She looked effortless in the summit picture—arms raised, a wide grin, snow-capped peaks behind her. I double-tapped, then sighed. I had just come back from my own trek, where I felt like the weakest in my group. Where every incline made me question why I was here. Where I cried, not from the view, but from exhaustion and self-doubt. No one posts that part. A week later, I spoke to someone who had done the same trek. “It was brutal,” she admitted. “I almost turned back.” I stared at her, surprised. Her photos had told a different …
If Something Is Important to You, Carve Out the Time for It
I tell myself I don’t have time. I wake up late. I doomscroll. I push my workouts to “later,” knowing full well later never comes. But then I remember the time I ran between college classes and campus clubs, eating lunch on the go because I wanted to be everywhere. I remember the sleepless nights I spent learning design, not because anyone asked me to, but because I wanted to. I had no time then either. But I made it. Last week, I promised myself I’d run. Just a little. Maybe 2K. A distance that still feels like a struggle. Instead, I …
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The Never-Ending Loop of Almost Getting There
I break promises to myself. I make plans, get excited, see results, and then somehow end up back where I started. It’s a cycle so predictable that I could set a calendar reminder for it. Get ambitious. Do well. Push harder. Fall apart. Feel like a failure. Reset. Repeat. The worst part? I see it happening in real time, and I still let it happen. It’s frustrating to watch myself create my own misery. It’s like I’m walking in circles, wondering why I’m not getting anywhere new. And at the core of it all, I keep looking for validation. If no …
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The Odd One Who Made It Anyway
I left home at 18, alone, from a small town in Rajasthan to study in Gujarat. I wasn't the kind of student anyone expected much from. School had been a battle—supplementary exams, barely scraping through. But something clicked in college. I went from being just another student to the best computer programmer in my batch. Not because I was a natural, but because I refused to be the person my past suggested I was. Then came Chennai. Another city, another fresh start. But this time, I was different. I wasn’t the underdog anymore. I was the …
Mastering Success in 2025: Action, Patience, and Letting Go of Perfectionism
The new year always feels like a clean slate. I used to think it was the perfect time to make bold plans. But if I’m being honest, those plans often got sidetracked by distractions. One minute, I’d be ready to tackle my goals, and the next, I’d be scrolling through my phone or zoning out to the latest Netflix show. Sound familiar? For the longest time, I couldn’t break that cycle. Every year, I set grand resolutions, only to get caught up in small, short-term rewards. I felt frustrated when nothing seemed to stick. The solution didn’t come …
Keep Going: Why Obsession and Persistence Are the True X-Factors
When people talk about success, they often dress it up in shiny words. It sounds like they’ve cracked some magical code, an exclusive secret only a few are lucky enough to possess. But the truth? Success is far less glamorous than we think. What separates those who make it from those who don’t isn’t some ethereal "X-factor" or once-in-a-lifetime talent. It’s the relentless willingness to stick with it. Not for days. Not for weeks. For as long as it takes. The Illusion of Talent Ever noticed how people downplay their efforts after …
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The Real Reason We Get Distracted
For the longest time, I thought productivity was a matter of willpower. You either push through or you don’t. If you can just chase the right rewards and dodge the wrong consequences, you’ll stay on track. Sounds logical, right? It’s also completely wrong. Turns out, it’s not the pursuit of pleasure or the avoidance of pain that drives us. The truth is much simpler: everything we do is an attempt to escape discomfort. Take the classic case of procrastination. When I delay writing, it’s not because I don’t want to finish the task. It’s …
The Thin Line Between Dedication and Obsession: My Struggle with Fitness and Social Media
I'm not someone who gives up easily. In fact, I've completed six Himalayan treks in just 13 months. That's no small feat. But when it comes to maintaining a consistent fitness routine or running a 5k? Let's just say, it's like trying to climb a mountain with no trail. Trekking feels different. There's something about being out on a trail, surrounded by nature, that makes it all feel worth it. I can hike for hours, carrying my pack, pushing my limits. But when I come back home and the trail's just a memory, staying consistent with workouts …