It was like I turned a page and the year was over. Did you feel like the same? If yes, you’re lucky. Because you were so busy in the year that you didn’t realize when days and months passed. And I am hoping that you spent these endless hours learning something good. What? Do you think you learned nothing? Think again!

I felt the same an hour ago, but now I have a whole list of things I learned in 2016 while I write this introduction. I am sharing this so that you can learn a thing or two from these.

ALSO READ: WHAT I LEARNED IN 2015?

  1. Some people are just assholes

Especially, the ones who say they’re very well-settled, earn a lot and are truly the coolest people in the world. Stay away from such show-offs or they’ll probably run away with more than $450 of your hard-earned money and then pretend like you did some felony. Such people exist and they happen to you for you get careless about who you let in your life. Be careful about the people you work with especially.

2. Be positive

I recently learned the lesson. No. Actually, I recently learned how being positive can affect your life and the outcomes of your efforts. You wake up with a negative comment on Youtube and your tripod will break, then your memory card will break, you’ll lock your dad’s phone and what not! Do you get my point? A single negative thought can turn your day into a series of unfortunate events. Don’t let that happen.

3. Read more

Reading Books

People think I ‘like’ reading. I don’t. I would love to sleep all day or binge watch episodes of Gilmore Girls while eating a giant bowl (American-sized) of popcorn. But I NEED reading in my life just like any other person in the world. Some individuals tell me they don’t like reading and I’m like who said you had a choice. After spending two hours digging about how this mindset comes up in people, I found it it’s because of the flaw in upbringing of children and financial inabilities of parents that prevent them from inculcating the habit of reading for the kids. But if you’re a sane person who actually wants to get the most out of your life, you have to read.

4. Be picky

You can’t be everywhere and do everything even if you think you’re the real Superwoman. In the end, you will find everything seeping through your hands like dry sand. To hold everything together, you need to be careful of what you carry. Be picky. Say ‘no’ to things – projects, outings, movies. That disgruntled friend might be the reason why you’re so unhappy and unsuccessful. It will be better to cut him off your life anyways.

5. Don’t get into debt

Why financial planning is important for every 20 something

It just multiplies. Within no time, you will have huge credit card bills and you will just wonder how it piled up so much. The maths will be alright but your mind is going to the hell. You get tensed and you start hating everything you do. You otherwise love your job but suddenly, you find yourself typing up a resignation letter. It’s not the problem with the job. It’s the issue with the pressure the debt is putting on you.

6. Follow a three-day decision rule

Do you have a decision you’re unsure about? Sometimes, you just can’t discuss with anybody else. Or you want to do something when you know you’re having a bad day and you’re angry. Don’t do it, at least not right now. Push yourself to wait for three days. If after three days, you still want to do it, go ahead. You will most likely never send that resignation email and find yourself loving your job like never before.

ALSO READ: How to make yourself calm by changing your room decor?

7. Give time to your parents

I learnt it the hard way. I just couldn’t keep myself and my parents happy at same time. At least, that’s what I thought before I discovered this new thing. Someone told me that all your parents need is your time. And here I was thinking that all they want me to do is move back to Bathinda so that I would stop spending 80% of the money I earn on bills, junk food and house rent. All they needed was just my time. Calling them every day for about half an hour was just enough of what they truly needed. It’s like surfing through Facebook for 5 minutes (aka half an hour).

8. Invest in your education

I took two major courses by the end of this year. One of them isn’t complete yet but the impact on me has been tremendous. I am a better person and I certainly know about my job better than I did before. I am also more confident, happier and content with my life. How much I spent on that? About 1 lakh rupees to be precise. The value I got from it will help me earn thousands of one lakh rupees in future.

9. Your health is you

No career achievements and financial securities can replace your health. When you will feel your eyes burning and your vision getting blurry, those million dollars you make won’t seem that great. They won’t even matter to you. you won’t even think about them. All you’ll want is correct vision and eyes that don’t burn.

That’s what I learned in 2016. What did you learn in 2016? And tell me if this will teach you a thing or two. Your comment means the world to me!

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1 COMMENT

  1. Hi Manpreet… In a nutshell you described the knowledge of a lifetime. I just read it on your blog and feeling so good and confident. I think just by reading 100s of books you have lived 1000s of yrs and gained tons of knowledge.

    Wishing you all the success in the year 2017. In advance… Happy New Year 2017!!
    Akash KB

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