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1. If you want to think straight, discard all assumptions and focus only on the facts.

2. A useless thought is anything that’s outside your control and serves no useful purpose.

3. We become too dependent on something when we give it too much importance.

4. Don’t stress about being a perfectionist because there’s no such thing.

5. You won’t regret what you did in life, but you will regret what you didn’t do. 

Almost every stock I own has one thing in common: I’m also a customer of those companies.

I bought Paytm shares because I use it every day. From making payments to paying bills, it’s a part of my daily routine.

I invested in IDFC First Bank shares because I use their savings account, credit card, and even have a fixed deposit with them. Honestly, I haven’t seen any other bank that puts customers first the way they do.

This is how I typically do it:

I try out a lot of new products and services → If I genuinely love what they’re offering → I dive deep into the company’s fundamentals → If everything checks out and it’s listed on the stock market → I invest in it.

This method might seem like an old-school way of finding stocks, but trust me, it’s far better than picking one randomly from the internet.

But remember, just because you love using a product doesn’t mean the company is a good investment. Some businesses may offer great products for customers but have poor fundamentals, making them a poor investment choice for investors. 

1. Business: A company needs to stand out from its competitors to survive. If there’s no clear difference between its product and others, why would a customer stay loyal? That’s why I always look for businesses with a unique value proposition, something that is hard for competitors to replicate.

2. Management: Even a great ship needs the right sailor. I invest in companies whose management is passionate, ethical, purpose-driven, and focused on building for the long term, rather than chasing short-term gains. 

3. Valuation: A great business isn't always a great investment if you overpay. Would you buy a ₹50,000 phone for ₹80,000? Probably not. The same logic applies to stocks. This is where valuation analysis helps to determine whether a stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued. Overpaying can turn a good investment into a bad one when the stock corrects. 

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) in mutual funds is the easiest way to start your investment journey. But it can also be boring and requires a lot of discipline. 

If you check your portfolio daily, you will not see much growth.

SIPs are about earning consistent and decent returns every year, not about making one huge return in one year and a negative return the next.

In the first 10 to 20 years, you probably will not see much. But after 30 years, the returns will start making sense. And after 40 years, you will not believe how a small monthly investment grew into something massive.

For example, if you invest just ₹1000 every month, assuming an average annual return of 12 percent:

In 10 years: ₹1,04,036

In 20 years: ₹6,79,857

In 30 years: ₹27,20,973

In 40 years: ₹93,13,071

All this by investing just ₹4,80,000. Of course, these are just projections based on historical data. No one can predict the future. You can check estimates using any SIP calculator available online. 

But you might think, what is the point of having so much money at an age when you can't even enjoy it? However, ₹1000 a month is not a huge amount. It is probably just 10 percent of a fresher’s salary.

Spend the remaining 90 percent on your needs and wants. Just set aside 10 percent for your future and stay consistent.

One day, you will be glad you did.

1. Investing without understanding the business

If you can't clearly explain why you bought a stock, you are not investing, you are gambling.

Many new investors buy stocks based on tips, hype, or just because they seem cheap. Before investing, always understand the business, management, financials, and valuation.

2. Chasing penny stocks

Many beginners think buying a ₹10 stock is better than a ₹1,000 stock because they get more shares. They assume even a small price increase will bring big profits.

However, most penny stocks were once expensive but fell for a reason. Before investing, always ask yourself why this stock is so cheap.

3. Buying a fallen stock in expectation of a rebound

Not every stock that falls will rise again. If all declining stocks recovered, there would be no bad stocks.

Always understand why the stock dropped. Was it due to a temporary market issue or a serious problem within the company?

If the company’s fundamentals are broken, waiting for a recovery could be a waste of time and money. 

Why do you wear clothes?

To impress others?

To showcase your social status?

To follow trends?

Or simply because it’s a necessity?

While these may be common reasons, the true purpose of clothing is to make you feel confident in yourself.

Here’s how:

Choose the right fit—neither too tight nor too loose. 

Pick colors that match your skin tone. Lighter shades often look great on darker skin. Likewise, darker shades often look great on lighter skin.

Focus on quality, not just the brand. A well-made, durable piece is always better than a flashy logo.

Wear what truly reflects your personality, and stay true to it no matter what. 

And at the end of the day, it’s not about what you wear, but how you feel wearing it. 

Escaping overthinking is painful, but endlessly analyzing instead of taking action is much more painful. 

Building your personal brand is painful, but living like 99% of people is much more painful.

Facing fear is painful, but missing opportunities because of it is much more painful. 

Starting a business is painful, but working in a job you hate is much more painful.

Overcoming an addiction is painful, but being controlled by it is much more painful. 

Both paths come with pain, so choose wisely: the pain of effort or the pain of regret.

If you started investing after COVID, this market correction might feel like a reality check. Overvaluation in the Indian stock market, massive FIIs' sell-offs, and global uncertainties are shaking things up. You might be wondering whether you picked the right stocks or made a costly mistake.

But the truth is, the stock market doesn’t always go up. It moves in cycles—what rises eventually cools down. The past few years were a dream bull run, but corrections are part of the game. If stocks only went up, there would be no need for fixed-income investments.

Your confidence in this market depends on how you invested. If you analyzed stocks yourself before buying, you wouldn’t be panicking. Instead, you’d see this as a buying opportunity. But if you invested based on tips from YouTube channels, friends, or relatives, panic is inevitable. That’s the difference between investing and gambling.

If you’ve invested in quality stocks, hold your ground. Stay patient. Think long term. Stop checking your portfolio daily. And remember—if you can’t stay invested during market downturns, you don’t deserve the gains when the market recovers.

I faced this exact dilemma after finishing school.

Should I choose a prestigious college in my city, even if the course didn’t resonate with me at all? Or should I go for a lesser-known college just because it offered the course I was truly passionate about?

I chose the course.

Why? Because I knew that learning what I love would help me build the career I always dreamed of. Even if the college wasn’t the most reputed, the knowledge and skills I gained would matter more in the long run.

But what should you choose?

Choose college if you want to network, explore, and grow beyond academics. A reputed college can open doors to opportunities, connections, and experiences that go beyond the classroom. It’s about the environment, the people, and the exposure.

Choose course if you’re genuinely passionate about it and want to build a career around that field. Skills and knowledge will always outweigh a brand name when it comes to long-term success.

If you’re lucky enough to get both, it’s like hitting the jackpot—you’ll have the perfect environment and the right skills to excel.