I'm taking a break

In recent weeks, multiple people including a few who I spoke to for the first time asked me “When was the last time you took a break?”

I’ve been working non-stop for as long as I can remember. Hustling while working at my job, hustling after quitting to start something. Hustling after selling my previous business SuperLemon.

In the last 3 years, the only time I took a real break, real as in disconnecting completely from work, was for the 10 days I went to Thailand with a few of my friends. That was just over 2 years ago.

So far, I had not experienced any detrimental effects that prompted me to think about taking a break. But I can clearly say that these last several months, it’s gotten to me.

Specifically, I’ve found that I’ve become very harsh on myself without meaning to. Expecting more from myself, blaming myself when things aren’t happening as per my expectations.

All of this is happening subconsciously in my mind. I’m not physically beating myself up, don’t worry.

I’ve also noticed that earlier, I used to take several hours during the week or weekends where I didn’t work, but just thought or journaled. These extended hours of disconnect helped me in thinking long-term and making moves aligned with those long-term thoughts.

I think that by being mentally and physically occupied all the time at work, I did not give myself the extended hours of disconnect needed for long-term thinking. As a result, my thinking became short-term and reactionary.

Recently, a few drastic events in my family and extended family also put me in an emotional state, one where I was making decisions from the hip instead of thinking through it calmly and logically like I cultivated and nurtured myself to do so.

All these and more lead me to say - This won’t do.

How we think and feel dictates how we perceive new information from the world and make decisions, big or small.

If the thinking process is affected, it negatively affects every decision you make.

On a day-to-day basis, the effect is small. But over several years or a decade, it can lead to massive deviations from where you want to be and where you end up.

Hence, I’m taking a break.

Next week on Thursday, I’m travelling to Bangalore.

For the first time, I’ll be meeting half the DelightChat tribe IRL. We plan to go out together for drinks, lunches, an early-morning hike and just chill with each other.

A few days after, I’ll travel to Goa where another tribe member has already been staying at a peaceful guest house near the beach since a week (see video below). Sankalp and perhaps 2 or 3 tribe members will join us too!

The agenda?

Sit by the ocean for a few days, disconnect from the world and what I do everyday, and get back in touch with my thoughts and feelings.

Not the ones on the surface, but the ones deep down that need time and space to show themselves.

See you all in a few weeks ✌️