Following the trend on the internet, I published 27 lessons last year when I turned 27, which turned out to be quite popular and got featured in a few publications. As the last year progressed, I tried to scribble down some lessons I learned over the year. I turned 28 a couple of weeks ago, and here are some lessons I’ve learned over the years:

1. I’ve always thought that travel agents and tour packages sucked and were a scam. I learned it the hard way when I messed up my vacation with my partner to Armenia. If you’re short of time, have the budget, and want to enjoy your vacation without much hassle, go with travel agents.
2. Ask permission before touching or playing with other people’s pets. Pets are like family, and some pets, especially dogs, can be quite sensitive to strangers’ presence.
3. I hate Instagram and hate the fact that it has made millions addicted with its reels and stories. Irrespective of my opinion, if you’re a business owner or a content creator, Instagram is the place to be to drive your conversions.
4. Tourism has become mainstream, and there is no way to avoid crowds. Accept the reality and move on, or try exploring places that are not accessible by roads.
5. To make better choices, give yourself more choices. This is also the best way to improve your luck.
6. It is okay if you gave your best and you failed. It’s not okay if you failed and you didn’t give your best.
7. All my life I thought I would backpack forever, and only fancy people stay in resorts or five-star hotels. Lately, I’ve stayed in a few good places, and now I get it. If you pay more, you get better experiences.
8. If a service or product is bad, rather than being annoyed, give feedback so that it can improve in the future.
9. Buy a good memory foam pillow. I still don’t have it, but I tried it once for a night and it was awesome.
10. The feeling to quit while pushing your body to the limits is the same for everyone. Be it an Olympian or a world champion. They all feel the same. But what matters is how you respond to that feeling and keep moving.
11. Try to consume as few calories in liquid form as possible. Very few animals do that in the animal kingdom, and you shouldn’t either.
12. Never let your curiosity go down. It’s the path to opportunities, luck, and eventually success and fulfillment.
13. No one really writes an app and puts it on the app store for free. If it’s free, either you have to pay more for features, or chances are that the app can be quite shitty.
14. You don’t have to like everything you do at work. At some point in their career, every passionate person would have been forced to do something he or she didn’t like.
15. Create a plan for anything you do, be it training, studying, or anything else. Things might not go according to the plan all the time, but a plan gives you a sense of direction to excel.
16. It’s easy to lose a habit than to make it. Never miss a habit for two days consecutively.
17. Don’t drink coffee after 3 PM as it messes up your sleep even if you’re not that sensitive to coffee. I’ve tried it and proved it myself, but for some scientific backing, listen to neuroscientist Huberman’s podcast.
18. It is okay not to do anything during a vacation or while traveling. A hectic schedule will make you tired by the end of your trip, and that is not something everyone wants.
19. Plan your taxes accordingly during the beginning of the financial year. Especially if you’re living in India, there are provisions for deductions, and you can save a lot by planning accordingly. I didn’t, and I’m losing a lot on deductions this year.
20. Don’t try to explain to a person who doesn’t care or understand art. You might be passionate or it matters to you, but the other person might not have the same perspective.
21. Every time you do a workout, record your reps and weights used. Next time you are working out, this will help in progressive overloading. I use the Strong app for this.
22. Even if religion or spirituality doesn’t matter to you, it matters to others. Religion or spirituality gives hope to those who believe in it, and you have no right to offend anyone’s belief.
23. Degrease and grease your bike/cycle every 200 km. Use WD-40 to degrease the chain, use soap to remove the dirt, and dry it with a cloth. A smooth drivetrain ensures a smoother ride and longevity of your moving parts like the chain/cassette.
24. Never take your credit card when you go out to a party and drink. Chances are that you might get drunk and end up overspending on yourself or buying other people drinks.
25. The majority of the people who work in the sustainability space do not actually care about it. They happen to do it by accident or out of no choice. Most are driven by money, fame, or power and never the environment.
26. Living in a village for the last couple of years, I never cared about the Air Quality Index (AQI). When I moved to Delhi, I ignored the AQI warnings and continued roaming around outdoors. I ended up with a severe throat infection within a week and learned the lesson the hard way. Just because millions live in a city with hazardous air quality doesn’t mean that it is safe.
27. It is okay to be lost even when you’re nearing your 30s. It takes time to have a sense of understanding of the world and your part to play in it.
28. As you grow old, life becomes better.