Starting the year with a mantra, a mindset, and maybe some ink
Because some words are worth carrying with you, every single day.
As someone building a career out of storytelling, my creativity has to shoulder financial burden. And sometimes, under that weight, it suffocates—completely.
At least once a month, I find myself questioning what I’m doing with my life. It’s like clockwork—a recurring checkpoint where my passion and pressure meet for a heated debate about the future.
When it hits, I’m useless for a few days. Wallowing in self-doubt. Feeling like I’m failing. Then, inevitably, I get frustrated about wasting those few days. The whole cycle is exhausting.
This needs to stop. Or at least reduce in frequency and intensity.
So this time, when the spiral hit me—conveniently right before the new year—I decided to consciously sit with it and unpack what was happening.
Here’s what I realised:
It all starts with this one, sneaky thought—“The stakes are high.”
That thought quietly snowballs. Suddenly, this dream I’m living—of learning new skills and creating content—doesn’t feel like passion anymore. It feels like a performance. Every idea, every piece of work carries the weight of the future.
And that’s when the spiral begins.
Then comes the guilt. Thinking about what I could’ve done but didn’t. Wondering if I’m good enough. You know the drill—the endless loop of self-doubt.
But here’s what I found interesting: there’s always just one thing that pulls me out of the spiral. Every. Single. Time.
It’s me telling myself, “If I don’t enjoy this, then there’s no point to it. If I can’t PLAY with it, then I might as well quit.”
Those words ease the burden. Creativity feels lighter, freer—like it just escaped from a locked room. And when that happens? The spark comes rushing back, full of energy and enthusiasm.
That shift, from pressure to play, is everything.
The problem is, I keep forgetting this. Every. Single. Time.
That’s why, this year, I’ve decided to make it my theme. My one word for the year is PLAY.
I’m even considering getting it tattooed—because, honestly, what’s the point of life if you can’t play with it? (Also, tattoos make great permanent Post-it notes, right?)
Here’s the thing: treating life as play doesn’t mean taking it lightly. It’s not about avoiding challenges. It’s about shifting your perspective.
When you treat something as play, it’s less about the outcome and more about the experience. You can experiment, fail, and learn—without the crushing weight of “what if I mess up?” And when the weight is gone, you actually enjoy the process.
And that? That’s what keeps you showing up for the long haul.
Long-term goals need stamina, not just hard work. Play gives you that stamina.
There’s this quote by Alan Watts I’ve been thinking about:
“This is the real secret of life—to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”
I love that. It’s such a simple, powerful reminder: what’s the point of all this if we’re not having fun along the way?
So, yeah—PLAY. As a theme, a reminder, and maybe soon, as a tattoo.
What about you? What’s your word for the year—or the little reminder you’d want inked?
Little Joys
“Joy is always around if only we pause to acknowledge it.”
With life's burdens and big ambitions, it's easy to overlook our everyday joys. let’s take a moment to acknowledge the small joys from the last week. Here are mine -
I got Chavitti Uzhichil. It’s a marma massage done by a trained professional using their foot and it opens up your body. It was amazing!
Got myself a planner for the year 2025!
I also got myself a new phone case because it’s been 3 years of the same phone and the same dusty phone case and I needed a change.
Spent 5 hours alone just listening to music, going through all the pieces I have created in 2024 and reflecting on the year. It was blissful.
