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It’s a really tight tee that showed all my bulges.

It was gifted to me 10 years back, by my then-colleague (who also became my trainer), Ajay Singh. 

He said, “Wear this tee every day when you go to work out. And look in the mirror.
It should embarrass you.”

“You should realise that you have not respected your body all these years (which was true for me back then) and you have to keep wearing this tee until one day, you feel proud of who you become, for your own self.”

I felt it was a wonderful way to motivate myself. 

I wore it every single day for a year, and every time I feel I am disrespecting my body by eating junk, I wear it to remind myself of who I can become if I decide to!

The beauty about this embarrassment tee is that it isn’t just for fitness.
It is for every walk of life. 

We all can “wear” an embarrassment tee every day – to college, to work, in our relationships.

So that when we look at ourselves in that situation, we know we can become better. 

We know we can feel better.
We know we can do better.
We know we can act better. 

And we continue to wear that tee every day, until we begin to like who we have become.

1. Avoid the Curse of Intelligence

Smart people directly go to solving problems, when they should rather be asking, “Why do things happen the way they do?” 

In the enthusiasm of fixing new problems, we ignore history.
When we ignore history, we end up rewriting it. 

2. Meet people who are nothing like you

Have lunch, build connections, and network without any intent.
Even with those who have nothing to do with your work and are different from you.
You have the most to learn from them.

3. Sharpen your axe

Your goal is not to impress people in the first 90 days.
Your goal is to listen, observe, and take notes. 

So that when the real work comes your way, you will have all the arms and ammunition to do a fantastic job.

4. Seek feedback

Unless you do something dramatically wrong, everyone is going to be nice to you.
It is your job to seek meaningful feedback.
The more specific you get, the more value you derive.

5. Do not share your opinions

Your intent is not to change things in a way to challenge or show them the mirror.
Keep your opinions to yourself for the first 3 months, to check if they truly hold ground later on. 

1. Sleep 7+ hours
While it’s “cool” to skip your sleep, our brain’s most development happens only when we sleep. 

2. Eat healthy at least 3 times a day; avoid sugar/fried
You won’t see the effect of junk food on your body in your 20s, however, it starts hitting badly once you hit your 30s.

3. Read 15 minutes every day
One of the life changing habits for me!

3. Exercise/Walk 5 times a week
In a healthy body lives a rich mind. Period.

4. Do nothing for 5 minutes everyday – no phone, book, music, person.
Just you, sitting by yourself.

6. Schedule distraction time (of an hour) in a day for social media.
It helps you not get attracted to that “forbidden fruit” and actually look forward to “wasting” your time!

1. The most useful thing from school/college is not what we learnt inside class.
Instead, it is what we learnt outside of class.

2. Money buys things.
But the bigger (and more important) thing that money buys is freedom.
The freedom to do anything you want!

3. Parents are humans first.
That means they will make mistakes.
They did make mistakes.
And those mistakes costed us a lot.
But we can heal.

4. None of your haters will ever be doing better than you.

5. Whatever you are feeling today, no matter how painful or joyful, will fade away eventually.

6. Real failure, when young, is not failing.
It is getting so scared of failing again, that you stop trying!

7. We have only one life.
We do not have to live it with only one identity.

1. Pick between speed and perfection. Why?

2. What do you think matters more — the course you study or the institute where you study?

3. If you never had to work for money, what would you be doing in life?

4. What is the worst thing about you?

5. What is the role you play in your friend’s lives?

Life’s worst tragedy is what dies within us while we are still alive.

Regret is one such worst form of dying.
We die everyday because of it.

WHAT IF?
“What if I hadn’t listened to them?”
“What if I had done that?”
“What if I had listened to myself?”

Time goes away and leaves us with either of the two things: regret or results.
I truly hope you optimise your life for the latter.

If there is one book I wish everyone read at least once in their lifetimes, it would be:
Atomic Habits.

Here is why:

Ever since childhood, we are taught to set goals.

Become a billionaire.
Have that startup.
Find a great partner.
Get that year end promotion.
Lose those extra pounds.

All our life is centred on getting to a place.

“Once I reach there, I will be happy.”

But what if you become someone else in the journey of reaching that place?
What if you compromise on your values because you have set a certain goal?
What if you work so hard like Hrithik in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, that you do not have the time to breathe and know your own self?

This is where the book Atomic Habits comes into play.

It teaches you how to show up consistently so that who you want to become becomes a part of your identity, your true nature, that it is impossible to not show up and do the habit.

When you become that person, achieving your goal is a by-product, not something that kills you.

Don’t set goals. Set habits. 

Overthinking is a thing. The next time you have it, before an interview or life problem, remember this:

1. We are all hardwired to think more about the bad, than good.

We are all afraid about, “What will Sharma Ji ka beta achieve?” or “Will people laugh at me?”, hardly being aware of the fact that no one is actually thinking of you in the first place.

2. Our mind focuses on possibilities. Not probabilities.

Is it possible that you’ll be fired: YES
Is it possible that you’ll not make it through the interview: YES
Is it possible that you will be poked for someone else’s mistake: YES

However, what is the probability?

Each time we step out, there is a possibility of getting hit by a bus. But we still step out fearlessly, right? How come?
Because our brain knows that the probability of that is low.

That is it!
The way to “solve” overthinking.

Make your brain aware of the probability of what disturbs you! 

Realise you are not alone in thinking of the bad more than the good.
And realise that when YOU are convinced that the probability of that bad thing is low, your mind will automatically be convinced.

1. Do not engage in office gossip. Ever.

If you encourage gossip on someone else, you will certainly have some gossip around you too.

2. Get to know your colleagues beyond work.

What drives them, what doesn’t.
Who they are, beyond their role and designation.
It will make working with them smoother.

3. Choose to deliver only A-quality work.

Your work is your signature.
So is a lack of good work.

One of my favourite self affirmations is “I am enough”. 

However, it suggests I believe I do not have to grow any further.
But that’s not true. 

The actual affirmation is “I am enough, at this moment.” 

It is my way of not blaming myself for where I am.
Instead feeling responsible for what I ought to do.
Which is to keep striving to get better. 

This quote by Sophia Bush beautifully summarises it:

“You can be a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time.”