Balancing long term with short term

v0.5

I cannot think about the next meal, next appointment, or filing my tax return. It is just too mundane. My mind is moved by larger things. I tend to lose focus when I’m dealing with smaller stuff.

This is just how I am. But it has harmed me much of my life.

I couldn’t operate within the machinery of human society for a long time. Also developed an ego thinking everyone else was too small to understand my grand thinking.

While my peers were playing Counter-Strike, I was re-watching documentaries.

I tried productivity hacks, discipline exercises, and every possible thing internet told me. But I couldn’t get myself to breakfast on time because I was reading Paul Graham’s essays.

Last few years, I’ve realized this during my yoga training.

We need to pursue higher goals. But there is always a maintenance cost to this body, family, love, social relations, and for our jurisdiction.

Like maintenance of a motorcycle.

This also applies to a startup. Nischal told me: ‘we can do all the grand things. But if we cannot pay for next month, none of this will matter’. This was a constant struggle in my web2 startup life.

We got to decide on philosophy and account for this.

How do I do it?

  • Keep my needs at minimum. This means less food, less material things, less relations, as far as possible, live without having to encounter the law (which means less-crowded areas). This means low maintenance.
  • Consciously allocating time to maintenance stuff. Like connecting with family and friends on festivals. I used to see this as a cost on my energy. But now I see this as a pitstop, something that energizes me.