The mind can be the force that takes you from the couch to 100 km - Vishal Gondal
The clichéd fat to fit challenge is something everyone has been a part of and yet, very few can claim to have successfully completed it. We all lead busy lives and we all seem to lack the self-motivation needed to lead a fit life. This is what Vishal Gondal decided to change with Goqii.
Vishal had setup India Games, India's first and largest mobile gaming company, which was sold to Disney for $100 million. After 15 years of entering into entrepreneurship, and serving as the managing director for Disney UTV Digital, Vishal has started his new venture Goqii.
This is a wearable technology company that aims to create a health care ecosystem. The idea of Goqii resonates deeply with Vishal's personal journey of finding health.
Setting an impossible goal of a 100km walk in 48 hours
When you think of getting up and working on a fitness goal, most of us would think of joining a gym, doing yoga or even think of a small five or ten kilometre run. But not Vishal, he decided to begin big and the goal was going on a 100 km walk in 48 hours.
Like any busy entrepreneur and later director, Vishal had a hectic and erratic schedule. Travelling around the globe, late nights and erratic food habits, "I would eat every kind of junk food available, pizzas, burgers, soda anything. And while I was a national level volleyball champion in school, I started becoming really unfit with time," says Vishal.
However, Vishal realised that this was unhealthy and wanted to get his health back. The first thing he decided to do was think big.
I truly, believe that when you think and dream big, bigger things happen to you .
Make announcements in the viral world
Not only did Vishal think of this crazy seemingly impossible dream, he ended up announcing it all over the social media space. This made him accountable, now everyone knew about it and kept asking or talking to him about his goal and next steps. So, to make the task seem easier, Vishal got a personal coach. Apart from training Vishal, the task of this coach was to push him to his limits.
Vishal says:
"Whether, I was travelling or working, the coach would nag and push me to plan out my workout schedule. And this really is the premise of Goqii. While you have apps that track your steps and movements, you don't have someone motivating you to take that extra mile or push you. With Goqii, you have a personal trainer who not only keeps track of your progress but also helps put your fitness goals in the right perspective."
Confidence gives capability
While most people would lose confidence when they are faced with a challenge and seemingly impossible goal as this, for Vishal the goal gave new perspective. He says that the amateurs and the everyday guys discouraged him but not the pros. The pros just gave tips and techniques on how to make his goal achievable. "This is another insight in Goqii, if you look at our coaches they don't discourage or berate anyone, they simply help getting your focus back. If you miss a day of training, they don't berate you, they give you alternative solutions," says Vishal.
Power of Motivation
Vishal believes that for any task to be successful, you need to be motivated the right way, like he was. Today, Vishal is a regular marathoner, avid trekker and climber. He believes that the power of motivation can help anyone achieve seemingly impossible tasks as well. Goqii brings that with the help of technology. "You might have several apps that track steps and calories taken in, but they don't bring the personal connect and motivation that Goqii brings," concludes Vishal.