Look, In a world that glorifies hustle culture (Especially the post-pandemic trends), it’s easy to fall prey to the idea that constant self-improvement is the ultimate goal.
And this mindset had once ruled my life, and for a time, it worked wonders.
But the dark side of this relentless pursuit crept in before I even realized it.
So, I code.
And during the early stages of my career, I thrived on milestones.
Each accomplishment was a stepping stone to the next, and I wore my ambition like a badge of honour.
I wasn’t great, but I kept on improving.
But as I reached higher and higher, the pace slowed, and the returns diminished. The day it all came crashing down wasn’t dramatic. It was an ordinary Thursday evening, and I was revising the design of an API at work. Instead of excitement, I felt empty — a strange kind of hollowness that no promotion, praise, or personal achievement could fill.
That evening, I went to my usual cafe, the place where I often brainstormed ideas with my favourite colleague. I sat there, staring at the rain streaking down the windows, asking myself if this endless cycle of striving was all there that was to life.
There’s no denying I liked to write, and that hobby of mine was still getting fulfilled over the weekends (not all weekends, obviously)
This went in for a while until I broke up with my then-girlfriend. Now, I had even more time to overthink about this :)
One day, my friend was organizing a community event for disabled people, and I unwillingly joined him to help him out on a weekend (Look, you can hate me for writing ‘unwillingly’ and call me mean, but at some point, we have all been selfish, and I am super honest about everything here)
This event was actually a blessing in disguise. There, I met Aarav, an unassuming man who had lost his vision in an accident. And it wasn’t that I had never interacted or met a blind man before.
But upon talking to him for a while, I was amused. Aarav wasn’t bitter. Instead, he radiated a calm joy that was contagious. He shared stories of how he navigated his daily life with resilience and grace, finding meaning in small victories — preparing a meal, learning Braille, or simply sitting in the sun.
Even after a week, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Here was a man who had lost so much yet had found fulfilment in ways I couldn’t fathom.
His story made me question my own: What was I racing toward? And at what cost?
And things changed.
Inspired by him, I started a gratitude journal — a simple list of things I was thankful for each day that I wrote at the end of the day. Btw, I also have a night routine.
At first, it felt almost silly and even tiresome. Why should I spend 15–30 minutes writing a gratitude journal and not daydreaming about my crush and feeling happy? But I kept going.
As the weeks went by, I noticed a shift.
The same tasks that had once felt monotonous began to carry meaning.
A challenging project wasn’t just another checkbox; it became an opportunity to grow.
Gratitude didn’t erase my ambition, but it reshaped it.
It gave me the clarity to see that striving for more didn’t mean devaluing what I already had.
So, in the words of my imaginary girlfriend,
Life isn’t about choosing between growth and contentment. It’s about harmonizing the two. Life is about being sustainable and fulfilling.
If you’re feeling stuck or unfulfilled, take a moment to pause and reflect. Appreciate what you have.
I may not know where this journey will ultimately lead me, but for now, I’m at peace with the process.
In case we are meeting for the first time, come over here, it’ll be worth the roller coaster of articles that are gonna come up in the next few weeks.