warikoo Wanderings

---

Welcome to another edition of Wanderings. This week I share how I wind up my day that sets me up for my morning, share 15 things I wish I was told when I was in my 20s, share the book I am reading this week, quotes, responses from last week and ask you all a new question.

So let's get started.

PS: More than 1,500 have shared this newsletter via WhatsApp with their contacts. If you liked this edition, you can share it on WhatsApp too. Your contacts do not need to sign up for the newsletter, to view it.

​

YOUR MORNINGS ARE IMPORTANT. AND SO ARE YOUR EVENINGS.

---

Last week, I shared my morning routine with all of you. And a lot of you wrote in asking, how do I end my day.
They smartly figured that having the right start to the day means starting with the right end to the previous day.

And I agree :)

I usually wind up my work around 6/630 pm. Except for a couple of days when I have a call at 7 pm.
At 630 pm, we all have dinner.
This is a really good habit we have set ourselves in - eating much before we go to bed.
Being vegetarians, dinner is simple - roti sabzi or dal chaawal. I don't go overboard with healthy or raw or anything like that. I like to enjoy my meals :)

7-8 pm: Family time - this is when we play together, maybe board games, or if the weather permits we go down to the park.

8-830 pm: Get ready for bed - this is brushing our teeth and putting on our night wear (which in my case is a tee shirt that has holes in it, one day will be worn on Holi and after that will become "dusting ka kapda" - if you are not from India do not even bother trying to figure what that means!)

830-9 pm: This is when Ruchi puts Uzma (our daughter) to bed. Vidur (our son) and I use this time to read. So I open my Kindle and he opens his comics and we read on the bed. Sometimes when I do not feel like reading, I join Ruchi to put our daughter to bed, while Vidur reads.

9 pm: Vidur goes to bed and Ruchi (hopefully) has done her job by then :)

9-930 pm: Ruchi and I catch up on our days. This is a lovely time. We talk about how the day went, plan for the next morning (are we going to play or to the gym), the menu for any lunches planned later, or vacation planning, or general random banter.

930 pm: Lights off :)

The key to waking up early is sleeping on time!
By sleeping at 930 pm I get 7 hrs of sleep by the time I wake up at 430 am and that serves my need. Especially, if I am able to get some afternoon sleep as well (Yeah, I am old!!)

I share this routine to illustrate how taking charge of your time is the only thing worth controlling.
And yet, we allow so many things, people and emotions to take over our time.

​

15 THINGS I WISH I WAS TOLD WHEN I WAS IN MY 20s

---

Wrote this thread on Twitter which received an overwhelming response. I guess all those in their 20s resonated with it and those beyond the 20s were wishing the same thing that I was too :)

You can read this thread on Twitter, or download the PDF here.

A few samples

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?"

​

THE BOOK I AM READING THIS WEEK

---

I am currently reading The Selfish Gene, which is one of the most fascinating reads in recent times, for me. Really hard book to follow, so I am taking my time.

To ease off the pressure of a heavy book, I also started What it Takes: Lessons in the pursuit of excellence - the autobiography of Stephen Schwarzman. Stephen is the founding CEO of Blackstone, one of the largest investment banks in the world. What I love about the book so far is how Stephen embodies my life lessons of "resist the obvious".

I love biographies :)

​

QUOTES FOR THIS WEEK

---

Execution brings focus. Focus silences noise.
​(Share on Twitter)​

The biggest sign of toxic people: They make you feel bad for you who are!
​(Share on Twitter)​

Scared of public speaking? Think of who you will be, if you overcome this fear!
Scared of committing? Think of who you will be, if you overcome this fear!
Scared of quitting? Think of who you will be, if you overcome this fear!
Behind every fear, is a person you want to be.
​(Share on Twitter)​

Stop measuring the success of your outcome, by the attention it gets.
​(Share on Twitter)​

Do not choose the person you learn from. Choose what you learn from them.
​(Share on Twitter)​

​

RESPONSES FOR LAST WEEK'S QUESTION

---

Last week I asked all of you

What do you think is THE MOST important purchase of one's life

1. The first car
2. The first house
3. The first phone
4. The first international vacation

I had a prediction for what people will vote for, and that turned out to be true.

The order was
First house - 50%
First international vacation - 25%
First car - 15%
First phone - 10%

You know the pattern?
This is from the most expensive thing to the least expensive thing.
My prediction was that things that are most special to us in our life, tend to be associated with how expensive they are.

Not because we are money-minded, instead because it takes a lot of effort and commitment for us to get to that state in life.

Which means, even the ones who said first phone or first car, are most likely the ones who have not yet achieved the financial freedom to buy an international vacation or house.

Once they do, maybe they will change their choice too.

Very interesting :)

​

POLL FOR THIS WEEK

---

Which one would you choose and why?

1. Stay on the ground/first floor of a 10-floor building
2. Stay on the 8th/9th floor of a 10-floor building
3. Stay in either ground or first floor of a 2-floor bungalow (PS: there is no roof access for anyone)

To participate in the poll, simply reply to this email with your response.

I read all my emails.
ALL MY EMAILS.
​Mere morning routine ki kasam :)

PS: More than 1,500 have shared this newsletter via WhatsApp with their contacts. If you liked this edition, you can share it on WhatsApp too. Your contacts do not need to sign up for the newsletter, to view it.