How can I make my dreams less intimidating?

The speaker suggests writing down your biggest, most audacious dreams and feeling embarrassed by them. This process, coupled with achieving even one of these big goals, shifts your brain's perspective, making other large aspirations seem more achievable and boosting your confidence.

What is the importance of doing hard things?

According to the speaker, quoting from 'Kota Factory', doing hard things builds confidence in life. Achieving a difficult goal can dismantle mental blocks and instill the belief that other seemingly impossible tasks are also within reach.

How should I deal with setbacks and unexpected challenges?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of 'Drive,' which means continuing to work towards your goals irrespective of circumstances. Drawing an analogy from Ayrton Senna, she advises to be like a great driver who can perform even when the track is wet, pushing forward despite difficulties.

What does it mean to be delusional in pursuit of goals?

The speaker defines 'Delusion' not as ignoring reality, but as having stubborn optimism and an absolute belief in your capacity to achieve your goals, regardless of external opinions or your current achievements. It's about blocking out the noise and trusting yourself.

What advice is given for overcoming self-doubt when starting something new?

When faced with skepticism from others and internal doubt, the speaker advises to stop listening to the voices, both internal and external, that tell you you're not capable. She stresses the importance of believing in yourself above all else.

How can I maintain faith in myself during difficult times?

The speaker encourages having faith in yourself, especially when things aren't going your way, when you're overthinking, or when you see others succeeding. This unwavering self-belief is crucial for navigating uncertainty and achieving ambitious goals.

Key Moments

TedxGGI : A.D.D. — Audacity, Drive, Delusion. | Deeya Shah | TEDxGGI

TED

Nonprofits & Activism6 min read21 min video

Oct 23, 2026|99 views|4

English Life Mental health Personal growth TEDxTalks [TEDxEID:67046]

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Achieving audacious goals requires a stubborn belief in oneself, even when faced with overwhelming obstacles. The speaker's journey from an unathletic student to a doctor and CEO highlights the power of this mindset.

Key Insights

The speaker's personal journey demonstrates overcoming self-doubt by achieving a 10 km run, which then enabled her to pursue admission to the Indian School of Business (ISB).

During a period with four major goals in July, the speaker faced personal heartbreak, the departure of a key intern, postponed exams due to extreme rain, and a broken toe requiring emergency surgery, yet still managed to pass her final medical exams with honors.

The speaker's company, My Sehat Sakhi, connects patients with affordable diagnostics and healthcare schemes, providing access to free government treatment for thousands of people.

The 'ADD' framework comprises Audacity (dreaming bigger than reality, to the point of embarrassment), Drive (persisting through inevitable setbacks), and Delusion (stubborn optimism and belief in one's own capabilities).

The audacity to dream beyond current reality

Dr. Deeya Shah introduces the 'ADD' framework: Audacity, Drive, and Delusion. She emphasizes that audacity means dreaming so big that your goals scare you. She urges the audience to write down their most ambitious dreams, even if they feel embarrassed by them. This isn't about starting small; it's about tackling daunting challenges. Drawing inspiration from Kota Factory's G2A, she explains that accomplishing hard things builds confidence, shifting your perspective to see previously impossible goals as achievable. This newfound belief then propels your brain to find pathways to success. Shah shares her personal experience of transforming from an unathletic individual, who struggled even with short runs, to completing a 10 km run. This achievement dismantled her mental block of 'Dia is not a runner,' which in turn made her believe she could pursue admission to her dream university, the Indian School of Business (ISB), a goal she had previously deemed unattainable for someone like her.

Transforming belief through challenging achievements

The confidence gained from achieving the 10 km run, a goal that seemed impossibly hard, became a catalyst for tackling other significant aspirations. Shah explains that successfully completing one formidable task often makes other seemingly insurmountable challenges appear more manageable. This is why she strongly advocates for setting ridiculously large goals, whether it's gaining a massive social media following, becoming a CEO, or creating a groundbreaking product. The act of pursuing these ambitious targets, and crucially, achieving at least one of them, fundamentally alters one's self-perception and capability assessment. It’s this internal shift that fuels further progress and makes the pursuit of subsequent ambitious goals feel less daunting and more attainable.

The relentless drive to push through adversity

While audacity sets the vision, drive is the engine that keeps you moving forward, especially when faced with inevitable setbacks. Shah advises against generic 'hustle culture' platitudes, instead focusing on the raw persistence required when goals are truly ambitious. She recounts her father's simple yet profound advice: 'This is life. You're an adult now. This is going to keep happening. Move forward.' This perspective highlights the necessity of accepting that challenges are constant and that the ability to move past them is crucial. Shah illustrates this with a period in July where she juggled final medical exams, major presentations for grants at IIM Bangalore and IIM Bombay, and running her company. Amidst this pressure, she experienced a breakup, a key intern leaving without notice, exam postponements due to unprecedented rain, and a broken toe requiring surgery just before a crucial pitch, all while dealing with excruciating pain. Her resilience in continuing to work and study through these extreme circumstances demonstrates true drive.

Finding strength in 'driving in the rain'

To persevere through such immense difficulties, Shah invokes the quote from Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna: 'The difference between a good driver and a great driver is his ability to drive in the rain.' She applied this to her own life, constantly asking herself if she wanted to be a good driver or a great one. This question became her mantra during her most challenging times, pushing her to continue even when every fiber of her being wanted to stop. The ability to perform and progress when conditions are terrible, not just when they are favorable, is what distinguishes those who achieve extraordinary feats. This relentless pursuit, even in the face of pain and overwhelming odds, ultimately led her to pass her final medical exams with honors.

Delusion: The essential optimistic self-belief

The final 'D' is delusion, which Shah defines not as ignoring reality, but as 'stubborn optimism in your own capacity.' It's the unwavering belief that you are the best person capable of achieving your goals, regardless of external validation like grades, opinions from friends, or family doubts. Drawing parallels with Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, who states that every driver must believe they are the absolute best, Shah emphasizes the need to block out external noise. She shares her own experience starting her healthcare navigation platform, My Sehat Sakhi. Despite having no business background and facing widespread skepticism from industry professionals who cited the healthcare system's complexity, she persisted. Her best friend's intervention was crucial, snapping her out of self-doubt and reinforcing her belief in her ability to succeed.

Empowering access to healthcare through 'Sehat Sakhi'

Shah's decision to proceed with starting My Sehat Sakhi, despite the discouragement, had a profound impact. The company has since enabled thousands of people to access free healthcare. This is achieved through initiatives like QR codes outside government hospitals in Bombay, allowing people to scan and identify eligible government schemes for treatment. This practical application of her audacious, driven, and 'delusional' pursuit demonstrates the tangible positive outcomes of believing in oneself and pushing forward against prevailing doubts.

Embracing human fallibility while refusing limitation

Shah concludes by acknowledging that she is still the same person who gets scared, lives with uncertainty, and sometimes listens to negative external opinions. However, the fundamental change is that she no longer allows these feelings or opinions to dictate her actions. She urges the audience to similarly pursue their big goals, dreams, and hopes with audacity, drive, and enough delusion to believe in themselves when the world says they cannot.

The ultimate importance of self-faith

Drawing inspiration from the movie 'Legally Blonde,' Shah ends with a powerful message: while having faith in others is important, the most critical faith one can possess is faith in oneself. This self-belief is particularly vital during uncertain times, late nights filled with overthinking, and when comparing oneself to others' achievements on social media. It's in these moments of doubt that holding onto faith in one's own capabilities becomes paramount for continued progress and success.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Organizations

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

The ADD framework, as presented by Deeya Shah, stands for Audacity (dreaming bigger than your current reality), Drive (persevering through setbacks and challenges), and Delusion (stubborn optimism and unwavering belief in your own capacity).

Topics

Goal Setting Human Performance Mindset & Self-Improvement Personal Growth Career & Skills Overcoming Obstacles

Mentioned in this video

Media

Kota Factory

A web series from which a character's quote about confidence from doing hard things is referenced.

Legally Blonde

A movie from which a quote about having faith in oneself is shared as a concluding remark.

Organizations

Indian School of Business

The speaker's dream university, which she achieved after overcoming mental blocks.

People

Ayrton Senna

A Formula 1 driver whose quote about driving in the rain serves as a metaphor for perseverance through difficult times.

Max Verstappen

A Formula 1 driver quoted for his belief that drivers must see themselves as the absolute best to succeed.

Concepts

AI Engineer

A career goal mentioned by an audience member, representing a common aspiration after graduation.

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