Hello, dear readers. 😊 Welcome to my new article. For the past few months, I have been exploring and trying different things, and in this blog, I will share my experiences and learnings. I will also share some tips with you. The things that I have been doing and the skills that I have been learning are not necessarily technical, but you will surely get some good insights from my experience. So, read it fully and make sure to read the part where I have shared my learnings. Without further ado, let’s start.

I am currently in my third year of college, which just started three days ago. 📚 Now I will be sitting for internships and placements. I am in a tier 3 college and before joining the college, I was just an average guy who had no skills, no interest in anything, and did not know what to do in his life. My parents were deciding for me what I should do. Even the fact that I am doing computer science and engineering was also the choice of my parents. Looking back today, I feel I have achieved many things in the past two years. Now, I will not say I am the best or great or boast about myself, but the thing is I have seen clear improvement and growth in my life and in the fields wherever I have paid attention to. I did not know about programming before college. I had one old laptop, but I only used that for browsing the internet, watching movies, etc. I was not at all interested in knowing more about that device (which I am now interested in). These things are not necessary to say, but I said them because I want you guys to know that with patience, hard work and consistency, you could also make your life better. Now let’s start. 🚀

(The skills are not in sequence. I am just sharing the things that I remember.)

The Typing Journey

Now that my 12th class was over and I had taken admission in college, I thought I would spend my whole life with computers. This was my reality two months before joining college. I thought that if I had to spend most of my time in front of a computer, then why shouldn’t I learn some basics of it, some of the most important skills that everyone using a computer should have. I searched a lot on the internet and most of the skills recommended by people were difficult to learn and required heavy system requirements, which I did not have (photoshop, video editing, etc.)

One skill that I found interesting was learning touch typing. My typing speed was almost 30wpm, but when I started learning, my speed reduced. I got so frustrated, but I kept on going. All the social media applications that I used on my mobile phone, I put all of them on my laptop, like WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. I downloaded an image of touch typing and pasted it on the wall of my room. I used to look at that image and type. I practiced by typing some random articles from my old books on MS Word. I did this every day for almost two months. Sometimes I even wrote more than one article in a day. So after the end of two months, my speed was around 45wpm. I regained my old speed and not only that, now my speed had increased. After that, I stopped practicing and just did some typing on websites like Monkeytype or Type Racer whenever I had time. Today, as I am writing this article, I have crossed the 100wpm mark on Monkeytype. 💪

You might be thinking that this is not a significant thing and not an achievement at all. I am just typing fast. The best I can do with this skill is to do a typist job or a data entry job. I agree, but I would recommend you to read this article to know the importance of this skill. 🚀

Until then, I had used many websites that helped me to learn touch typing, but I would recommend this one website that I think is the best. Check it out by clicking here. 🖥️

There is one more skill that I have developed over time and that has helped me a lot. It is using the mouse with my left hand. When I was in 12th grade, there was a COVID pandemic and a lockdown, so I had to watch a lot of lectures online. I write with my right hand and I also use the mouse with that hand. I faced a lot of problems and I believe many of you did too. It was difficult to switch between the mouse and the pen, especially if you have a small table. So I decided to use the mouse with my left hand, but before that, I searched on Google to see if anyone else had the same problem as me. Then I came across this article. I recommend you all to read it. It’s very good. Now it’s been a year since I’ve been using the mouse with my left hand and to be honest, it has increased my productivity a lot. 🖱️

Running

Ever since I was a child, I was very fat. You could say obese, but I won’t sugarcoat the words. In 2020, when the pandemic struck, I saw it as an opportunity to change my shape. I watched a TED talk by Abhinav Mahajan. He said one line that changed everything. He said that you should wake up in the morning and see yourself naked in the mirror. How do you feel? Do you feel happy looking at yourself or do you dislike your body? If the latter is true, then only you are the person who can change it. Go ahead and work hard on it, and one day you’ll be proud of the decision you made.

After listening to this, I started working out. I filled many old books in my school bag and started lifting it. I did this every day for almost a year. I also maintained my diet. I didn’t make any major changes. I just removed most of the processed and oily foods. I stopped eating any sweet things and that’s all. This was enough for my transformation. In about a year, I lost almost 20 kg of fat. I wanted to lose more weight, so I started running. I started this in September 2021. There was a park 2 km away from my house. I ran there and back every day. To increase resistance, I also bought ankle weights and ran wearing them. 🏃‍♂️💨

Thanks to that decision that I made, I later joined a proper gym in my college. But my love for running never diminished. I practiced increasing my stamina a lot, and now I can run more than 20 km in one go. You can see how much progress I made by clicking on my strava profile. I had even won district and state-level marathons and mini-marathons. 🏆🥇

Digital art

Another skill that I learned by accident and that helped me a lot is digital art. If you have been following me, you must know how much I love making digital art and how it helped me earn money. A few years back, I made a YouTube channel where I uploaded videos on physics, chemistry, and mathematics. After a few months, I decided that I should have a cool logo for my channel. I searched on Google for the most popular types of logos and I came across vector art. I was fascinated by it, and I contacted some artists who made it. However, they charged a lot for editing one image. One of them asked for one thousand rupees. I couldn’t believe how much they charged for making these kinds of art. So I searched on YouTube for tutorials, and I made art myself following one of them. It was not the best, but I was satisfied and I enjoyed it a lot. Then I made more art for different people, celebrities, etc. I enjoyed doing it so much that I didn’t realize how time flew, and I became good at it.

I have described more about it in this blog. Do check it out. 🎨✨

Content creating and social media

Another thing that I started after joining college was blogging and content creation. I made accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and two blogging platforms: Hashnode and dev.to. I was never very active on social media, but after writing blogs and creating content on these platforms, I found it enjoyable. I am sure I felt the same way with the previous things as well. But to be honest, I really love making content. I have more than 1k followers on LinkedIn, 150+ on Twitter, and 200+ on both of my blogs combined. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s been only one year and I am not fully committed to it. I upload 2-3 times a week because I am too busy with college and other stuff, but you see, it’s still a lot of progress. I don’t know if this blog gets viral, then I might gain some more followers, but that’s a different part of the story. 📝📈

There are a few more things that I wanted to discuss, like how I learned DSA, and how I started blogging and content creation, but I have already written detailed articles on them, so it doesn’t make sense to repeat all that stuff.

Now it’s time for the learning. 📚🧠

Key Learnings on My Journey

1. Consistency Pays Off: From the Typing Journey

   • The experience of improving your typing speed through consistent practice illustrates the power of daily dedication.

2. Persistence Overcomes Frustration: From the Typing Journey

   • The frustration you felt during typing practice teaches us that persistence can help us overcome obstacles and setbacks.

3. Self-Motivation is Key: From the Typing Journey

   • The commitment to self-improvement, like putting typing practice materials on your wall, emphasizes the importance of self-motivation in achieving goals.

4. Embrace Change for Efficiency: From Learning to Use the Mouse with the Left Hand

   • Adapting to using your mouse with your non-dominant hand highlights the benefits of embracing change for increased efficiency, especially when facing challenges.

5. Personal Transformation Takes Time: From Your Weight Loss and Running Journey

   • Your weight loss journey illustrates that personal transformation is a gradual process that requires both dedication and patience.

6. Small Diet Changes Matter: From My Weight Loss and Running Journey

   • Making small dietary changes, like cutting out processed and oily foods, can have a significant impact on your overall health.

7. Physical Health Influences Mental Well-being: From My Weight Loss and Running Journey

   • The improvement in your physical health through running shows that physical activity can positively affect mental well-being.

8. Self-Discipline is a Game Changer: From My Journey into Digital Art

   • Your journey into digital art demonstrates how self-discipline in pursuing new skills can lead to unexpected talents and opportunities.

9. Content Creation Requires Commitment: From Content Creating and Social Media

   • Your experience in content creation on social media platforms emphasizes the importance of consistency and commitment for building a following.

10. Networking Expands Horizons: From Content Creating and Social Media

    • Building a network on LinkedIn and Twitter showcases how networking can lead to new connections and opportunities.

11. Resilience is Key to Success: From Your Running Journey

    • Overcoming physical challenges, such as increasing your running stamina, illustrates the importance of resilience in achieving your goals.

Conclusion

As we reach the end of this article, I hope my experiences and learnings have resonated with you and ignited a spark of inspiration within. Remember, your journey of self-discovery and growth is uniquely yours, waiting to be shaped.

But it doesn't end here. I invite you to take action. Embrace change, set your own goals, and let consistency and resilience guide your path. Explore the uncharted territories of your potential. 🌟

And there's more: I'd love to hear about your own journeys, your challenges, and your victories. Share your thoughts, experiences, and insights in the comments below. Let's create a supportive community where we can learn from each other.

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Together, we can empower ourselves and others on this remarkable journey of transformation. Thank you for being part of this incredible adventure, and I look forward to engaging with you in the comments and through our newsletter. Let's embark on this journey together, one step at a time. 🚀