27 Lessons I’ve learnt in 27 Years

When I turned 27 this year, during a flight journey I thought of scribbling down 27 lessons I’ve learnt over the years. I’ve tried to keep these lessons as short as possible with maximum clarity.

1. JOMO > FOMO. Embracing Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) over Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is the key to happiness and fulfilment over a long time.
2. Organic Farming might sound sustainable and fancy, but it is not practical to use it to feed the rising population. Also, it is quite unsustainable considering the amount of land it uses.
3. Learning doesn’t end in school and is a lifelong process. Self-learning is key in the 21st century.
4. Programming or Coding is an essential skill that needs to be learnt. I regret not learning it, but I’m in the process to master it.
5. Excel is the most wonderful software in the world. I had underestimated or hated Excel till 2019 and thought of it more as accounting software. When I started using Excel at work, I realized how amazing it is and its applications in various fields.
6. I never paid much attention to Economics all my life and thought of it as a boring subject. But during my postgraduate studies, I attended one of the lectures on the economics of renewable energy and I fell in love with economics. In fact, I’m slowly reading Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith in my free time!
7. Statistics is not bullshit and is very important in terms of career and understanding trends in data. Yet another mistake I did was to never pay attention to statistics and now I regret it. I’m learning statistics now as I’m trying to transition into a more data-oriented career path.
8. Humans are wired to think linearly and it’s hard for us to visualize exponential growth.
9. There is no secret formula for weight loss. Track your calories and make sure that calorie-in must be always than calorie-out. Tried this for 4 months consistently and I lost 7 kgs.
10. I was always too reluctant to change or update my belief systems. Over time I realized that there is no harm or problem in changing your life philosophies or beliefs. Successful people are those who question and change their beliefs quite often.
11. Just like any other skill, reading is a skill to learn. Active reading is key for remembering ideas and applying those to your life.
12. No matter how great or revolutionary your ideas are, execution matters the most.
13. Never compare yourself with others. Would you swap your life with the person you’re comparing with?
14. There should be a purpose for every trip or travel you do. For me personally, I would love to learn a new skill or something from every place I visit.
15. Never put too many spices in any food. Even though Indian food is quite famous around the world, in the majority of the dishes, the spices overpower the protein. In my opinion, fish should taste like fish and not spices.
16. People come and go in life. Death is inevitable and is not something to be concerned about. We are all destined to
17. Observe and learn from everyone. Everybody is unique and there is always something to learn, no matter how toxic they are.
18. Limit your digital time and make sure you’re spending time on digital devices mindfully. Plan and start an attention diet on the information you consume.
19. Stop looking for inspirations or examples all the time. Nobody would have done what you want to achieve and it doesn’t mean that you cannot do it.
20. You’re not an impostor. Impostor syndrome is common and everybody who has put something out in the public would have suffered from it. Learn to overcome it.
21. Algorithms are designed to keep you addicted and are smarter than you think. Never fall for its trap. Make sure you clear your cookies, reset your search history and make sure that the algorithm doesn’t know you well.
22. Never create art with an audience in mind. Create the art for your own joy and pride. The audience will eventually find it and if your art is good enough, it will survive generations.
23. Sugar is toxic for your body. In nature, sugar doesn’t exist at the scale we are having. A hunter-gatherer or forager would never have access to sugar as much we have now. Our bodies are not designed to handle sugar overdose
24. If relationships turn out to be toxic, let go of them. It doesn’t matter how close you are/were, but if it’s toxic, there is no point in continuing it be it, friends or family.
25. There is a lot of misinformation or pseudoscience out there. Be it hormone-free chickens, Ayurveda or MSG fear.
26. You don’t have to read or follow the news as most of it is irrelevant. If want to follow a specific topic, try following an independent writer/creator via newsletter.
27. Exercising and being fit is not a seasonal thing, but a lifelong commitment you have to make. Key to stay fit and live a healthy life is create a set of lifehabits that are sustainable over time.

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