Endings and New Beginnings

Reflections from 2023 and my favorite content pieces

The beauty of Sunderwala Burj within Sunder Nursery was truly captivating and I’m happy to visit this place at the end of 2023.

It’s that time of the year when our social media feeds get filled with year-end reflections, people revealing their secret Santa gifts, and New Year date nights. I was in Bangalore recently when I was telling a friend of mine that back at my home in Delhi, Christmas and New Year aren’t a big deal but a quieter affair.

And this time I don’t want to make a big deal out of 2024. I’ll embrace the Christmas cheer but I won’t carry the heaviness and pressure that comes with a new year (yes I’ll be choosy here). So, here I am, wrapped up in my blanket, writing this newsletter from Delhi.

I remember when 2023 started, I was at the Bangalore airport (it was 4th Jan 2023), anxious and nauseous. It was the first time I had experienced such a situation in a public space and I wasn’t able to stand. So, I went right to the back and stood by the wall in the most cornerest corner of the airport. I took a deep breath and wrote a few things on my personal WhatsApp group. To give you a crux, I don’t know if I was praying or trying to calm myself down but I wrote that the start of the year hasn’t been good but can we make the ending good?

I'm happy and grateful to report that it’s the end of the year and I’m feeling good. Not the ‘Good’ you say when an acquaintance asks you ‘How are you doing?’ and you try to brush that off by saying ‘Good’ with a fake smile. But the ‘good’ you feel when you’re sitting with yourself, in a meditation session, or cleaning your study table and suddenly realize that ‘You’re feeling good’.

With this sentiment, I’m ready for 2024. I don’t have big resolutions but I have a list of habits that I want to develop and carry forward. Before that, there are vital lessons that I want to keep reminding myself of.

Things I want to keep reminding myself

1. You are courageous for leaving your comfort zone and shifting to a new city for a new job in a new industry. Remember that. I know many people do it but that doesn’t make it easy!

2. Everything is figure-out-able (mostly by having trust or good communication).

3. Unnecessary worry (especially over small stuff) never helps. Remember (2) and calm yourself down.

4. Ask for help. Reach out to people. Most of the people love to share their experiences.

5. No matter how much you’re earning, keep a small portion aside and invest. Money might not buy you happiness but it will give you freedom.

6. Do not compare your journey with others. Everyone is fighting their own battles. Congratulate them, celebrate their win, and get back to your work.

7. Take good care of your health (physical, mental, and emotional).

8. You are courageous for leaving an abusive workplace. As Sam Altman said - “Fight bullshit and bureaucracy.” But after a point, if a workplace isn’t helping you grow, don’t be afraid to find a better place.

9. Optimism isn’t cringe. In fact, it’s the only strategy that works when nothing does. Also, ‘Optimism’ is my word of the year for 2024.

🍎 On the sides

A list of some of the best content pieces I have consumed this year -

1. From A Small Town in UP To Building Treebo Hotels, Working at McKinsey and Leaving Myntra - Rahul Chaudhary in conversation with Shantanu

2. 5 ideas I’ve stolen from people I've worked with by Sairam Krishnan

3. The Best Venture Firm You’ve Never Heard Of by Mario Gabriele

4. What if you don’t trust yourself? by Visakan Veerasamy

5. LLMs for Dummies by Rex Woodbury

6. Infinite Games by Jack Raines

7. The full-stack PM | Anuj Rathi in conversation with Lenny Rachitsky

8. Closeness is rare by Nix

9. You're in the Club by Brad Montague

10. Random Musings | Episode 4 ft. @TanmayBhatYT

Ending this post with Morgan Harper Nichols’ words -