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I felt like a loser that day.

But later on, I made sure that I grew faster than anyone around me.

Indeed, it happened. Here’s how:

This is about day 1 of my PhD class in the US.
22 students.
Our professor asks us this question:

Why do you think the planet earth has seasons?

Guess what?
EVERYBODY in the class knew the answer, apart from me!

I felt like a loser!

However, over the next two years, I decided to work so hard, that I ended up topping the class throughout my stint in the US.

It turns out, sometimes it is okay to feel like a loser, because you end up doing things that you yourself hadn’t expected!

PS: BTW, do you know why Earth has seasons? :)

3 things I wish I could tell younger Ankur Warikoo:

1. It’s not necessary that the work you’re good at, is the work that also brings you happiness.

2. We do not find our passion. We grow our passion.
By spending time on things that nudge for our attention.

3. If you have been doing something for a long time, but now you know that it’s not right for you, it’s perhaps time to change it.
Instead of thinking of the time gone by, look at the time lying ahead – which is your entire life!.

What would your last day on earth look like?

Would you want to party more?
Would you want to do more gossips about people?
Would you want to work more and earn more money?

None, right?

You would rather call your parents. Spend time with your family. Spend time reflecting about life!

What’s stopping you from doing that now?

What we ought to do on the last day on earth, is what we ought to do today. Because we’ll never get to know which one is our last day :)

We work really hard in our company.
We are proud of that.

But, we also party hard.
An offsite every quarter.
B’day gift up to Rs. 5K home delivered.
Free access to Spotify or a meditation service of their choice.
Unlimited budget for any online course.

For that though, goodness, dedication to work, and getting better each day, are the inputs we put in. Every single day. 
Just like with every good thing we get, goes a bigger amount of input, and even bigger joy. And that is the best company policy ever :)

Is it even possible to create your luck?

I believe yes.

Let’s say two friends go to a trip to Goa.
For the next seven days, they both eat the same things, enjoy their desserts, even eat a bit more than usual
Friend 1 has a habit of working out daily, eating right, sleeping on time, etc. Friend 2, on the other hand, lives a sedentary lifestyle.

Once they are back from the trip, Friend 1 is quickly able to rebound, if they gained weight.
While for Friend 2, losing weight is going to be a huge struggle.

Friend 1 created their luck. Friend 2 created their luck.
Both did the same things, but their inputs and lifestyles were different.

It turns out, we create our luck through our habits. What could be more powerful than that?

If you as a designer take 3 hours to create a picture, you might take 13 to create a video.

It doesn’t mean you are a bad designer, it simply means you didn’t play on your strengths.

To win does not mean winning in all directions.
To win means to excel in the path you have chosen for yourself

I do things I have never done.

I listen to people I have never interacted with before.

I still write cold emails even and experience the joy of being welcomed and listening to yes.

It turns out, excitement is everywhere around us, if we are excited enough to look for it!

A great life starts with having a fixed sleeping schedule.

Everything else, is eventual.

Work timings. Workout timings. Fun timings.

All of that is easy, once you are fixated on putting your body to sleep and rest when it needs it, and optimising for recharging your body at its best.

The life when we are awake isn’t as hard, once we have decided to be hard as to when we sleep.

By meeting new people!

Every week, I meet at least one new person. And that person, with their refreshing values and lifestyle, is a whole different perspective.

I learn a lot from them. I gather a lot of feedback about my content. And I grow a notch younger, each time I meet such fabulous fabulous people!

Newness is everywhere, if we are just willing to look in the newer places.

By meeting new people!

Every week, I meet at least one new person. And that person, with their refreshing values and lifestyle, is a whole different perspective.

I learn a lot from them. I gather a lot of feedback about my content. And I grow a notch younger, each time I meet such fabulous fabulous people!

Newness is everywhere, if we are just willing to look in the newer places.