warikoo Wanderings

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​My new book - Get Epic Shit Done - is now out. Get your copy here. ​
You can view all previous newsletters here.

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BROKEN YOUR JANUARY FITNESS RESOLUTION ALREADY?

Until 32 years of age, I was supremely unhealthy.
Treated my body as a dustbin - sugar foods, salted snacks, aerated drinks, fried junk.

And then in Feb 2012...one fine day, I decided to go exercise in the morning.
I dragged myself out of bed (so not a morning person back then), went down to the park. And started lifting my knees high up to touch my palms, held parallel to the ground.

Something happened. Within 2 weeks, I couldn't walk.
The pain was unbearable. In my hip bone.

Tests were done. And the hip MRI told us I had something called Avascular necrosis or AVN for short.
The blood supply to my hip bone had stopped. Because of which the bone was decaying.

AVN is caused because of excessive smoking, alcohol or steroids.
None of which applied to me.
I lay in the 10% without cause.

I remember the doctor writing on the prescription: "STOP WALKING."
"We have to ensure the bone isn't damaged any further. So don't walk."

That hit hard!

The standard treatment is to undergo surgery, called core decompression.
It meant bed rest for 3 months and crutches for 5 months.

My life was to change forever.

I went through the surgery. I went through the bed rest. I went though the crutches.

Feb 2013: I am on a flight to Mumbai. AVN was behind me.

The surgery was successful, the bed rest and crutches weren't so bad.
I was back.

BUT

Life had told me to stop walking. How could I tell life that this chapter is over for me and I have won?

In that moment, I decided, I am going to run!
Run the half marathon.
This will be how I tell life that I have gone beyond the crutches, that it gave me.

I joined a gym, for the first time in my life.
And started to run.

Dec 15, 2013

When I completed 14kms, I knew I would complete the 21kms too.
And I did. It felt good.
But that very second, I knew I had cheated.

I had just showed up that day to run 21kms, without ever running it before (the max I had run during training was 14kms).
It felt like I could have done it even without the practice.

What is it that I can do, for which I will have to prepare each and every day?

And in a moment of craziness, at the age of 33, I decided
6 pack abs!

I cant cheat the system by suddenly “running” on a decided day.
I have to prepare for it for EVERY day before the day "they show up".

My body fat percentage on the 1st of Feb, 2014 : 26%
Abs show when body fat reaches sub - 10% levels!

I needed to change my entire life to get there.
And I did.

I got the 6 pack abs.
I got fit.
I got lean.
Most importantly, I got a second life.
All because of a freak disease.
For which I will forever remain grateful.

In the years that have followed, fitness has become a part of my life, teaching me some invaluable lessons.

1. You can lie to anyone and everyone in the gym, but you can never lie to yourself.
Same for life.
​What we do when no one is looking, is who we are.

2. "No matter how much the weight, don't ever close your eyes."
​No matter how big the problem, don't every close your eyes.

3. "When in pain, don't ever look down. Always look ahead."
​When in pain, always look ahead.

4. You are running, you are lifting, you are cycling.
And it feels like the pain will kill you.
But it doesn't.
It goes away.
The pain goes away.
In a second, a minute, an hour, in a day, in weeks or months.
​The pain goes away.
But the pain of not trying, stays.

5. You don't get to anything meaningful in life by showing up one fine day.​
You don't get fit by showing up at the gym one fine day and slogging your ass off.
It requires you to show up everyday.
Every single day.

6. Worse than no exercise is the illusion of exercise.

I have been working out for 9+ years now, almost every day.
And one would expect it to have gotten easier.
But it hasn't.
It's just as hard to lift, to run, to crunch.
It never gets easier. You just get better.

A well built physique reflects you worked hard for it, no money can buy it. You cannot borrow it, you cannot inherit it, you cannot steal it. You cannot hold onto it without constant work. It shows discipline, it shows self-respect, patience, work ethic, and passion.
​- Arnold Schwarzenegger

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BOOK I AM READING RIGHT NOW

Still reading Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioural Economics​
Highly highly recommended. Such a fun delightful read around the intersection of psychology and economics.
Please pick it up if you wish to understand humans :))

My second book GET EPIC SHIT DONE has launched!
​It is available in print, audio version (English, Hindi and 6 other regional languages), as an e-book and in offline stores as well.
​Get your copy here.​

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QUOTES TO SHARE

We procrastinate not out of laziness, but out of fear.
​(Share on Twitter)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Don't do it because it makes you happy. Do it, because you are happy!
​(Share on Twitter)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Nothing flows out of an empty cup.
​(Share on Twitter)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTION

Last week I asked you:

How often do you meet your closest friends in real-life (not virtually)

1. Daily
2. Weekly
3. Every 1-2 weeks or so
4. Monthly
5. Beyond a month
6. Don't have close friends

VERY interesting
1. When young, we tend to meet your closest friends every day.
2. And then it slowly starts reducing.
3. By the time we are in our late 20s and 30s, we are meeting them beyond once a month - because they have moved cities, you have drifted apart, you have got busy - so many reasons!
4. Also, before 22 and post 44 - we tend to not have as many close friends and those between 23-40!

My answer:
Monthly. We try to make that happen as much as possible.

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PICTURE OF THE WEEK

The Pune city event went really well. Signed 300+ books at the Crossword Aundh store (below) and then had a live session for 900+ people at College of Engineering Pune, followed by selfies with all.

Insane energy!!

Mumbai is 11th Feb, Bangalore is 18th Feb, Delhi is 26th Feb.
Will share the link to the events in the next newsletter.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Do you like numbers, or are good with numbers?

1. I like them, but I am not good with them
2. I like them and am good with them
3. I am good with them but do not like them
4. I am not good with numbers, nor do I like them

​Click here here to let me know your answer and check the answers of others too.

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CONTENT I SHARED THIS WEEK

Podcast:​
2022 ke liye 22 lessons
​Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, JioSaavn, Gaana or YouTube.

YouTube:​
​Change the way you think about money​

Instagram:​
​3 reasons you are not suceeding​

Twitter:
​How to meditate​

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You can, of course, always write to me by simply replying to this newsletter.

I love reading all your emails, even though I may not be able to reply to them all.
Yes! I READ ALL MY EMAILS. ALL OF THEM.
​(Sardiyon ki dhoop mein dopeher so jaane ki kasam)

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