5 things I learned in 2017

As 2017 draws to an end, I have been reflecting on what are some of my key takeaways from 2017. I also unsuccessfully tried to ask my 300 odd followers on Twitter to share their learning from 2017 and I managed to get zero response from Twitter, which was quite encouraging.

I have been a part of the Acumen, Teach For India, Simple Education Foundation and my friends and family network over the last one year and they have each played an important part in helping me understand myself and the world around me. Each of these networks are different in their own ways and I carry a part of them with me today.

1. Ask for help when you need it.

I went through a rough patch at the beginning of 2017, it all started when I isolated my self from the world around me and tried to solve everything myself. This not only put me in a tough spot but also drained me out completely. I was burning out at a rapid pace. This was when I mustered enough courage to talk about it and share openly with my friends at Teach For India and Acumen, and my team at work.

I was surprised with the way they showed up and that went on to teach me my first lesson of 2017 — Ask for help when you need it. The world around us isn’t as hazy and bad as we often perceive it to be, reach out and you will never be disappointed. I saw this play out many times through the year, be it when I was emotionally struggling or when our organisation was struggling to raise funds to sustain, I reached out and people around me helped me out.

So, in 2018 make sure you are asking for help when you need it, and I promise that you will never be disappointed.

2. Invest in understanding yourself better

I was a part of the Acumen Fellowship in 2017, the program took away more than 5 weeks of 2017 from my work, which is a lot of time especially when you are setting up an organisation. I am grateful to my team, family and friends for letting me do this because these 5 weeks turned out to be the most useful weeks of 2017. I became friends with an amazing bunch of people who through their blunt and critical feedback helped me understand myself better. They did not shy away from pulling out the skeletons hidden deep inside my closet and helped me navigate through all my mess with love and courage.

I know that it might be difficult for many of us to access an opportunity like the Acumen Fellowship but it is very important for all of us to invest in opportunities that push us way beyond our comfort zone and build relationships which help us grow and see ourselves better. So, invest in understanding yourself better — pick up a book, talk to people, find a mentor or join programs that will help you become a better version of yourself. The world needs you.

3. Express your feelings more often

I started 2017 telling myself that I am going to hug and say I love you to people, more often. This was an attempt to be comfortable around people and also an experiment around perception. But the liberation of expression soon turned these actions into elements that helped me breakdown biases and judgments with ease. I started operating with gratitude, love and courage, with an abnormal ease, something that surprised me and helped me accept things easily.

I am definitely going to continue expressing my feelings more often in 2018 and I request you to do the same. ❤

4. If you believe in something, just do it

I cannot emphasize enough on this, we often let go of things because we are the only ones doing it. We do it in our office, within our friend circle and in so many other places. While this might be the logical thing to do sometimes but it is often triggered by the fact that we give too much importance to other people and their reaction. How the world responds, in this case by not doing anything, often guides our belief in our belief, which is funny. If you believe in something, just do it and continue doing it, persistence is what shifts perspectives, so keep going.

5. Be Silly!

Being silly is sometimes the most liberating thing in the world. That one moment of putting your guard down and thoroughly enjoying doing something that is mostly useless (Bias Alert). Do not shy away from being silly in 2018. Use that weird Snapchat filter, dance awkwardly, have that flaming shot and take a break from “behaving your age”, unless you are 20 or less. Go be silly!

I hope you resonate with some of these and you will definitely try them out in 2018, if you are not already doing them.

Happy 2018!