Things I wanted to say to myself (and to you) last week

Thoughts on productivity, uncertainty and questioning one's progress in life.

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I felt a slight disconnect with writing last week, after writing yet another Actuarial exam, which resulted in me taking a couple of days off from Substack completely. As someone whose social life ends at the daily interactions on this platform, I spent my free time obsessing over to-do lists, probably because I needed something to look forward to after the last 6 months of complete dedication to my exam and full-time job. It was a pattern I had walked away from 4 years ago, but I found myself in the same territory once again last week. I had a vision of my goal, and I believed that putting in x hours of work would guarantee achieving that goal. Oh, how easy life would be if things worked out this way, but it doesn’t.

Don’t let every second of the present moment pass, fearing that a slight change of plans would stop you from achieving your goals. There are multiple roads to reach the same destination. You just have to learn to embrace flexibility on the way.

Pause and look up

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I don’t know what my thirties, forties or fifties will look like. But as someone inching closer to mid-twenties, I know that most people my age don’t know how life would turn out for them in the near future. When I stepped into the corporate world, some of my greatest fears were, “Will I be able to accomplish my goals?”, “Will I be able to earn enough money?”, “What does the future look like for me?”.

Three years later, I know that everything in life works out exactly the way that it is supposed to. At present, you may be in a slightly better or worse spot than what you had planned three years ago, but you did learn and grow with each passing day. This wisdom, a.k.a. the life experience that you have collected on this journey is far more valuable than any amount of bank balance will ever be.

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Most of us do these two things in life: question our progress and compare it to that of others.

The truth is that your brain is accustomed to criticising yourself and your actions more than it is accustomed to appreciating them. So, it’s easy to convince yourself that you are not doing enough when in reality, you spend every second of your existence doing the best of what you can do to excel in life. Nobody knows what their future holds, even the ones you compare yourself with. So, let go.

Here are some reminders for the ones questioning their progress;

• Your growth will not be visible at all times. But it doesn’t mean that it isn’t present.

• Exactly 365 days ago today, you did not know if you could face the next 365 days of your life. But you did. Regardless of your experience, you are breathing on the other side of those mountains of fear. So, you have surely made progress.

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THIS WEEK’s RECOMMENDATIONS

• Joy is a Soft Place to Land by

  Alex Elle
  .

• Learn by doing by

  Seth Werkheiser
  .

• Your Wellbeing Equation by

  Dr. Bronce Rice
  .

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A Whisper of Gratitude

There will always be bumps