As the year wraps up, everyone starts posting poetic captions about gratitude, healing, soft eras, and whatever new Pinterest word is trending. Me? I like to keep it simple. This year didn’t “soften” me. It sharpened me. It grabbed me by the collar, shook me around a bit, and gave me four lessons that genuinely changed how I think, work, earn, and move. I am sharing these because if someone had told me this two years ago, I would have saved time, money, and several unnecessary headaches. And since you have literally watched me grow from that loud kid with a smart mouth to a founder actually figuring life out one mistake at a time, let’s end the year with something real. These are the four biggest lessons I learnt this year.
Lesson 01
There Is No Free Lunch
If 2024 taught me one thing, it is this: no one helps you out of pure kindness. People help you because they see value in you, or benefit, or opportunity, and there is nothing wrong with that. That is how the world works. Everyone associates with you for a reason. And here is the brutal, uncomfortable truth: if you have no money, you have no seat at the table. I learnt this the hard way. Respect only comes when you bring something valuable to the room. You can be the smartest guy in Colombo, the one with all the theories and wisdom in the world, but if there is no wealth to back it up, the world treats you like background noise. People love to act like money is a bad word. But think about it. Every good thing in life needs money. Every plan needs money. Every goal needs money. Even “peace of mind” is easier when your bills are paid without fear. When you are broke, even your closest circle feels far away. When you are stable, everyone magically respects you. So yes, build your character, but also build your bank. Make the bread before it’s too late. Because without it, you are only existing. With it, you can actually start living.
Lesson 02
It Is Not Your Turn To Flex
This one hit me particularly hard because I love attention as much as the next guy. I mean, who does not enjoy being admired, noticed, appreciated. It is the cleanest dopamine hit in the world. But here is the trap: flexing too early makes you look successful long before you actually are, and that can destroy your progress. Your time will come. But it is not always now. This year taught me that real happiness does not come from showing off. Real happiness comes from stability. From being able to fall back on something when everything else crashes. From having savings. From not panicking when an unexpected bill arrives. From knowing that if the worst happens, you are good.
Flexing before you are stable is like jumping into the ocean before you learn to float. It may look cool for a photo, but the panic later is not worth it.
- Buy the car when you can afford it without sweating.
- Travel when it does not push you into debt.
- Show off when there is actually something solid to show.
Trust me, I am still learning this one. It is the hardest lesson for someone like me. But it is the one that will save you.
Lesson 03
God First
This is the most unexpected lesson for me, and possibly the most important. Being close to God changed my mindset, my discipline, my calmness, and my direction. When you do something good, talk to Him. When you mess up, talk to Him. That consistency grounds you. Seeing God first thing every morning before work sets the tone for my whole day. It forces me to think beyond the noise. It reminds me that everything I am chasing is bigger than money, fame, or success. It also does something powerful to your subconscious. Speaking to a higher power every day pushes you to become a better version of yourself without even realizing it. And reading helped too. I am sneaking that in here because reading quietly forces you to grow even when you do not feel like growing. This year taught me that success without spirituality cracks under pressure. But success with God becomes durable.
Lesson 04
There Is No Work Life Balance Until You Make It
I tried to party and work. I tried to go out every weekend and run business. I tried to be everywhere and still be productive. And I failed. Multiple times. Work life balance is a luxury you earn, not something you start with. When you are an employee, maybe you can hide behind “bare minimum”. When you become the owner, everything changes. Bare minimum means failure. Bare minimum means you lose money. Bare minimum means you have no business to run next month.
The truth is simple. Your value and your income will always be equal to the effort you put in.
- You cannot cheat the process.
- You cannot hack your way to stability.
- You cannot multitask your way to greatness.
If you want 2026 to be your year, then put in the hours. Not the fake hours, not the aesthetic productivity, not the Instagram entrepreneurial nonsense. Actual hours. Real work. Real focus. Work life balance will come later when you earn it. Right now, you need to grind. Not forever, but for long enough to change your life.
The Year That Grew Me Up
This year was uncomfortable, painful, humbling, exciting, frustrating, rewarding and necessary. I learnt more about people, employees, money, loyalty, faith, discipline and myself in twelve months than I had in the last five years combined.
- I learnt why some people rise and why some people spend their lives complaining.
- I learnt what real responsibility feels like.
- I learnt how lonely entrepreneurship can get.
- I learnt how beautiful growth actually feels when you embrace it instead of resisting it.
And above all, I learnt that every mistake I made this year shaped me into someone stronger, sharper and more grounded.
- 2025 is going to be different.
- 2025 is personal.
- 2025 is the year I put everything I learnt into action.
Stay tuned. You have seen me go from chaotic kid to someone slowly navigating the entrepreneurship world. You have seen the highs and the humour, the mistakes and the moves. Now you are about to see the evolution. And trust me, I am just getting started.
