“Learning how to Settle” by Heerraa Ravindran (2016)

How do you know when to be content with where you’re at and when to you push yourself more? There’s a fine line between the two.

A while back, I had problems with managing time and how to fit so many things in a day. And being me, I didn’t sleep until I reached my minimum daily quota of productivity. Now, the problem was, after a while, I kept repeating that I was tired and naturally, when you repeat something often enough (whether it’s good or bad) it’ll come true. So I did less productive stuff on a daily basis, I got tired a bit more easily and on top of that, I was feeling guilty that I couldn’t even do simple stuff.

At this moment in time, I see the trap I put myself into. By feeling guilty, not only was I wasting time and energy, it also made me slightly unhappy. And due to my thoughts of being tired, I would sleep instead of doing this simple stuff, like reading, and ended up feeling even more guilty!

That’s when I realised, if I wasn’t able to complete the impossible checklist I had set for myself, everything would still be okay. Things would move a bit slower but now, I wouldn’t end up stressed easily. I was learning to accept the fact that I too needed rest and was not a superhuman, and that I need to give myself some credit. 

Here’s what I meant by settling. Not giving up on pursing your dreams or lazing around on your couch. It’s giving yourself a break after you know that you have been moderately productive. It’s “settling” in the sense that you will continue to do your best even though at the moment, it doesn’t seem like it. It’s nice to give your mind some rest, especially since it is constantly active and scanning the environment. 

Once you’ve accepted and understand that you’ve done your best, you settle. But only for that period of time. After that, get back on that horse and start using willpower to get you moving and one step closer to your goals. Remember, settling is like being nice to yourself after a long day at work, not giving up on things!

– Heerraa

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *