24 Lessons I Learned in 2024: Insights from My Year

Another year has passed in what seems like a blink of an eye. This is the time of year that we are told to reflect on our accomplishments and hold ourselves accountable for the goals we set to accomplish. I find joy in these moments, not because I want to keep score but because I want to congratulate myself on how far I’ve come and how much wisdom I gained from what life has served me. Celebrate the small wins, always! 

You don’t have to publish your thoughts, but keep them safe, for your eyes only, and I’m sure that one day when the time is right, you will read through the pages and be happy that you made your notes. Everything you put on paper is there to serve you, somehow, somewhere. Before compiling my 2024 list of lessons and wisdom that life delivered, I read through last year’s article and was so proud of myself for accomplishing what I wanted to excel in. If you are curious, you can read it here. And it’s not material accomplishments (although those are important too, we got to live somehow right), but it’s committing to a more mindful life. 

2024 was a year that delivered many lessons, and it was pretty generous in its lessons, I must say – and although I knew it wouldn’t be an easy year, it exposed more than I expected. At the beginning of the year, I walked away from a highly toxic environment, something that I had given all my energy to for five whole years. Although my initial commitment was not supposed to last that long, nor in the context it became – it took over my life and squeezed everything out of me. I watched someone else get the credit for my connections, dedication, and hard work in a room full of people, while I was sitting in the front row. And the worst of all was the person who asked me to help them open up a market five years ago – didn’t say a single word. 

It showed me how superficial and ego-driven people really are and how many silent bullies are walking among us. I’ve worked in many challenging environments since I started my hospitality career at 18, but this one gets the most pretentious award.

I constantly hear hospitality professionals complain about not finding exceptional staff. Still, we ought to look inside the organizations too, and how incompetent people are celebrated and the most competent are being degraded. I’m a misfit and a black sheep, as I’m not scared to speak my mind, but unfortunately, nowadays, fakeness is the price of success. I believe karma keeps score, and we owe it to ourselves and the world to show up authentically and with high standards and morals. Don’t be scared to be a good person. The world needs more good people. 

At the end of April, I submitted a book proposal to Hay House UK; it was part of a competition after the live event I attended in London in October 2023. Although I didn’t win, I’m proud of completing a 50 + page proposal – it was a lot of work, and it kind of made me open a Pandora’s box of emotions and memories, which I pushed down over the years. I don’t know when I will complete this book and if it will have the same context – I do love the title, though, and the reason behind wanting to write this book: it’s my dream to become a Hay House author. Hopefully, one day! Dreams are free, right?

In October, just a few days before my birthday, I signed up for a gym membership and committed to a 5 days a week workout schedule. This was the best gift I gave to myself. Although I’ve been practicing yoga for a few years now, I wanted to add a more intense physical workout – at first, it was messy and hard, but the more I showed up, the more hooked I got. The boot camp class I attend every Wednesday has quickly become my favorite. Hard is worth it. I finally achieved my slow mornings, and this was the best gift of 2024.

A huge highlight of 2024 was meeting my mentor, Robin Sharma, in person; I blogged about it here.

In 2025 I want to master conscious living and to become even more grounded. My goal is to commit to a purpose bigger than myself and bring quality work into the world – no matter what I do.

Now let’s look at the lessons and wisdom that 2024 brought along:

1. An overgiver suffers the most. Although I believe in the saying “under promise but over-deliver,” – giving more than what is asked of you will not necessarily mean that you will be appreciated. On the contrary, it will become a given; in the end, you will be left depleted.  
2. As I embraced slower days, weeks, and months, my body and mind felt calmer. I could face difficulties and sad moments with more clarity. 
3. Know your rights and stand your ground. If you don’t stand up for yourself, no one will. 
4. Serve, learn, and repeat. Sow what you seed. 
5. Mental toughness requires commitment. 
6. Independence is true freedom. It’s not loneliness.
7. Instant satisfaction never brings true pleasure. It only deepens the void. 
8. We are slaves to the needs of others. Remember that when you are slaving away like a good minion for your boss. There are no irreplaceable people, no matter how good you are. 
9. If we are emotional, we are not rational. 
10. Our choices create our karma; in this lifetime or the next, therefore, choose wisely. 
11. Health is a luxury; as soon as we realize it, we begin the most important journey toward healing. Don’t take your health for granted. 
12. Victimhood is never rewarded; on the contrary, you will always seek external validation, and it’s a high price to pay. 
13. In the grand scheme of life, once you start taking life for what it is, living becomes easier, and you just go with the flow. 
14. People will disappoint you, that’s a given, be as cool as a cucumber, and don’t let it get to you. All relationships are temporary, even the great ones. Enjoy while it lasts and when it’s time to move along your journey, just move.
15. Many people will be around you because they have something to gain from you. Once you stop giving, they will find someone else to hang around with. Remember, people will meet you as deeply as they have met themselves. Sadly, there are many lost souls who are incapable of showing up authentically. 
16. Being romantic over being realistic only brings heartbreaks. Eventually, everyone will show you their true colors, and it’s just a matter of time. But as you get older and time flies by faster, do you really want to waste your valuable time? Learn to spot the fake. Red flags are usually there from the beginning and are not too hard to spot. Become a great observer – you will save yourself a lot of time. 
17. Like the seasons, we must shed our layers, which are all a part of life. 
18. A trip to Japan opened my eyes to another level of conscious and respectful living – we should all be more respectful of the world around us. What a beautiful world that would be. 
19. Don’t travel to tick the boxes. Instead, seek depth, enlightenment, wisdom, and growth. Travel with a purpose. 
20. We should not take our privileges for granted. Learn to be grateful instead. 
21. The earth speaks gently; it whispers messages – be still enough to hear them. 
22. Trying to please everyone is like trying to be part of the popular crowd in high school – a pointless pursuit. 
23. The ego has a way of flipping the script on us – it turns a master into a prisoner. When we let pride and self-importance take the reins, we trap ourselves in walls of our own making, unable to grow, to learn, to truly connect. Don’t forget where you started. Freedom lies in humility, in recognizing that mastery is not about control, accolades, and shiny objects. It’s about openness, curiosity, and service. Being authentic and true to yourself and your values. 
24. Slowing down is a conscious choice, not always easy but necessary. 

May 2025 bring you peace, clarity, abundance, and wonderful people around you. Happy New Year!