The most challenging thing in success is having multiple brilliant ideas. Initially, it just slows you down. In the beginning, you need to be more efficient. You need to fail fast. But when you are desperate, either in terms of money, or time, or both, etc., you do multiple things. And that is when you slow down, you overload yourself mentally.
Have you ever felt the entire external surface of your heart as it beats? I am not talking about the heart pounding against your chest when you are stressed or excited, which I guess is technically called palpitations (which I feel particularly when I drink a lot of coffee while fasting).
I am talking about you being able to feel a 3D model of your heart. I am not even sure anyone could feel that way, because I might have been half asleep when I felt it. But it was wonderful and shocking at the same time. Wonderful because I have never felt it before, shocking because it reminded me of the fragility of life. Life. That was it. That was the generator powering my entire body. And there is no backup.
Imagine, after a power cut, you can see a machine running your entire house, far, far away from town. And there’s an important event, like a wedding or a birthday party, going on. Don’t you constantly make sure there’s enough fuel supply for that machine, that everything’s working alright? Well, we don’t behave the same way with our body’s machine, our heart. Until you can see it (or feel it, in this case) like you could a generator.
That feeling was a reminder that life is fragile. And your body is running on a single generator, with no backup at all.
After watching the film Heretic (2024), [SPOILER ALERT] I was curious to learn more about the tiny metal rod the antagonist plucks from inside the arm of a primary character. As usual, I browse IMDb, but I was surprised not to see any questions answered, except ironically the AI-generated questions (like ‘When was Heretic released?’ and ‘Who was the executive producer of Heretic?’) to appease Google. Boring, as if anyone cared about the executive producer! Without wasting a second, I turned to the AI app I use. The app was cautious at first because it didn’t want to spoil the film for me (how sweet!), but since I could interact with it, I told the fellow that I had already seen it and that they could relax. It told me everything about the tiny metal implant and then some. It just took me a few minutes rather than an hour or two.
Fun fact: Ironically, the end credits of Heretic state that no Generative AI was used in the making of the film.
When combining the services of two different software products becomes complicated, I use AI to generate a step-by-step guide to achieve the desired result. Now you would say that I could do a “quick” Google search and get the same result. But it either takes me to a YouTube video (which I don’t always prefer) or makes me read four to five different posts to get that guide, of which I have to compile a legible summary myself because the software combo isn’t amongst the most popular, hence no single source for the exact step-by-step guide I was looking for. AI-generated guides tend to be accurate and tailored to the specific integration, giving me confidence in the instructions I follow.
One of the easiest ways to waste money is by eating out regularly at fancy restaurants. You might be surprised by how much it adds up monthly or yearly. Fancy restaurants are the absolute opposite of value for money. That is, the premium they charge for just being a top brand, plus the rent on their prime real estate, minus the actual food.
I’m not saying you should never eat out. It’s fine when, for example, a childhood friend visits and you want to show them around town, share local flavors, or explore tourist spots.
You’ve been sticking to your diet (keto or whatever it is) for a few days, and then one day, your friend shows up. Or, in my case, the kid in me spots a shiny new temptation, and we decide to take a “little break.” So,I tried the mutton dum biryani because the photo showed chunks of juicy mutton—too much, actually. We all know how many pieces we usually get. It’s always one and a half; the other half is just bone. But it was disappointing! You end up feeling guilty—not only because you wasted your money but also because you broke your streak. Your day drags on sluggishly from the carb overload, so what do you do? You take a “short” nap. You oversleep. When you finally feel energized again, you say, “Hey, I’ve already broken my streak. Why not have the chocolates my aunt brought from Switzerland?” You have one of those. One turns into 16 bars of Swiss chocolate, plus some more junk you have at home, because hey, it was an off day.
But the next morning, man! Despite a good night’s sleep, you feel it—the sugar hangover. I assume that’s what they call brain fog. (Correct me if I’m wrong, or keep following this blog for an update later.) It makes you want to stay in bed just a little longer. Your day couldn’t start worse, especially when you were supposed to be productive. So how do you beat that sugar hangover? You have milk tea! You might wonder what’s so bad about a cup of milk tea. For someone doing OMAD (one meal a day) or a 20/4 intermittent fast, having milk tea early morning isn’t ideal. But that’s beside my point.
My point is: even if you break your streak by having mutton dum biryani with your friend at your recently discovered biryani place, don’t overdo it by eating 16 bars of Swiss chocolate before bed, or whatever your weakness is. The aftereffects hit the next day, and one bad day can break your momentum.
You have an important project you need to start working on but you are just waiting for the perfect time to get in the flow. Here’s a quick tip to get in the flow, or to get the ball rolling: just work for fifteen minutes on a task that is somewhat similar to the project but extremely easy for you to complete.
Example: Let’s say I have a small website that I need to complete start working on before the client starts panic-calling. But I just cannot start. I’m waiting for that spark of motivation.. to begin. What do I do to start my engine? I work for fifteen minutes on my own blog, write draft opinions.
The best investment strategy is the one you can follow consistently over a very, very long period of time.
Example: My friend has set up an automated system to invest Rs 50 daily in 24K gold via the Jar app. Will it give the best ROI? No, there are better options for much higher returns. But most people never invest and let their money sit idle in bank accounts. Some constantly search for crazy investments, buying bitcoin at its peak and selling as soon as it dips. They repeat this cycle, while my friend quietly moves ahead of most.
PS – I’m not a fan of the Jar app because it’s very intrusive. However, if you still want to start investing in gold through the app, you can use my referral link.
We are facing a comfort crisis. We constantly choose comfort over mild struggle—whether it’s the air conditioner running 24/7 or a burger just a click away. This habit of favoring comfort now is costing us comfort in our later years. Or.. the comfort you enjoy now will cost you discomfort in the future. (Original quote, however, quotes like these may have been said by a hundred others.) It’s like spending money we don’t have on credit cards and ending up with a mountain of debt. (Read: How to live with discomfort)
Suggested reading: The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
Even older people are prone to this. Instead of allowing their bodies to heal naturally from a common cold or mild fever, they simply take a few pills. What do they do the rest of the year? They forward WhatsApp messages like “7 easy exercises to flatten your belly in 3 days!” from their armchair.
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