lesson from a nonstop flight from SFO to SIN?
SQ31 spends about an hour climbing to its cruising altitude, maintains that level over the Pacific for 16 hours, and then descends into Singapore. Her career mirrored this pattern, steadily climbing during her training and sustaining a high, impactful level of productivity – consistent, disciplined, and reliable.
This flight path offers an invaluable lesson. If we work relentlessly during the early years to reach our Peak Productivity (PP), and sustain that level through discipline and effort over decades, long-term success becomes attainable.
But how do we emulate SQ31? First, you must deeply desire it—it must become a priority. Discipline and focus are essential. Successful people reach PP by committing fully to their goals. And just like SQ31 doesn’t simply coast at cruising altitude, burning fuel to stay steady, we too must continually learn and update our skills to maintain our peak.
Be like SQ31—consistent, enduring, and built for the long haul.