Key Lessons From 2024
2024 has been one of the finest years of my life so far (10 days left. I hope it ends well). I have made good progress in my career, my relationships with family and friends improved, read some great books, became more religious, and found peace. Here are my 2024 key learnings -
You will outgrow some people: Growth is a natural part of life. Every year we grow a little and this growth demands change from ourselves. In this growth journey, some relationships that have been part of your previous version won’t fit in your lives anymore. You need to ask yourself who are the people limiting your growth, who are the people in your life with whom you don’t have any alignment, and what are the relationships that are creating negative emotions in you. Learn to let them go. Honor their role in your journey, but don’t hold yourself back from maintaining connections that no longer serve your growth.
Don’t limit yourself: A man can only be as big as he dreams. We chain ourselves with our limiting beliefs. We keep saying mean things to ourselves that we wouldn’t even speak to our worst enemies. We let our insecurities and fears win over our hope. This year I have done things I didn’t think I could do. I have pushed my limits harder than I generally do. I have learned to value my dreams more than I fear my insecurities.
Keep track of every penny you earn and spend: I come from a middle-class family. I learned money management at a young age. Over the last few years, my earnings have improved for which I am grateful to Almighty. But I have not allowed myself to be indisciplined about money just because I have more now than I used to have. I keep track of every expense and save/invest with a lot of planning. I know the value of money and I will never allow myself to let it get wasted by buying things I don’t need or to impress other people.
Don’t push your loved ones to do something just because you enjoy it: I have a habit of gifting everyone books. I don’t give it because they like it. I do it because I like it. I wish I spent more time understanding what they want and gifting them accordingly rather than pushing them to my choice. I hate it when other people push me to do something that I don’t like. I should have realized that I do the same to other people. I am trying to be more mindful of others’ interests and respect those.
Plan life. Don’t just go with the flow: I am a very structured person. I plan my every step. I know it sounds boring but whatever little I have achieved in my life is a result of my planning skills. A clear plan helps me prioritize my goals, manage my time better, and avoid unnecessary stress. Planning lets me take charge of my life’s direction and gives me a sense of control over my next steps in life.
Don’t feel shy about your ambitions: We live in a society where people see it as arrogant to have big ambitions. Own your goals unapologetically and work toward them with determination. People who matter will respect and understand it. People who don’t respect your goals don’t deserve to be in your life.
Always improve your position: There’s a saying that the best way to win a negotiation is to be in a better position than your counterpart. We should continuously improve our positions in life to ensure we are not in a desperate situation. Whether in negotiations, career, or personal endeavors, we must seek incremental improvements. These small accumulations of wins will put us in a place of strength and power eventually. So that when the opportunity arrives, we can strike with full force from a favorable position.
Your job is to cross the swamp, not fight all the alligators: Till my early twenties, I thought I must fight and win all the battles. All the bullies I meet, all the inefficiencies I come across. It’s easy to be consumed by every small issue or obstacle, but this can drain your energy and resources without bringing you any closer to success. The real skill lies in recognizing which battles are worth fighting and which can be left alone.
The best way to lead is to set examples, not big talk: Something great happened this year. For the third time in a row, I became the highest-rated leader in my workplace (in the Employee Engagement Survey). I love leading people and helping them become someone they can be proud of. I have taken every leadership opportunity I could get since I was in school. Leadership is a big part of the person I have become over the years. If I have learned anything about leadership, it’s setting high standards by creating examples for people to follow, not talking big games.
Maintain boundaries: Learn to prioritize yourself. Don’t let everyone have access to you anytime. Learn to say no when necessary. It will help you to protect your energy and time. It's not selfish; it's self-care. Never let anyone take access to you for granted and exploit you. Also, learn to maintain a clear boundary between your personal and professional lives. The clearer the separation you can maintain between these two, the happier you will be.
I would love to hear about your learnings this year. Please feel free to reply to me in this email or write in the comments section.