Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi

4 years ago this day, I traveled solo for the first time.

As a disclaimer,
- I’m introverted, and
- I don’t make friends easily

Honestly, I was SO anxious.

I zipped my passport and phone in my jacket at night and hugged them under the blanket before I slept.

The first night, I didn’t sleep at all and imagined the worst possible scenarios that could happen to me. My hostel dorm had 32 people and my bed was right next to the door, so there was that noise too.

The next day, I stepped out of my comfort zone to have some small talks over breakfast.

In the evening, I hung out with hostel mates from around the world.

I realised I enjoy sightseeing alone, especially in museums. I didn’t even imagine I’d be somebody who enjoys museums!

But I also enjoyed hanging out with people and listen to their stories. There’s something different about being in a room full of people from around the world, and that ‘different’ is what makes it amazing.

This was the first time I spent time with myself and my thoughts in a place I don’t know at all.

The next two nights, I slept like a baby.

Who knew, it’d lead me to travel solo nine more times. But that’s a story for another time. :)

Stepping out of your comfort zone can unleash a whole new path for you. Try it?

#travel #summit21 #sprinterstribe

I don’t do networking events or networking phone calls.

I stopped enjoying partying too early at 21ish and don’t correspond the term ‘fun’ with going out, alcohol, or lots of people.

I worked at Old Trafford in Manchester and didn’t bother to watch a match. I don’t watch any sports, and being from a country that loves cricket, I still don’t understand the game.

I prefer my 4-hour workdays that have LOTS of family time, and time to read and work out instead of trading 5 days for two.

But that’s just me, and I don’t advocate my beliefs or practices.

I don’t think everyone should quit their job or be an entrepreneur because everyone is different. That’s why we have astronauts, scientists, musicians, accountants, etc - because we have distinct strengths.

The essence of being human lies in our differences, because if we’re all the same then it’s kind of boring… isn’t it? Imagine everyone with the same tastes, opinions and lifestyles.

The reason is - I’m content, and I want everything to be simple.

I may not go to events or meet people but I’ve met my online friends in real life just because we vibe. I like my calendar empty, with no zoom calls and back-to-back tasks, and have strong goals to grow my business.

Even when I used to freelance, I’d only work with a maximum of 2 clients back then because of quality over quantity.

I’m content with everything and at the same time driven to chase my goals without ambition overpowering small joys of life such as sitting under the winter sun and sipping tea.

When I read Akshat’s post a few days ago and Kushal’s yesterday, it motivated me to stand up to say this which I may otherwise be too much of a chicken to say so.

You have more power than you think in choosing how you live.

The first step of everything, as always, is self awareness.

Who is Niharikaa, and why is she talking in the third person about herself?

I did something like this over a year ago when I hit 10k followers or something so people who follow me also *know* me (isn't that the point?)

So here are ten things about me you probably don’t know.

Usually, my posts are written to give you value, but this is a narcissistic one.

So feel free to skip the rest.

1. My solo travels to 9 countries at 21 taught me more than a Master's degree.

2. I disliked reading as a kid until I read Princess Diaries when I was twelve.

3. I’ve never had a big friends group and large groups make me largely uncomfortable lol.

4. I lost 25 kgs at 18, and have been into a healthy lifestyle since. Exercising and eating healthy is an integral part of my routine (and life).

5. I quit my job last year at 25 and my biggest motivation to work hard is to never do a corporate job again.

6. I'm scared of way too many things - pets, lizards, heights, water, reptiles, stray dogs, darkness, etc.

7. I quit my influencer Instagram blog in 2020 to be known for value over vanity.

8. I have an extremely strict information diet
- I download Instagram once a week or two for a max of 20min and all accounts are muted (minus dog accounts)
- I only follow people whose energy I vibe with
- I don’t mindlessly scroll
- I refuse to participate in ‘my life is better than yours’ competition and mute everyone who does it
- I haven't checked my LinkedIn and Medium notifications since July 2021 👀 Completely detached to the dopamine 😅

As you can see, I’m extremely possessive of my focus and energy lol.

9. I’m really lazy. I work ~4 h a day and consider owning my time to be a great power. I want my work to be a part of my life and not my entire life (even though I love it so much).

10. I’ve visited 26 countries but have had a fear of flying since 2018 because I binged on plane-crash videos before my flight to Stockholm. Two months ago was my first flight in 4.5 years where I didn’t experience flight anxiety.

11. I started writing when I was 7.

12. I've been writing a gratitude journal since May 2017.

Every morning, I write 10 things I'm grateful for. I guess that's why my state of mind is calm and content.

I know that’s 12…

And now that I’m done typing, I feel overly self-indulgent, so let’s stop here 😅

I've been growing at 5000 followers/ month since this year started. Here's are 6 things that are helping me grow quick:

1. Not writing about trends: I don't write about what everyone is writing, because then how will I stand out? So no Chat GPT carousels or how to make six figures freelancing.

2. Talking about what needs to be said: Because I don't have a job, it's easy for me to be real about the downsides of a 9-5. It's something everyone wants to talk about but they cannot, publicly.

3. Freshness: I love posting travel content. I think it's a breath of fresh air amongst all the seriousness on the platform.

4. Vulnerability: I've become open about my lows and personal battles because I know I'm not alone. Many of you also have struggled with underconfidence and lack of belief in yourself.

5. Truth bombs: I will talk about solopreneurship, getting fired from my 9-5, having a terrible first boss, my experience with good leaders, my challenges as a one-person biz, etc. These are unique stories to my experience and I will talk about it.

6. Photos: I like putting a face behind the words. However not a fan of thirst traps and I try to put rather conservative photos to not attract the thirst-trap audience. Personal decision here, no judgement for those who choose to do otherwise.

In short, I talk mostly about what I've experienced with a takeaway for the reader.

And in that, I think the reader can also sense honesty because there's no sugar coating and I'm not playing the 'my life is better than yours' game.

Also, 5K/month may sound amazing but like I tell my students - it's easy to grow once you've already grown.

0-1K is the hardest.

We all start from zero.

That's all for the rare LinkedIn tips that I throw out. Rare because everyone with 10k followers is talking about how to reach 100k and I don't resonate with most advice thrown.

But that's just me :) You do you!

Love,
N

___

PS: Yes, I will be that person who links my LinkedIn course in the comments below because it's one of the six sources of my bread and butter, and keeps me going. Also, because I've got great feedback about it ;)

We also introduced parity pricing for India 15 days ago to make it super affordable :)

Here's something you may not know about me. But I *strongly* feel the reason I've been able to be a solopreneur and all that jazz is because of this one habit.

I've been working out for 6 days a week since I was 18.

It didn't start because I was a health freak. It was because I was the opposite.

I'm 63.4 kg right now, I was 86+ kg when I started. It took me a little over 2 years to drop 25 kgs.

I've spent my entire damn childhood being heavy and returning to school every summer to get a bigger-sized skirt.

It's been 9 years since I started.

9 years of:
• exercising
• moderating junk
• following a healthy diet

During undergrad, it meant
• not consuming alcohol
• saying no to chips, pav bhaji, etc as snacks
• waking up at 6 am to exercise before classes

It was a game of choice. People say eating healthy is expensive. Back in 2014, the Maggi outside my PG and a grilled chicken sandwich in college had a 20rs difference. The Maggi and chicken roll had 10rs difference.

You either choose or make an excuse.

How does this help me today?

1. Consistency: I've been showing up for 9 years. Too often, people chase something wanting quick results. Because I never followed a diet and instead ate simple healthy food, my weight loss wasn't drastic. I've understood that everything in life is a game of showing up.

2. Persistence: There's a weight loss plateau that occurs in the journey to battle obesity. Easy to drop the first 7 kg. Tough to drop even 3kg thereafter. It's not impossible, it just takes a lot more time. You have to keep at it.

3. Hard work: Exercising isn't easy. Sleeping early and being a party pooper at 19 isn't easy. Saying no to things that can help you fit in isn't easy. I'm glad I did that because running a business isn't easy either. Get used to working hard for the results you desire.

These three traits help me stay on track - mentally, and at work.

I feel some strengths at work don't come from work at all.

For me, they come from being committed to a healthy lifestyle. I've gained traits from this practice which I wouldn't have, otherwise.

PS- I'll put a before and after photo in the comments to avoid 'LinkedIn is not Instagram' comments lol.

16 months of self-employment. Here are my 5 biggest realisations:

1. More Followers ≠ More Money
2. I was happier with lesser followers
3. Owning your time > working for time
4. You get paid for the value you put on the table
5. Only love - for the craft and from others - keeps you going

• Favourite part?
Life is happier when it's simple - no politics, no sucking up, and no calls that you don't want to attend. An empty calendar is a beautiful thing to see, and I don't feel low on Sunday evenings anymore.

• Least favourite?
I quite like my boss, except for the times she's burnt out a few times this year. We hope to change that now. :)

From chasing a 7% appraisal to creating a 146% profit, from focusing on promotions to building products that empower communities ranging from students to retired folks.

And the most fun bit - from trying to impress leaders to just being real and doing your thing :)

Solopreneurship has changed my mindset entirely about life in general.

The biggest shift is - I no longer want to trade time for money. There's only so much time one has.

Apart from that, this article is a quick read on how my mindset changed from being an employee to being a solopreneur.

Regardless of your work profile, I'm pretty sure these shifts can help us all lead more fulfilling lives.

I asked Chetan Bhagat yesterday, “How do you deal with trolls?”

He answered, “they troll you because you’re successful. If you weren’t, they wouldn’t care.”

I also attended his talk on ‘Truth vs Clicks’ yesterday where I learnt:

• We’re at a time where gossip, politics, and religion will get more reaction. Increases engagement and likes big time.

• We’re at a time where being half-naked on the internet will get you more traction. If that’s how you dress and feel comfortable, it’s great. But if you’re not and you do it for the heck of it, you’ll eventually be unhappy.

• As a writer online today, you have a choice between credibility and clicks. Always, always choose credibility. It’s difficult and the longer route, but it’s what you’ll look back and be proud of.

This resonated with me on a personal level as a writer.

Last month, I decided to never put even a decent solo photo on Twitter because it brings in creepy comments and marriage proposals.

Yes, it brings in followers. In thousands. But so what?

It’s a personal choice to not put certain pictures online and no pictures on some platform. Other people doing the opposite is okay too. As long as we’re all comfortable.

But as a writer, I want to strive to stay true to giving value and stay aligned to my beliefs.

I strongly believe people can sense when you’re faking it or misleading them. Eventually they will. And all the trust you build with your audience can go wrong with one wrong move.

So to everyone reading this - you can always, always choose shady tactics to go viral online. To increase that number. Maybe even buy likes and comments.

But should you?

Is that what you’re in it for?

Think about it :)

Thank you iCubesWire for this event where I learnt so much from such excellent folks. I’ve never seen an event at this level packed with industry experts. Sahil Chopra - you and your team are brilliant 👏🏼

This is my first ‘typical LinkedIn photo’ post. It’s because I’ve been operating alone from a room for 3.5 years now.

I work at home.

I workout at home.

Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I won’t have it any other way. It’s why I can have my lovely afternoon naps (always on the sofa and never on the bed for some reason) and don’t have any rush.

The thought of working from somewhere everyday feels like a liability. A kind of pressure.

Trumping my entire notion and belief of ‘owning my time’.

But newness is important too.

Some movement, some momentum.

Some freshness.

Like I took only 4 hours to complete a product two years ago because I booked a room at a co-working space. Those four hours gave me ROI like nothing else.

Now, I’m going to bring in this change.

Maybe work 3/4 times a week from this place.

No pressure.

No commitment.

No hard rules.

Flow. Flow, and get into a flow state to perform deep work.

I’m telling you this because there are so many people who’ll feel and perform better, all by bringing in some movement.

Working out helps a lot. If it wasn’t my daily morning routine, I don’t know how I’d keep sane.

For others it could be
• spending time in nature
• taking your parents out often
• changing work environment if possible

Anything.

PS: the photo wasn’t intended for LinkedIn. I clicked it to send to my mom because we had the same coffee 3 days prior and she loved it :)

Low self-esteem is an entire mountain inside a person, that they try each day of their lives to hide and let go of.

In my previous post, it surprised me that HUNDREDS of you expressed your battle with low self-esteem.

Sadly, it isn't easy for an Indian man (even in today's time) to admit that he's okay with being a bit feminine. It isn't easy to be public that they were bullied about it.

It isn't easy for such accomplished folks to admit that they still feel they aren't good enough.

At a time when Facetune and Instagram make us feel less pretty, it isn't easy for us to admit our battles with adult acne, obesity, and not feeling comfortable with our looks.

So thank YOU for sharing this and so much more out in the world in the comments section. It made me realise that there are so many of us in the same boat.

I'm writing this because I've overcome this battle by what I'd say 80% in the last 2 years. Here's what helped me:

1. I realised that most of these thoughts are just thoughts, not the reality. No point dwelling into it.

2. I worked to see the patterns I have today because of incidents experienced in my childhood. Once I recognised it, it was easy to overcome it. Affirmations helped too.

3. I realised the power of mindset. It is easier than we think to undo our thinking and mindset and turn it around. It just takes some time. So I figured out the leaks in my mindset and moved it to an abundant way of thinking.

4. I changed my environment. I literally have zero surface-level friends and don't network for the heck of it. It's either deep relationships or nothing for me. You don't need people who pull you down or make you feel inadequate.

5. My content consumption is overly monitored. Anything and anybody that makes me feel inadequate is muted, and trolls are blocked. I also don't use Instagram and don't check my notifications.

All this has helped me re-create my self-image and improve my self-esteem. It's the reason I've been able to do things like start a business, quit a safe job, and live the way I do.

Lastly, I'm listing some books to help you dig deeper and get results because otherwise, this post would just be a fluffy inspirational one.

Here's what helped me:
1. Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins
2. Grit by Angela Duckworth
3. Mindset by Carol Dweck
4. You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

+ I'm currently reading How to Do the Work by Dr Nicole LePera.

Apart from this, the two practices I stick by are gratitude journaling and daily 10 minutes meditation.

I hope this helps :) You got this!

I’m writing this on the way back from a journey and place that completely mesmerised me.

From Salzburg to Hallstatt was a route so scenic that I was in awe. And once I reached Hallstatt, it was like a place I’ve never seen before.

Straight out of a postcard.

Mountains. Water. Lakes. Wooden cabins decorated with flowers next to the water by the mountains.

Funnily, I was recommended to NOT visit this place as it’s ‘boring’.

There weren’t 10 ‘attractions’ to visit but that doesn’t take away all the natural beauty. You don’t have to always be busy travelling, you just have to breathe and feel and see some places.

Even on the way to Hallstatt, I crossed places that were beautiful.

I’m beginning to think that I don’t want my future travels to be about the big cities any more. I don’t want to go to only the famous places.

I want to visit these real gems. The ones that are still relatively untouched. The ones that don’t have popular museums or tourist spots but you can just look at natural beauty and be in awe of it.

Places where you can just - be.

Be grateful. Feel alive.

Take it all in.

And that’s all from my travel diaries for today.

Happy Monday :)

📍 Hallstatt, Austria

#traveldiaries #travel

I complete 10 years of working out and eating healthy this month. Here are 10 quick learnings ⬇️

(In case you're wondering, the trigger was that I was 85 kilos and had PCOD. I now am 20kgs+ lighter with no hormonal imbalance and the weight-loss process took 2y).

1. A flat tummy comes from a diet, not crunches.

2. When I was dropping 25 kg, I did it because I loved myself, not because I disliked my body. I felt like I owed myself good health. Doing it out of love changes everything.

3. Do it to be healthy and disease-free, not to be of a certain shape (you are not a cupcake).

4. You'll get shamed by everyone about your eating habits. Joke's on them if they think eating unhealthy is cool.

5. Hiring a nutritionist is life-changing. She healed my gut, cured my acne, and made me the fittest I've ever been.

6. A 15-minute circuit is better than not working out.

7. Being fit is addictive.

8. It makes you mentally healthier and happier.

9. Great workouts don't make you feel dead every time you finish 'em.

10. Life weights. My mum's been lifting for 25 years and is fitter than most people in my age group. It's the only way to stay fit as you grow and lose muscle and bone density.


Taking care of your health is non-negotiable.

Your body and mind are the *only* components that stay with you till the end.

Do you take out time to squeeze in a workout? Do you eat healthily? If yes, let me know your experience in the comments below ⬇️

“I want to make $10 million before I retire”, they told me 2 hours ago.

I asked them the reason for this number.

They told me it feels enough to lead a comfortable life.

I then told them my story - when I wanted to quit my job, I didn’t think of a number.

To be honest, I didn’t have the confidence or belief to think that high. In Hindi, I didn’t have the ‘aukat’ to dream at that level.

But I dreamt of
• not having so many calls
• not working with people I dislike
• doing what I want when I want
• being financially independent
• owning my time

And that’s what led me here.

I spent my Monday today going to a nearby farm.

I recommended them that chasing a life you want to live is better than chasing a number. Because what if that numbers comes by sacrificing health and relationships?

Is it really worth it then?

Will it still make you happy?

To add to that - I also think there’s a lot to be grateful for if you have a healthy body and a happy family.

Keeping that the center goal and building around it is better than chasing a number and thinking everything should fit around.

I don’t know if they agree to my advice… but that’s just my opinion and experience.

What do you think?