15 things I wish I was told, when I was in my 20s

A thread...

1.
Your grades in college are not going to define your life.
The first company you work for is not going to define your life.
Your first pay package is not going to define your life.
2.
Who and why you decide to spend your life with - is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your life.

Don't take it lightly.
3.
Don't go to college looking for a job, a title, a company, a function, a role, a salary.
Go to college looking for yourself.
"What am I good at?"
"What makes me happy?"
4.
This decade you will either drift away from your family or not be able to break from their shackles or realize they are extremely dear to you.

What will you regret not doing, when you are 40?
5.
If your school friends keep dragging you down and pulling you back and make you feel bad about "growing too fast", fire them!

Don't feel guilty for not wanting them in your life.
6. No one expects you to be rich, during this decade. So don't act like you are rich.
Live like a pauper.

Invest any and every money you get.
Avoid loans.
Don't buy a house.
Don't buy things that you think will make people like you more.
Those people are not worth pleasing!
7.
This decade will be when you will be judged the most.
Your college.
Your job.
Your car, your phone, your clothes, your choices.

Remember that people judge because they want to feel good about themselves.
It has nothing to do with you.
It is their insecurity.
8.
Who you spend time with, will define the stories you hear.
The stories you hear, will define the stories in your head.
The stories in your head, will define you.

Chose who you spend time with, wisely!
9.
You are not the only one confused.
You are not the only one unsure.
You are not the only one struggling.

You are not dumb, inadequate, incapable.

Everyone is struggling.
Everyone is figuring it out.

Don't be harsh on yourself.
10.
While you are building your skills, the most important thing to build is your reputation.

Your goal is to make people say
"I am not sure if she knows how to do it. But I am certain if told to do it, she will definitely figure it out.
I trust her."
11.
When you say you have 5 years of experience, is it 5 years of experience or 1 year of experience done 5 times over?

Don't ever get comfortable in your job.
12.
That thing you imagine to be the worst thing ever?
When it happens, it will feel like that.
The worst thing ever.
You will get up everyday and it will be the first thing you will think of.
Until one day, when it won't be!

The worst thing you imagine, isn't the worst thing.
13.
Every time you are tempted to follow someone else's path, stop and ask yourself
"Is this MY definition of success? Or theirs's?"
14.
Optimize for your learning, not your salary.
Optimize for progress, not for stability.
Optimize for facing fears, not for comfort.
15.
Don't place the burden on one person to be your mentor.
Don't think of mentors are only those that are much older and experienced.

Pick multiple mentors for different aspects of your life.
Pick mentors who see the world differently and ask you questions.
It baffles me how much of an individual's life gets shaped up in their 20s and how little guidance there is around, on how to navigate through this decade.

Some lucky ones go through it well. Most struggle.

And I often wonder why does that have to be the case.
I think there are 2 reasons

1. We do not listen to those who have had a tough or not so successful life, because in our head, "if they didn't follow their own advice, why should we"?

Well, those are EXACTLY the ones we should be listening to.
2. People who did make mistakes and learnt their lessons, do not share because in their head, "if we couldn't make it in life, what right do we have teaching others?"

Well, those are EXACTLY the ones who should be sharing.
Those in your 20s

Look around you.
People are full of regret.
Understand what led to that regret.
That will tell you what not to do.
Those beyond their 20s

Look at you.
You are full of regret.
You know what led to that regret.
Tell others about it, so that they know what not to do.
Do not chose the person you learn from.
Chose what you learn from them.

More from Ankur Warikoo

10 ways I am running my current startup differently from the ones before

A thread...

Difference #1
Bootstrapped as against raising money

https://t.co/RKWB3KfMZt was a venture funded company. We raised $43Mn from top investors, but I couldn’t give them a return that I would be proud of. In the process, learning how raising money works but also doesn’t work

My current startup is bootstrapped.
I do not intend to raise money for it.
It has been profitable from Day 1 and that is the way I hope it remains.

I have raised money from customers.

Difference #2
Slow and small

For the past decade, I was in the mode of fast and big.
Being fast was the only thing that mattered.
And you either go big or go home.

Today, I am taking it slow.
Slow to add costs, slow to take decisions that are irreversible.

I am patient because all good things in life take time!

More from All

॥ॐ॥
अस्य श्री गायत्री ध्यान श्लोक:
(gAyatri dhyAna shlOka)
• This shloka to meditate personified form of वेदमाता गायत्री was given by Bhagwaan Brahma to Sage yAgnavalkya (याज्ञवल्क्य).

• 14th shloka of गायत्री कवचम् which is taken from वशिष्ठ संहिता, goes as follows..


• मुक्ता-विद्रुम-हेम-नील धवलच्छायैर्मुखस्त्रीक्षणै:।
muktA vidruma hEma nIla dhavalachhAyaiH mukhaistrlkShaNaiH.

• युक्तामिन्दुकला-निबद्धमुकुटां तत्वार्थवर्णात्मिकाम्॥
yuktAmindukalA nibaddha makutAm tatvArtha varNAtmikam.

• गायत्रीं वरदाभयाङ्कुश कशां शुभ्रं कपालं गदाम्।
gAyatrIm vardAbhayANkusha kashAm shubhram kapAlam gadAm.

• शंखं चक्रमथारविन्दयुगलं हस्तैर्वहन्ती भजै॥
shankham chakramathArvinda yugalam hastairvahantIm bhajE.

This shloka describes the form of वेदमाता गायत्री.

• It says, "She has five faces which shine with the colours of a Pearl 'मुक्ता', Coral 'विद्रुम', Gold 'हेम्', Sapphire 'नील्', & a Diamond 'धवलम्'.

• These five faces are symbolic of the five primordial elements called पञ्चमहाभूत:' which makes up the entire existence.

• These are the elements of SPACE, FIRE, WIND, EARTH & WATER.

• All these five faces shine with three eyes 'त्रिक्षणै:'.
#ஆதித்தியஹ்ருதயம் ஸ்தோத்திரம்
இது சூரிய குலத்தில் உதித்த இராமபிரானுக்கு தமிழ் முனிவர் அகத்தியர் உபதேசித்ததாக வால்மீகி இராமாயணத்தில் வருகிறது. ஆதித்ய ஹ்ருதயத்தைத் தினமும் ஓதினால் பெரும் பயன் பெறலாம் என மகான்களும் ஞானிகளும் காலம் காலமாகக் கூறி வருகின்றனர். ராம-ராவண யுத்தத்தை


தேவர்களுடன் சேர்ந்து பார்க்க வந்திருந்த அகத்தியர், அப்போது போரினால் களைத்து, கவலையுடன் காணப்பட்ட ராமபிரானை அணுகி, மனிதர்களிலேயே சிறந்தவனான ராமா போரில் எந்த மந்திரத்தைப் பாராயணம் செய்தால் எல்லா பகைவர்களையும் வெல்ல முடியுமோ அந்த ரகசிய மந்திரத்தை, வேதத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்டுள்ளதை உனக்கு

நான் உபதேசிக்கிறேன், கேள் என்று கூறி உபதேசித்தார். முதல் இரு சுலோகங்கள் சூழ்நிலையை விவரிக்கின்றன. மூன்றாவது சுலோகம் அகத்தியர் இராமபிரானை விளித்துக் கூறுவதாக அமைந்திருக்கிறது. நான்காவது சுலோகம் முதல் முப்பதாம் சுலோகம் வரை ஆதித்ய ஹ்ருதயம் என்னும் நூல். முப்பத்தி ஒன்றாம் சுலோகம்

இந்தத் துதியால் மகிழ்ந்த சூரியன் இராமனை வாழ்த்துவதைக் கூறுவதாக அமைந்திருக்கிறது.
ஐந்தாவது ஸ்லோகம்:
ஸர்வ மங்கள் மாங்கல்யம் ஸர்வ பாப ப்ரநாசனம்
சிந்தா சோக ப்ரசமனம் ஆயுர் வர்த்தனம் உத்தமம்
பொருள்: இந்த அதித்ய ஹ்ருதயம் என்ற துதி மங்களங்களில் சிறந்தது, பாவங்களையும் கவலைகளையும்


குழப்பங்களையும் நீக்குவது, வாழ்நாளை நீட்டிப்பது, மிகவும் சிறந்தது. இதயத்தில் வசிக்கும் பகவானுடைய அனுக்ரகத்தை அளிப்பதாகும்.
முழு ஸ்லோக லிங்க் பொருளுடன் இங்கே உள்ளது
https://t.co/Q3qm1TfPmk
சூரியன் உலக இயக்கத்திற்கு மிக முக்கியமானவர். சூரிய சக்தியால்தான் ஜீவராசிகள், பயிர்கள்
ChatGPT is a phenomenal AI Tool.

But don't limit yourself to just ChatGPT.

Here're 8 AI-powered tools you should try in 2023:

1. KaiberAI

@KaiberAI helps you generate beautiful videos in minutes.

Transform your ideas into the visual stories of your dreams with this Amazing Tool.

New features:
1. Upload your custom music
2. Prompt Templates
3. Camera Movements:

Check here

https://t.co/ivnDRf628L


2. @tldview TLDV

Best ChatGPT Alternative for meetings.

Make your meetings 10X more productive with this amazing tool.

Try it now:

https://t.co/vOy3sS4QfJ


3. ComposeAI

Use ComposeAI for generating any text using AI.

It’s will help you write better content in seconds.

Try it here:

https://t.co/ksj5aop5ZI


4. Browser AI

Use this AI tool to extract and monitor data from any website.

Train a robot in 2 minutes to do your work.

No coding required.

https://t.co/nNiawtUMyO

You May Also Like