When I was writing this in the library, I wondered why there were some uncomfortable stares from the passersby…
*look at the title*
Oh well.
☀️ The summer of irony
When I got my final exams done, there was something different about the sun. Why was it shining so brightly yet it felt so lovely at the same time?
Ah, I see.
It’s that time of the year.
The time of legalized freedom.
May 30th was when my summer break began. And just a few days ago, I talked to a friend (yes, I do have one) about an irony I’ve encountered since Day One👇
Holidays are busier than finals.
Of course, my friend was utterly confused. How can doing nothing be busier than studying? But, if you think about it, it makes sense.
In the fun and lovely exam season, there’s nothing else you should focus on besides studying. Anything that doesn’t help keep you healthy and sane for the tests comes second.
However, as the break begins, you’re freed from the shackles of exam pressure (or pleasure). And if you don’t have any formal responsibilities such as doing part-time jobs or internships, you’re even freer than our boy Eren.
In these three months, I could do anything I’d ever wished for, but without the guilt of procrastinating. However, about three weeks in, I realized something was wrong.
🐘 Eating the wrong way
In the world of productivity, there are elephants. Each of them may represent a task, a goal or a problem. In other words,
Eating an elephant = getting things done
Agree?
Awesome.
However, the thing is, nobody tells you how to eat this big guy. Depending on the task, goal or problem you have, it could be as small as a baby elephant or…
*typing sound*
…as enormous as our good boy Henry.
Obviously, you’d want to eat it as soon as possible before it grew too large (task/problem) or too far away (goal) to handle, wouldn’t you?
But, how?
When I started my summer break, I didn’t know the answer. It wasn’t until a week ago that I finally realized that swallowing up Henry in one go isn’t a great idea.
Don’t get me wrong. Week One was lit. I was pumped tidying my Notion workspace, learning JavaScript on freeCodeCamp, building a huge update to a Notion template, and writing the blog letter I’d delayed for weeks cuz of exams and the visit to a nation called procrastination.
I even achieved a rare consistency in my sleep schedule!
But, momentum could only take me this far. As I kept trying to gobble up Henry, the consequences slowly crept in. I began seeing more wasted hours as my ultra-productive days slowly turned from reality to a rarity.
At the start of each day, I’d be stuck in a dilemma over which task I should work on.
Coding?
Template?
Blog letter?
New website?
Essays from the summer module?
I want to do everything!
Greed played its part as I tried to schedule and do everything every day. And when I couldn’t, the taste of defeat came tinged with dissatisfaction and guilt.
When the similar pattern repeated itself, it was telling my subconscious self that,
Eating the elephant = getting things done = a pain in the ass
And how do you treat a pain in the ass when
it doesn’t mean much to you yet, and
there is no immediate consequence?
You don't make progress.
🧪 What I’m trying now
Whether I like it or not, trying to gobble up an elephant isn’t going to work. It’ll only turn three wasted weeks into four, eight and ten until the sun stops feeling warm and all of summer is gone.
Even when that happens, I know I’ll still get back on my feet just like how I did after every escape that came before.
But, I’m sure I’ll be really sad.
So, here’s my new game plan👇
There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.
—Desmond Tatu
I’ve begun accepting that I could only do (or bite) this much every day. And it’s a million times better to make some progress than to not bother doing anything cuz I could only make some progress.
To be exact,
Set one and only one highlight of the day.
Get it done before moving on.
It’s so simple that it scares me sometimes. But, such a small change has helped remind me of my (our) limitations.
We can do anything, but not everything at once.
And to embrace it not as a half-empty glass of flaws, but a half-filled glass of blessings.
We can’t do everything at once, but we can do anything.
—Thomas
P.S.
Please don't actually eat an elephant 🐘