People often write posts about giving advice to their 20 something self but I actually think that is kinda late in life. The foundation for learning fast and ability to solve hard problems needs to be nurtured at a very young age.

For e.g, my younger one (2.5 yo) wants to unbutton and remove his clothes on his own. He would not take no for an answer and would refuse any help whatsoever. He is ready to tear his clothes and defeat all physics principles but he wants to do it on his own.

Similarly my elder one (4.5 yo) struggled and argued with me for many months if not years about how to buckle/unbuckle himself in his child car seat. He is still not there yet but he has now learned some important tricks and it is only a matter of time.

I think every kid is the same where they have this zeal to do “something” on their own. They are not afraid to fail in “that” thing and they are not worried about what others are thinking. This is called the learner and beginners mindset. However every child is different so If you want your kids to love learning then support their curiosity and interests from the beginning.

But this post is not about others or my kids but about me. So what would I do differently or tell myself if I can magically become a child someday. Oh my dear lord, what not would I do?

1. Start learning some musical instruments at a very young age.
2. Play a lot of physical games, start exercising early, play multiple sports and master at least one.
3. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables specially start eating salads at a very young age.
4. While studying in school don’t memorize for the sake of getting good grades or chasing degrees. Instead try to understand the core concepts and learn using the first principles.
5. Read books and write something daily but while doing so don’t get distracted by the technology. Also try to be multilingual.
6. After you have understood a concept, implement the concept by doing a project on it or building something on it to improve your understanding from a young age.
7. Aspire to be an entrepreneur as exponential growth happens when you build something on your own and work for yourself.
8. It’s okay to gain experience working for someone for a few years but the best time to start a company is when you are young and straight out of college.
9. Give priority to time, speed, innovation and execution. In other words don’t get complacent and delay or slow things down.
10. Kind heart > Genius mind: Go above and beyond to help and give to others.
11. Integrity > Intelligence: Never ever cheat in life or do anything wrong. No matter how smart you think you are, you can never escape from the consequences of being evil.
12. Just compete with yourself to become a better person each day. In other words, don’t compare yourself to others or get jealous.
13. Fulfill your dreams before you get married and have kids. And if you decide to have kids then have kids sooner rather than later.
14. Grow trees. Save water. Protect mother nature. And inspire others to do the same.
15. Karma is everything. You get what you give others.