I felt old when I wrote the headline. But, 33 years on this Earth and some tough lessons later, I feel qualified to write on this topic. We all know that Life is the best teacher, but here’s how to hack the lesson.
Things you should expect
Before you understand the hacks, here’s what to expect. Life is the best teacher but it believes in doling out the test before it hands out the lesson.
If it is all gung ho for you, you should be really worried. Life tests out everyone in unique ways. One moment you feel like you are set for life, the next moment, China steps in with COVID-19.
In reality, things rarely go down the way you want them to. Accidents, family issues, relationship issues, medical emergency, plain old back luck can derail your plans, and it may be challenging for you to bounce back.
So, life’s all pain and suffering. Not exactly. We see a lot of winners. After all, a ‘ChaiWala’, tea seller became the PM of India. Here’s how to hack life’s lessons.
1. Expect Turbulence
It will be absolutely foolish to expect a smooth sail. We have a ‘rainy day’ fund because it is going to rain. The main idea is to expect turbulence and be prepared to handle it. We all think that we are impervious to challenges. Bad things happen to ‘other’ people. If you are facing a health issue, chances are – you did not watch your nutrition and exercise.
2. Focus on your health
“The cheerful mind perseveres, and the strong mind hews its way through a thousand difficulties.”
Swami Vivekananda
Your health should be your prime concern. This is the main point to focus on. The major factor is your nutrition. What you eat is what you become. Explore ways to improve your overall health. Some areas of research can be:
- Nutrition – Eat what is best for your body.
- Fasting: Not eating is almost as important as eating. Learn how fasting and intermittent fasting can heal your body.
- Exercise – This needs no introduction, but needs a paragraph of its own.
3. Exercise
We all know that we should exercise daily. And that’s the limitation of our knowledge. Can you answer the following:
- What exercise should you be doing?
- Is Resistance training better that aerobic exercises?
- How much exercise should you be doing?
- Walking – does it help?
I urge you to explore the answers for yourself. My job is to point you towards the right questions.
4. Learn income-generating skills
What do you want to be valued for? Can you identify the skills that are important in your industry? If you are in sales, do you know the best techniques for closing the deal? Understand if a particular skill is in demand? What revenues can be generated form it?
Example: I am in analytics. If I am really good at Machine learning, chances are, I’ll always have a job and probably wouldn’t be worried about money.
Ideally, I would focus on one skill for a period of six months. This skill can be in your current job or a side hustle that you want to develop. Go all in. Become world-class at it. I hope you have heard about ‘YouTube’ university. Yes, YouTube has all the videos in the world on any topic you want to learn and get better at. Don’t limit yourself to ‘Cute Cat’ videos. There are similarly many resources that you can utilize. Example: Skillshare (Get two months free).
Identify a skill, get good at it, monetize it. That’s all there is to generating income.
5. Murphy Repellent: Have an Emergency Fund and avoid Debt
It seems like every blog I write, I mention this. Maybe you get the drift. Always pay yourself first. Avoiding debt is key to reducing 90% of stress for a common man. Build a 6 month emergency fund. If you don’t know how to build an emergency fund (LOL), google it.
6. Keep the right company
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
When I first started, I thought, how do I get in touch with amazing people, learn from them, and interact with them. I do not know them personally. Then, I discovered books, podcasts, YouTube videos, and blogs. Now I feel Tim Ferris and James Clear are old friends. Hopefully, you can too.
But why is this important?
Because, it changes the way you think. It changes the way you do things. I almost did not write this blog. Then, I read some messages from Fatehshernu’s telegram group and now you are reading this blog.
You do what you think is normal. And what is normal? What people around you are doing. Read the chess sisters story from Atomic Habits by James Clear and you’ll know.
7. Be Grateful
Life is the best teacher. Be grateful for the lessons it has bestowed upon you. Practice Gratitude. Life is precious. Learn ways to optimize your life, but also enjoy it at the same time.
What are some of the ways you deal with life? Let me know in the comments below.