Key Learnings in 2023

I have been sharing my top learnings of the year online since 2021. Made a list of 12 key learnings that I have received from the experiences I had in 2023. Today’s newsletter is about those learnings -

1. Quantifying targets and writing things down is a great way to hold yourself accountable: This year I have met comparatively many more targets than I generally meet every year. The most impactful action that made it happen is holding myself accountable daily and having quantified targets. For example - I will walk 8K steps is way more specific than I will walk tomorrow. It sets clear expectations on what needs to happen to call a task successful. I have also religiously written down my daily plans the day before and held myself accountable accordingly. Once you learn to hold yourself accountable for your actions, your locus of control significantly increases.
2. Build healthy relationships and let go of the unhealthy ones: Build a strong support system. Adulthood offers enough complexity to make us lose our sanity. We need a group of loved ones who genuinely care about us and want us to win. Your loved ones will do whatever it takes to make your life easier. Also, ruthlessly cut down unhealthy relationships. Don’t waste time on people that make you feel miserable/ruin your mental peace. Let go of these people and double down on your winners.
3. Health impacts almost every part of your life: My biggest regret in life so far is I have never cared much about my physical health. It has significantly impacted a lot of areas of my life. Being weak and tired isn’t something anyone wants to feel all the time. Improving my health is going to be my most important target for 2024. Good health allows you to have great energy. Great energy drives great outcomes.
4. Process > Goal: Every year we make a list of goals that most of us fail to achieve. Because we obsess over the goal so much that we forget to focus on the process that delivers the goal. All the successful/wise people I know have great processes in place. I have very little trust in people who keep talking about targets but never talk about ways of achieving them. This year I focused more on inputs than outputs. It significantly improved my quality of work and the quality of my life.
5. Wealth is a great friend: I don’t believe money is the root of all evil. I believe it’s a great friend. It helps me live a better life and take care of my loved ones. All one needs to do is to keep greed in check and not turn it into a master. If you are a person in their late twenties, please focus on building wealth. It is a very important aspect of our lives. It may not solve all your problems or make you very happy but having access to resources will always increase your probability of winning in life.
6. Conversations are a great way to learn as long as it’s with the right people:People who know me know I am a bookworm. I try to read a minimum of 50 pages every day. I always found books a great (and sometimes only) way to learn. But this year I learned a lot by having conversations with people who are wiser than me and people who have walked on different roads in life than I have. Talking to people significantly helped me to see my blind spots and receive some high-quality advice. I have also had conversations where people tried to shove advice down my throat. The key is to find the right people to have conversations. Learn to embrace what matters and avoid what doesn’t.
7. Be a peaceful person but have the capacity to cause significant damage: Don’t be a harmless person. People will exploit you if they realize you can’t fight back. Be a kind and humble person. But also grow yourself in every way so that you can fight back whenever it’s required. Peace is always an option but be capable of exploring other options too. Because your enemies might. Be nice but don’t take shit.
8. If you want bigger wins, you will have to fight bigger battles: This year I faced some of my biggest professional and personal challenges. I overcame most of those, fortunately. I have always been a very ambitious person. I realized very early that I can’t have bigger prizes if I am not winning bigger games. I don’t pray and prepare for easier battles anymore. I pray and prepare to have more competence.
9. Networks will give you access to a lot of rooms, your skill will decide how long you will be allowed to stay: I am a big believer in having strong personal and professional network. I actively try to maintain and expand my network regularly. But one thing I have realized this year is I can’t keep getting opportunities just because I have a great network. I have to show the result. Your mentors and friends will invite you to rooms you never entered before. You will get in touch with powerful people. But they will only value you for what you can deliver, not because someone made a call to recommend you.
10. If you want clarity, write things down: I started writing regularly this year. I have a newsletter where I write three/four newsletters every month. This has been a very rewarding experience. I don’t write to teach, I write to learn. I use every write-up as an opportunity to talk to myself where I question and debate with myself. Suppose, I want to know about a topic or make a project plan. I start writing about it in detail after doing research. It helps me to get clarity on the matter. Writing makes me question every step I don’t understand. So I keep researching until I am fully clear. I will highly recommend you all to do this in both personal and professional lives. Don’t waste time on making PPTs. Those give you an illusion of wisdom. Be honest with yourself and write.
11. There’s nothing wrong in promoting yourself/your work. Just don’t be cocky about it: If you have worked hard and achieved something, be proud of it. Don’t be shy. Share your achievements and experience with all. Yes, some people will be jealous and talk negatively. Don’t care about it. Learn to love yourself more than other people’s opinions. That being said, please don’t be a bragger. Learn to promote yourself in a manner where you are respectful to other people. People will only appreciate you as long as you don’t overdo it.
12. If you want to be the master of the game, you have to act like a student every single day: All the men and women I consider as my mentors/idols have one thing in common. They act like students of their crafts even though they are at the top of their game. They approach every experience as a learning opportunity, not a teaching opportunity. There’s a quote, “Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.” A true student utilizes his/her ears way more times than he/she uses mouth. If you approach your craft as a dedicated student every day, your craft will make you a master one day.

I would love to read about what you have learned this year!