Your Next Step

Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Weekly

Welcome! Your Next Step is a Pakistan-based Urdu podcast about growth, ambition, ideas, and the world around us. Hosted by Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi, each episode explores powerful ideas, real-world stories, technology, artificial intelligence, business, money, mindset, and life—with practical insights you can actually use. No unnecessary noise. No empty motivation. Just ideas and perspectives to help you think differently, make better decisions, and take your next step. 🎙️ We release a new episode every Monday at 7AM. Insha'Allah.

  1. 3 days ago

    So Close to Success: Why Entrepreneurs Walk Away | منزل سے عین پہلے دستبرداری کیوں؟

    Why do so many entrepreneurs quit just when their hard work might finally start paying off? Starting a business is exciting. But staying committed when sales are slow, customers are not coming, and results fall short of expectations is where the real challenge begins. In this episode of Your Next Step, Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi explores why entrepreneurs give up too early, the psychology of delayed gratification, and how unrealistic expectations can turn temporary setbacks into permanent decisions. Through the inspiring journeys of Canva co-founder Melanie Perkins and Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, we explore the reality behind entrepreneurial success, repeated rejection, financial pressure, slow growth, and the patience required to build something meaningful. You'll discover: Why entrepreneurs expect success too quickly. How delayed gratification shapes long-term success. Why comparing your business journey with others can destroy motivation. How to distinguish between temporary setbacks and genuine business failure. When to persist, when to adapt, and when to walk away. A practical 30-day framework to evaluate your business progress and make smarter decisions. Success takes longer than most people expect. But persistence doesn't mean blindly following the same path. It means learning, adapting, measuring progress, and making better decisions. If you're an entrepreneur, startup founder, business owner, or someone struggling to turn an idea into a successful business, this episode will help you rethink failure, patience, and your next move. Listen now and discover whether you're giving up too early or holding on to the wrong strategy. 🎙️ Your Next Step with Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi No noise. No fluff. Just ideas that move you forward. Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/

  2. 26 Oct

    Emotional Intelligence In Relationships: وہ ہنر جو ہمیں اسکول میں کبھی نہیں سکھایا گیا

    کیا آپ بھی غصے میں اپنے قریبی لوگوں سے ایسی بات کہہ دیتے ہیں جس پر بعد میں پچھتاوا ہوتا ہے؟ اس کی وجہ صرف غصہ نہیں، بلکہ وہ مطلب بھی ہو سکتا ہے جو ہم دوسروں کی باتوں سے اخذ کرتے ہیں۔ Your Next Step Podcast کی قسط 23 میں اعجاز احمد لودھی کے ساتھ جانیے کہ جذباتی ذہانت (Emotional Intelligence) کیا ہے، ہم غلط فہمیوں کا شکار کیوں ہوتے ہیں، اور اپنے جذبات کو سمجھ کر بہتر فیصلے کیسے کر سکتے ہیں۔ Emotional Intelligence: The Skill School Never Taught You Have you ever reacted in anger, misunderstood someone's intentions, or damaged a relationship over a small disagreement? The problem may not be anger alone, but the meaning we assign to other people's words and actions. In Episode 23 of Your Next Step Podcast, host Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi explores emotional intelligence, anger management, self-awareness, and the psychology behind our emotional reactions. Learn why we sometimes mistake criticism for disrespect, how assumptions fuel unnecessary conflict, and how to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively. Why intelligence alone isn't enough to manage emotions and relationships. How to recognize emotional triggers and question your first interpretation. How anger and misunderstandings affect communication. A practical three-step framework: Pause, Examine, Respond. How to build self-awareness, manage conflict, and develop healthier relationships. Think about a recent disagreement and ask yourself: What actually happened? What meaning did I assign to it? Could there be another explanation? Because not every thought is a fact, and not every emotion needs an immediate reaction. 🎙️ Your Next Step Podcast with Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi Practical insights for personal growth, emotional intelligence, and better relationships. Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/ What You'll LearnA Practical Exercise

  3. 19 Oct

    The Comparison Trap: سب کچھ ہے، پھر بھی خوش کیوں نہیں؟

    کیا سوشل میڈیا آپ کی خود اعتمادی چھین رہا ہے؟ دوسروں کی کامیابیوں سے مسلسل موازنہ آپ کو اپنی زندگی سے غیر مطمئن کر سکتا ہے۔ اس قسط میں جانیے کہ ہم اس موازنے کے جال میں کیوں پھنس جاتے ہیں اور سات دن کے ایک عملی تجربے سے اپنی خود اعتمادی اور اپنی ترقی پر توجہ کیسے بہتر بنا سکتے ہیں۔ Everyone seems to be moving ahead. So why does your own life suddenly feel like it's falling behind? A friend lands a dream job. Someone your age buys a new car. Another person travels the world or seems to have the perfect life. You keep scrolling—and without even realizing it, you start questioning your own progress. Welcome to the comparison trap. In this episode of Your Next Step Podcast, Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi explores how social media comparisons can quietly affect your self-confidence, distort your perception of success, and leave you feeling that you're never doing enough. Drawing on psychological research, we uncover why we compare ourselves with others, how the constant exposure to other people's achievements can affect our well-being, and why reaching one goal often leaves us chasing another. But here's the real problem: you're comparing your entire life with someone else's highlight reel. So, how do you break the cycle? Discover a practical seven-day social media audit to identify your comparison triggers, clean up your feed, reduce mindless scrolling, and start measuring your progress against your past self—not someone else's timeline. Because someone else's success doesn't make you a failure. And you don't need to be ahead of everyone else to be proud of how far you've come. Stop comparing. Start growing. Take your next step. 🎙️ Your Next Step Podcast with Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi. No noise. No fluff. Just ideas that move you forward. Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/

  4. 12 Oct

    How Professionals Use AI? | مصنوعی ذہانت سب کے پاس ہے، آپ دوسروں سے آگے کیسے نکلیں گے

    اس قسط میں جانیں کہ اصل برتری صرف مصنوعی ذہانت استعمال کرنے میں نہیں، بلکہ بہتر سوال کرنے، سوچنے، فیصلہ کرنے، تخلیق کرنے اور عمل کرنے میں ہے۔ ایک سادہ اصول کے ذریعے سمجھیں کہ مصنوعی ذہانت کے دور میں اپنی انفرادیت اور برتری کیسے برقرار رکھی جا سکتی ہے۔ ChatGPT has changed everything. But what happens when everyone has access to the same power? In Episode 21 of Your Next Step, Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi explores the next big question of the AI era: If everyone can use ChatGPT, how do you stand out? AI can help us research faster, write better, generate ideas, analyze information, and complete tasks that once took hours. But as AI becomes more accessible, simply knowing how to use it will no longer be enough. The real advantage will come from something deeper: how you think, the questions you ask, the decisions you make, your ability to challenge AI’s answers, your creativity, and most importantly, your ability to turn ideas into action. Drawing on recent research from the OECD and the International Labour Organization, this episode explores how AI is changing the workplace—and why the future may belong not to those who use AI the most, but to those who know when to use it, when to question it, and when to think for themselves. You’ll discover a simple framework to stay ahead in an AI-powered world: Question → Understand → Decide → Create → Act Because when everyone has the same technology, technology itself no longer makes you different. What you do with it does. The question is no longer “What can ChatGPT do for me?” It’s: “What can I do with AI that I couldn’t do before?” And even more importantly: “If everyone around me has the same AI, what makes me different?” 🎙️ Your Next Step with Ijaz Ahmed LodhiIdeas, habits, and real-life stories for people who want to think better, work smarter, and take their next step. Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/

  5. 5 Oct

    “کیا آپ کا ماضی آپ کے مستقبل کو کنٹرول کر رہا ہے؟ ” | Five Ways To Work On Your Future

    کیا آپ کا ماضی آپ کے مستقبل کا فیصلہ کر سکتا ہے؟ اس قسط میں جانیں کہ ماضی کی ناکامیاں، غلطیاں اور تلخ تجربات  آپ کی زندگی کی سمت کیوں طے نہیں کرتے، اور محدود سوچ سے نکل کر ایک بہتر مستقبل کیسے بنایا جا سکتا ہے۔ Can your past really decide your future? Your past may have shaped you—but it doesn’t have to define you. In this episode of Your Next Step Podcast, Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi explores how past failures, mistakes, rejection, criticism, and painful experiences can quietly shape the way we see ourselves—and influence the choices we make about our future. Drawing on psychological research, including Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset and the Pygmalion Effect, this episode reveals how our beliefs and expectations can influence our actions, confidence, and potential. You’ll also hear the inspiring story of Oprah Winfrey, whose difficult past didn’t become the limit of her future. Most importantly, this episode goes beyond motivation. You’ll discover 5 practical steps to challenge limiting beliefs, rebuild confidence, change the way you see your past, and start making better decisions for your future. If you’ve ever thought “I’ve made too many mistakes,” “I’m not good enough,” or “My past has already ruined my chances,” this episode is for you. Your past is a chapter of your story—not necessarily the ending. 🎙 In this episode, you’ll discover: • Why your past doesn’t have to define your future• How limiting beliefs shape your decisions• What the Growth Mindset teaches us about failure• How the Pygmalion Effect shows the power of expectations• What Oprah Winfrey’s journey teaches us about overcoming adversity• 5 practical ways to break free from the past• How to rebuild confidence and create lasting personal growth Your past may explain where you came from. It doesn’t have to decide where you go next. Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/

  6. 28 Sept

    “کیا آپ اپنا وقت دوسروں کے حوالے کر چکےہیں؟” | Why Highly Successful People Protect Their Time

    ہم اکثر سمجھتے ہیں کہ کامیابی کے لیے زیادہ سے زیادہ مصروف رہنا ضروری ہے، لیکن حقیقت یہ ہے کہ کامیاب لوگ اپنے وقت کو بھرنے کے بجائے اس کی حفاظت کرتے ہیں۔ اس قسط میں ہم جانیں گے کہ وقت کی حدود مقرر کرنا، گہری توجہ کے ساتھ کام کرنا، غیر ضروری کاموں کو ’’نہیں‘‘ کہنا اور اپنے بہترین اوقات کو اہم کاموں کے لیے محفوظ رکھنا کیوں ضروری ہے۔ ساتھ ہی یہ بھی دیکھیں گے کہ مصنوعی ذہانت سے بچنے والے وقت کو صحیح جگہ استعمال کرکے اپنی ترقی اور مستقبل کو کیسے بہتر بنایا جا سکتا ہے۔ کیونکہ کامیابی صرف زیادہ کام کرنے کا نام نہیں، بلکہ اپنے بہترین وقت کو صحیح کام کے لیے استعمال کرنے کا نام ہے۔ Why do highly successful people protect their time? Because being busy is not the same as making progress. In this Episode of Your Next Step, host Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi explores why successful people treat their time—and especially their best hours—as one of their most valuable assets. We often believe that productivity means filling every hour with tasks, answering every message, accepting every request, and staying constantly available. But real progress often requires the opposite: setting time boundaries, protecting deep focus, and learning when to say no. In this episode, we explore: Why being busy does not always mean being productive How time boundaries protect your most valuable hours Why constant interruptions damage focus and mental performance The hidden cost of switching between tasks How deep work can help you accomplish more with less distraction Why saying “no” is an essential success skill Bill Gates’ “Think Week” and the importance of protected thinking time How artificial intelligence can save time—and why that saved time needs to be used wisely A simple 7-day experiment to improve your focus and productivity Practical ways to take control of your time instead of allowing others to control it The goal is not to do more things. It is to spend your best time on the right things. If you constantly feel busy but struggle to make meaningful progress, this episode may change the way you think about time, productivity, focus, and success. Your time is limited. Your attention is even more valuable. Protect both. 🎙️ Your Next Step with Ijaz Ahmed LodhiA Pakistan-based Urdu podcast about personal growth, mindset, technology, artificial intelligence, business, finance, and practical ideas for moving forward. Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/

  7. 21 Sept

    “اگر آپ نے اے آئی کے ساتھ کام کرنا نہیں سیکھا تو آپ پیچھے رہ جائیں گے ” | How to Use AI to Stay Ahead in Your Career | AI Skills & Future of Work

    مصنوعی ذہانت ہمارے کام کرنے، سیکھنے اور پیشہ ورانہ زندگی کے انداز کو تیزی سے بدل رہی ہے۔ لیکن کیا مصنوعی ذہانت ہماری ملازمتیں ختم کر دے گی، یا اصل خطرہ ان لوگوں سے پیچھے رہ جانا ہے جو اسے بہتر طریقے سے استعمال کرنا جانتے ہیں؟ اس قسط میں مصنوعی ذہانت کے روزگار پر اثرات، اس سے جڑی عام غلط فہمیوں اور ان انسانی صلاحیتوں پر بات کی گئی ہے جو مستقبل میں بھی اہم رہیں گی۔ ساتھ ہی یہ بھی جانیں گے کہ مصنوعی ذہانت کو اپنے کام میں مؤثر انداز سے کیسے استعمال کیا جائے، اس کے نتائج کی جانچ کیوں ضروری ہے، اور مستقبل کے لیے اپنی مہارتوں کو کیسے مضبوط بنایا جائے۔ مستقبل میں کامیاب وہی ہوگا جو مصنوعی ذہانت سے مقابلہ کرنے کے بجائے اسے سمجھ کر اپنے کام کا حصہ بنانا سیکھے گا۔ Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we work, learn, solve problems, and build careers. But does that mean AI will take our jobs? Or is the real risk falling behind people who know how to use AI effectively? In this episode of Your Next Step, Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi explores the impact of AI on careers, the biggest misconceptions about AI and jobs, and the human skills that remain valuable in an increasingly AI-powered world. You’ll discover why problem-solving, analytical thinking, adaptability, creativity, human understanding, decision-making, and deep expertise may matter more—not less—as AI becomes more capable. This episode also looks at research on AI-assisted work, including how AI can improve productivity while still producing mistakes when used without human judgment. Most importantly, you’ll learn five practical steps you can take to start using AI in your own work—whether you’re an employee, student, teacher, business owner, freelancer, or job seeker. You don’t need to be a technology expert or spend money on expensive courses. You need to understand where AI can help, learn how to ask better questions, verify its answers, and combine AI with skills that create real value. The future of work is changing. The question is not whether you should be afraid of AI. The question is: how will you adapt? 🎙️ Listen to Episode 18 of Your Next Step and discover how to use AI to stay relevant, improve your productivity, and build stronger career skills in the future of work. Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/

  8. 14 Sept

    "کمائی بڑھی، خرچ کیوں بڑھ گیا؟" | You Earn More, But Why Aren't You Richer? Apply These 5 Simple Rules To Control Lifestyle Inflation

    آمدن بڑھنے کے باوجود بچت کیوں نہیں بڑھتی؟ اس قسط میں ہم طرزِ زندگی میں اضافے کے اس رجحان کو سمجھتے ہیں، جہاں آمدن بڑھتے ہی اخراجات بھی بڑھنے لگتے ہیں۔ جانیں کہ زیادہ کمانا ہمیشہ زیادہ دولت کیوں نہیں بناتا، ہم مسلسل نئی چیزوں کی خواہش میں کیوں مبتلا رہتے ہیں، اور اپنی مالی ترقی کو بہتر بنانے کے لیے کون سے پانچ عملی اصول اپنائے جا سکتے ہیں۔ اس کے ساتھ ایم سی ہیمر کی حیران کن کہانی اور ایک سادہ مالی تجربہ بھی اس قسط کو مزید دلچسپ بناتا ہے۔ What happens when your income goes up—but your savings don’t? You get a better phone, upgrade your car, eat out more often, subscribe to more services, and slowly turn yesterday’s luxuries into today’s necessities. Your lifestyle improves, but somehow, financial stress doesn’t disappear. In this episode of Your Next Step Podcast, we explore Lifestyle Inflation—the often-overlooked cycle where increasing income leads to increasing spending, leaving little room for real financial progress. We’ll break down why earning more doesn’t automatically make you wealthier, how hedonic adaptation keeps us chasing the next upgrade, and why inflation and lifestyle inflation are two very different forces. You’ll also hear a real-world story involving rapper M.C. Hammer, take part in a simple spending experiment, and learn five practical rules to prevent every salary increase from becoming another monthly expense. Most importantly, this episode will challenge the way you measure financial success. Because having a higher income is one thing. Keeping more of it—and turning it into financial freedom—is another. If your income is growing but your savings aren’t, this episode might make you look at your spending habits very differently. Your Next Step: Before your next upgrade, ask yourself: Am I improving my life—or simply increasing my lifestyle? Listen and follow for more: https://podfollow.com/your-next-step Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ijazahmedlodhi/

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About

Welcome! Your Next Step is a Pakistan-based Urdu podcast about growth, ambition, ideas, and the world around us. Hosted by Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi, each episode explores powerful ideas, real-world stories, technology, artificial intelligence, business, money, mindset, and life—with practical insights you can actually use. No unnecessary noise. No empty motivation. Just ideas and perspectives to help you think differently, make better decisions, and take your next step. 🎙️ We release a new episode every Monday at 7AM. Insha'Allah.

Information

  • Creator
    Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ijaz Ahmed Lodhi
  • Show Website
    Your Next Step