Getting Started In 2024: Week 1 In Numbers
We have just started a special new year, and with the first week coming to a close, things are back to normal.
After the winter break, there seemed to a frenzy of activity, with a period of chill (quite literally for many of us), followed by so much happening in the first week of the New Year.
So, let us take a look at the first Week In Numbers, in a way that is also palatable to those who may be weak at numbers!
2024: Happy New Year
2024 was the most used number of the week, quite unsurprisingly, as everyone wished each other a Happy New Year. I started the year with an article on the special numerical and metaphorical significance of this year, that followed it’s predecessor ’23.
While we welcome each new year with enthusiasm and hopes, 2024 is indeed special, as it presents the first ever opportunity of its kind.
The article highlighted this special phenomenon that has occurred for the first time in our lifetime, even if you are the oldest living human being on this planet!
In keeping with the special nature of this occurrence that I discovered and explained in the article, I received more than the usual share of readers and responses on this article.
Now that your curiosity is sufficiently raised, here is the link to the article.
23 – The Year In Review
The New Year is inextricably linked to the previous year. We all saw our fair share of Year In Reviews, and Top 10 lists coming out of the previous year. A lot of significant things have happened during the previous year, across so many aspects of our lives!
Over the last few years, I have regularly been writing extremely extensive annual reviews. In 2020, I had written 20 articles in the last 20 days of the year, and the total word count of the series was good enough to qualify as a book. The series was at least as voluminous as my inaugural book on staying positive and productive. It also became a Featured Snippet on Google, even though it was published on our platform, From The Experts Mouth, that we had just launched that quarter!
Last year, I went one up, and did 23 videos – one each for the last 23 days of the year, covering a wide spectrum of topics and events from the previous year. This year, I have been publishing my thoughts through articles and videos much more prolifically. I have continued the momentum into 2024, at least going by the developments in the first week.
88 – Multiplying The Past To Obtain Present
Speaking of the relationship between the present year and the past, we are witnessing a special and rare event this year, as I mentioned earlier. As explained in detail in my article on 2024 being the Year of the Infinite Force Multiplier, 2024 is exactly divisible by its predecessor year, ’23. The result 88 seems to represent two symbols of infinity coming together, probably indicating that this is the opportune moment in history, where we will reap the rewards for everything that we have sowed so far.
Some people who have read the article have been curious about how I am able to find these patterns in such innocuous numbers. I thought about the query, and found several answers, rooted in my past. The more recent answer lies in one of the online courses called Introduction to Mathematical Thinking by a professor at Stanford University on Coursera, who explains that mathematics is not the study of numbers, but the study of patterns!
On a related note, the key outcome that we should expect out of a review of the past and introspection is to identify patterns that we want to repeat in our lives in the future. So, let us look forward to a great year ahead, with learnings from the past seeding us with positive thoughts and actions.
24 – Top 24
One of the best ways to get started with positive thoughts and actions is to read inspiring books and articles. With the attention spans and busy lifestyles, not too many of us will be reading 24 books in 2024. However, in case you are up for reading 24 insightful and empowering articles, across a wide spectrum of topics, here is the link to bookmark.
From The Experts Mouth has published a list of the top 24 articles that were most viewed by their readers across 182 countries in the previous year.
These articles cover a wide variety of themes, and you are likely to find at least a few areas of your interest across genres such as:
- Art & Culture
- Business, Entrepreneurship, Management and Finance
- Education and Learning
- Health and Wellness
- Environment, Nature and Society
- Self Improvement and Personal Development
In case you are curious, this list includes three of my articles including my take on Steve Jobs’ famous speech; the linkage between gender equality and innovation and technology; and a detailed review of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. I have also covered the latter in two video episodes, explaining the developments that led to the collapse and the learning that we can draw in our lives.
381 Out of 365
Continuing with the theme of videos, this format has undoubtedly been most popular in the recent times. In the previous year, I challenged myself to create and publish more videos. I published 381 videos (including shorts) across both of the YouTube channels – Rajiv Maheshwari and From The Experts Mouth. The latter saw yet another successful season of our talk show, Unleash With FTEM, featuring insightful discussions with accomplished guests, mostly entrepreneurs.
As I look back at the statistic, publishing 381 videos in 365 days appears to be a daunting task. However, the trick was to do what I loved doing, and enjoy the process. Everything else flows automatically, and the numbers are only an outcome!
366 – Leap Ahead
With that thought, let us leap ahead and make the most of the 366 days of this year. 2024 is giving us several indications of special opportunities in store for us, whether it is that one extra day which happens every four years, or whether it is the first time in our lifetime opportunity to leverage a year with the infinite force multiplier potential!
However, as we look forward to leaping ahead, let us not forget our purpose and our “Why” and do what we truly love doing, and the numbers will fall in place!
