2021. Well, that was really fast. I find it really funny that we are already in the last week. With so many things happening this year like:

Covid going, then coming back. Lockdown ending, then coming back then ending again. And now again, it looks like we are about to repeat the same cycle…

Well, lets hope for the best. In these difficult times, where most people have to worry about the next meal, I think to be able to get that time to reflect is a real privilege. Introspection is truly a privilege.

This fact itself makes me grateful for whatever I have been blessed with.

To anyone who is going through tough times, more power to you!

Let’s begin…

My own life had a lot going on this year. So many things happened this year, both in number and experience. Will write about them soon 🙂

If someone would ask me to describe this year for me in one word:

It would be ‘Growth’ for me. I have never in my life gone through so much change.

Remember when you meet your friend after a long time and say this in your head” Oh man! He/ she has changed so much!”

That would exactly be my reaction if I were to meet myself from January this year. Or even Ronit from July would be so much more different from Ronit now. Strange for sure. But I guess, that is how growing up feels like….

Eventful. Another word to describe 2021. Major event- dropping out of college. Yes, I have officially dropped out of college. Why? How? When? All this is going to be a part of my upcoming blogs. A lot to share from this experience.

No surprise, it was during this time that I learnt a lot about myself, others and how the world works. Also, this is when I grew a lot and also at a rapid pace.

Oh and the lessons. Many, many many. Whether its people, relationships, money, career…. Lots of things learnt about life 🙂

But most importantly, just like anyone else about to begin their 20s, I learnt a lot about myself. I got to know Ronit as never before. Some things surprised me, some did not.

One thing I consistently find when I look back at my versions in the past months this year, is absolute humour and dumbness(if that’s a word).

I always laugh at my thoughts and the actions I took previously. Was I seriously thinking like that? Was that seriously me?

But anyway I cherish all those versions of myself. If I hadn’t gone through them, I surely wouldn’t have been here. Sure, I might be a fool today as well… But will get to know next month only 😁

In fact, some things I wrote in my previous blogs also makes me laugh. But I want it to be there. For me, this blog is about documenting my journey over the years. It would be fun to read this 50 years from now. I want all my foolishness to be documented.

With this blog, it is also my aim to form a community of learners. Where we all share our journeys and the learnings and grow together.

And that is how I have made many new friends this year!

Now there were some important lessons I learnt, and I would love to discuss them.

The way I would go about this is through questions. It would be me asking you as well as myself, some questions that will help us reflect together.

Q) What was your biggest realization of 2021?

The following quote precisely puts words to my realization:

‘Environment is the invisible hand that shapes us.’

James Clear

Now, this is something, that I took for granted and didn’t pay much attention to 12 months back. But I have realized, that our environment affects us in a way that we often are not even aware of.

Let us break down the environment. It essentially has 2 components:

1) Physical surroundings: 

The room you work in. The place where you chill. The room you sleep in. Your favourite hangout place. All of this forms your physical environment.

2) People: 

Now, it is the humans, the people, that fill up these physical spaces. And these are the ones, that affect you the most.

Just think about this:

Every thought you have ever had,

Every thought you have right now,

Every thought you will ever have,

is a variation of the thought that other people have put in your head.

It’s that simple. Your family. Your friends. The people you hang out with. The people you work with.

Whether you like it or not, the way you perceive the world, and even yourself, is determined by the people around you.

In this age of information, it is not just about the physical humans you are surrounded with.

The way I see content and information is as a person I am interacting with.

Whether it’s the books, the podcasts, the videos, the music or our social media feed, it is actually us interacting with other people, just in a different format.

Just observe the people around you.

Fit people hang out with other fit people.

Entrepreneurs hang out with other entrepreneurs.

Party people hang out with other party people.

Birds of a feather, truly flock together!

And for all obvious reasons. It is not about one group being better than the other. It is about who we want to be. That has always been, and will always be our own choice.

I think this quote sums it up really well:

Who you spend time with will define the stories you hear.

The stories you hear will define the stories in your head.

The stories in your head will define you.

Choose who you spend time with, wisely!

Ankur Warikoo

So, if you truly want to change yourself, change your environment. 🙂✊

What was your biggest realization this year?

Q) What is the one thing that you struggled the most with this year?

For me, it was consistency.

2021 was all about trying out new things and experimenting. But being consistent was a real struggle.

It was as if I ran a lot of sprints. Sure, I ran well in some, and some I messed up.

But here’s what I learnt:

Life is an endurance sport. A marathon. It is not the fastest who wins, but the one who slows down the least.

For anyone who is playing it long term, it is always consistency that compounds. Whether it’s mastering a skill, building a business, or simply life, all of them are long term games.

But sometimes, even during a marathon, short sprints are necessary to give you that boost or even a reality check.

After all, you play some games, just to know where you stand.

So yes, going ahead, it is consistency that I will work on.

What was your struggle in 2021?

Q) 5 words to describe 2021 for you:

Risks

Experiments

Exploration

Self-discovery

Growth

What were those 5 words for you?

Q) How did 2021 make you feel? (in 1 word)

Grateful 🙂

What is that one word for you?

I love to hear stories from people. Would love to hear yours! 🙂

Link to all social media handles: https://linktr.ee/ronitghiya

BELIEVE.