Jan 19, 2022
Rebuilding my foundation
I like to write sometimes. It clears my head. Gives me focus and often makes me think deeper than I do during life’s banality. Four years ago, I thought I would be in a whole different place than I am right now. Four years before that, my imagination envisioned something even more different. So many things change constantly and subtly change the path that I take in my life without me realizing. How does one become conscious if they are veering off the path of their dreams or veering towards it?
At this point in my life, I know that I am somewhere that is often defined by society as nowhere. I’m not sure if the path that I’m currently on is what I want to do. I don’t have clarity on where I want to go. And I’m doubting everything that I’m currently doing. Because of that, I lack the steps required to carry out certain tasks and move forward. All I know is that, in the future, I want to be financially sound, stable minded, and free from the monotonous nature of life. But these things are by-products. They can happen in any path so long as the individual participates in the habits necessary to make them happen.
I need to focus on bigger things such as accomplishments, careers, and milestones. But accomplishments in a field come after being successful in the field which comes after truly selecting and pursuing one. Not randomly pursuing a field with doubtful interest. Careers can be changed multiple times if you find yourself truly unhappy but its best to find something that resonates with you as soon as possible so that you have the most time to become the best at it. Milestones are more fundamental to life: getting degrees, getting married, having kids etc. But if I’m so lost in my own life and don’t possess the foundation that is required for these milestones to be reached, how can I ever wish to reach them?
How does one come about in reaching his or her dream profession and path in life? How does one build the foundation to level up in life? Is everyone just faking it? Are you ever truly ready for the next step?
These are the questions that flood my brain every time I think about my future. I want a vision but don’t have enough knowledge to form one. I want a path but can’t see enough to follow one. I want some enlightenment but I can’t even comprehend the basics. Where do I begin?
First, I must comprehend that life is best approached rationally. Rational decisions tend to stick and matter. I wish I could go back and tell the old me to not be so impulsive all the time and be able to examine my life in a rational manner and take decisions accordingly. My life today may have been radically different that way. But you can’t change the past so you must change the present. I must focus on being rational. Taking decisions based on facts and experimentation rather than feelings and emotions.
Second, I have to scrutinize my days and weeks. Often, I waste so much time throughout the day without realizing it and then, at the end of the week, I beat myself up wishing I had more time to do certain things. These are completely avoidable situations.
Going off this, I should also learn to not waste time hanging out with people all the time. Some of that time is better spent for understanding myself better and to be alone with my thoughts. The more time I have for myself and the things I want to do, the more I accomplish and the more life moves in a positive direction for me.
Third, I have to find balance. It’s either intense work or intense play for me for extended periods of time. Neither are truly productive. Intense play comes with the guilt that work is not being done. Intense work comes at the cost of sleep, health, retention and, burnout. I need to be able to switch between both as needed and take a more balanced approach. Work when you need to, put in the hours, get it done, and seek to do better as time progresses. Play as a break, take days off, do your favorite activities, and supplement your work everyday with some time for play. This leads to a healthy approach in life. Less burnout and more achievement.
So now I have defined the basic rules for a positive, productive, life. How the hell do I build a strategy off of this?
