January 1, 2022
Hi friends,
It’s another year, a fresh opportunity to rise and shine. I’ve been reflecting on my 2021 and what I can learn from it and share with you, my dear friends and family.
Let’s get right to it.
The White Tiger
A friend recommended that I watch The White Tiger film on Netflix.
It’s a film about a man named Balram from a poor village in India. The film takes you on a journey on how Balram works his way out of poverty by seizing opportunities that come his way.
It was a remarkable film and an important reminder that we have the power to become what we want through hardwork and perseverance. Basically, become The White Tiger.
Another takeaway was that most of us reading this message are extremely fortunate and fail to appreciate or seize the opportunities that are presented to us.
In 2021, I repeatedly found myself thinking about this film and reflecting on whether my actions and behaviors were aligned with my dreams, goals, and my future self.
Stacking Habits
This year, I found myself really enjoying the process of stacking habits and building new skills.
It was fun to:
- Take cold showers for at least 15-30 seconds on most days
- Read 7 books (No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant were my personal favorites)
- Workout at home with Yoga with Tim, Peloton Digital, and Barry’s At Home
- Fast for 16-hours, when possible, using the Zero App
- Take morning walks with Seth and Jinal on most days of the year
One thing I have quickly come to realize is that when I slacked on these habits, I had a bad day, bad mood, and/or poor health.
On the professional side, this was also the first year I taught a graduate class in Regulatory Affairs for Medical Devices at San Jose University. I enjoyed developing a new skill set that I had very limited prior experience or knowledge about.
In 2022, I am looking forward to developing new skills (ex: learning to swim) and keep the momentum on the habits that make me a happy and positive person.
Long Trips
We did 10 trips as a family and it was a mix of short (1-2 night stays) and long (8-15 night stays) trips.
For the most part, it was more satisfying to take the longer trips. It allowed us to fully enjoy and experience the new location.
Our favorite trip was to Washington State for 8 nights/ 9 days with my childhood friend Dylan and his mother. We enjoyed experiencing the city of Seattle, my friend’s home, and the Olympic National Park.
BTW, if you’re interested in a bunch of free travel (flights & hotels), check out my friend Trevor Wright’s business, The Mile Method. He shows you how to earn one million+ miles & points using credit card offers. His service is completely legit and I’ve been working with him for almost a year now.
Unnecessary Participation
In 2021, I got involved in a bunch of personal activities/ projects that consumed a lot of my time and was a source of frustration and stress.
Without boring you with the details of what went wrong, I want to share this simple insight.
It’s best to not get involved when (a) I’m not paying for the activity/ project and (b) Do not have complete decision making authority
Looking Ahead
In 2022, I’m looking forward to doing more of:
- Developing new skills
- Sustaining good habits (workouts, writing, fasting, reading, podcasting)
- Going on longer trips (10 days+)
- Hosting & attending events and connecting with new and existing people in my network
I hope my 2021 annual review helps you reflect on your own personal journey and what changes you’d like to make and see in the coming year.
If you’d like to perform your own past year review, check out this 6-minute podcast episode by Tim Ferriss. I found it extremely helpful to boil down my 40 positive experiences and 14 negative experiences in 2021 into this past year review.
Love,
Kunal