Man Plans, and God Laughs: The First Edition of Weekly Learnings

Weekly Learnings, 13-19 January 2025

Via Substack AI image generator

Substack goal: I want to inspire and show you what’s possible if you devote your mind, soul, and body to a cause. And as a result, you’ll live a life you’re proud of.

But even though I knew my Substack goal, I wasn’t sure how to approach it. Confused, I wrote posts whenever and whatever ideas came to me. My posts lacked structure and regularity.

I was trying a lot of things and ended up with nothing. As the saying goes: “Don't put your foot on two different boats.”

While trying to figure out my ‘Substack way’, I was gifted a diary on the New Year. I started journaling and had a few takeaways at the end of each day. I thought: why not share my learnings on Substack?

That’s why, Weekly Learnings. It’s an attempt to give structure to my Substack goal (at the top). And every Monday, I’ll share how I grasped the lesson(s) from the previous week, and how I plan to implement them in my life.

Not trying to put my foot on two different boats, I’ll focus on Weekly Learnings from now. Nothing else. And that’s where the first lesson comes in.

Lesson 1: Focus on one thing.

Instead of roaming like a traveler without a destination, I’ll now have a purpose on Substack. I’ll be focused and, thus, save time. I’ll have fun interacting with cool Substackers and build a great environment for nurturing writers and dreamers.

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Internet and smartphones have made us ‘too’ connected. Everyone can reach us anywhere, anytime. But endeavors such as writing need solitude and peace to blossom.

That’s why we must learn to say ‘no’.

Because once you learn to say no, build healthy boundaries, and get rid of the guilt of being a little selfish, your world and the quality of people around you get infinitely better.

Lesson 2: Build healthy boundaries and learn to say NO.

But many (including me) take years to learn this lesson. What about you, reader? When and how did you learn to say NO?

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For years, I’ve been trying to sleep and wake up early. I do it for a few weeks, then back to normality. But now, I’m forced to wake up by 6:15 am every day. It’s because I’ve joined online Yoga classes that start at 6:30 am.

And I took it up a notch and started waking up at the wee hours of the night. It’s peaceful and my brain’s running at full speed.

Early morning is the best time to write, study, or work. Most importantly, the solutions to your problems will be revealed as you start waking up early. You’ll automatically get ideas to improve every aspect of your life.

Lesson 3: Wake up early.

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I know people who had no clear dreams or ambitions. They grasped whatever opportunity came in front of them. And now, they’re doing well in life.

Then, there’s me, who had plans for every stage of life. I’ve been so calculative, playing out scenarios in my head before they actual happen, what I’ll say, what I shouldn’t, etc., etc. But life turned out to be completely different.

Man Plans, and God Laughs.

I think, logic doesn’t work well in this illogical Universe. That’s why, I’ve decided to give with open heart and not calculate much. Work hard towards my goals, take whatever opportunities I get, and go with the flow. As Steve Jobs said:

“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

Lesson 4: Give with open heart. Don’t calculate much.

N.B. Going with the flow and not calculating much doesn’t mean trusting others blindly. Instead, it means trusting yourself and your path completely.

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I had to email a graphic designer.

So, I read about emails, what to say in the subject line, and how to structure a cold email. It took me an entire day.

Then, I went to the graphic design subreddit. Reddit usernames being anonymous allowed graphic designer to comment freely. I got some ideas about the struggles of a graphic designer. Therefore, visiting the graphic design subreddit had the highest ROI, even though it took me only 30-45 minutes.

Similarly, writers procrastinate by reading books on writing and other writing advice on the internet.

Now, what if we cut the fluff and act on the part that really works i.e., actually write?

Lesson 5: Instead of wasting time on 80% of less important things, do the 20% that really works. (Pareto principle)

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Life happens.
Things come up.
Your mornings are wasted.
But you still have the afternoon and the evening left.

Treat every day as you treat your life. A gift to be used fully. Having no regrets of the past. Thinking only about the present and a little for the future.

Even though I like to get my work done in the mornings, household work and responsibilities come up. I perform them and plan what can done for the rest of the day.

Instead of crying over the lost morning hours, I focus on that hour and try to stay undistracted from my work (by not using my phone and not opening unnecessary tabs).

Lesson 6: If you want to do it, you’ll do it anyhow and at any time. You can start anytime of the day even though the majority of the day was wasted.

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All your stars, horoscopes, and gemstones can’t save you if you don’t work. Hard work trumps all. Simple.

Lesson 7: Work super hard.

Quickest lesson. But crucial.

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TL; DR: Recap of the First Edition of Weekly Learnings by Joydeep Biswas

• Focus on one thing.

• Build healthy boundaries and learn to say NO.

• Wake up early.

• Give with open heart. Don’t calculate much.

• Instead of wasting time on 80% of less important things, do the 20% that really works. (Pareto principle)

• If you want to do it, you’ll do it anyhow and at any time. You can start anytime of the day even though the majority of the day was wasted.

• Work super hard.

Namaskar 🙏

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