Emotions and Motivation
Written on: 14th Jul 2025
Life Update:
This weekend was a rare celestial event Galway was sunny. Not something that happens every day. So instead of staying in and “being productive,” I ended up at the beach with friends. The plan was spontaneous, yet somehow planned, I know this is contradictory.
I met new people, laughed more than I have in weeks, and let go of the pressure to “always be building.” Sometimes, living is enough.
I also finished my final physiotherapy appointment my neck is officially stronger than ever. The plan now is to shift to yoga and mobility work to keep it that way.
And here’s a fun one: I built a personal MVP version of an app like Pliability using ChatGPT. Why? Because the original cost €18/month and I didn’t want to pay. So I prompted the code, made tweaks as a developer, and now I have my own meditation + mobility app tailored just for me. Just another way AI is making life smoother.
I know UI isn’t great, but hey it’s a solid MVP
Battling Between Emotions
This past week, something odd happened my screen time spiked. But more specifically, my Instagram usage crossed 2 hours a day.
Now, sure, I do use IG to research content and editing styles—but this wasn’t that. This was mindless scrolling. Pure reflex.
It wasn’t until I paused to journal that I uncovered what was really going on: I was chasing hope. Every time I opened Instagram, I was subconsciously expecting something exciting maybe a reel had gone viral, maybe likes had spiked, maybe a comment would validate my work.
That tiny thrill of hope was addictive. But most of the time, the numbers were just... average. Not disappointing, but not rewarding either. That’s when I noticed the emotional whiplash anticipation crashing into mild letdown.
And so the loop began. I’d hop from IG to YouTube Analytics to my newsletter dashboard, then to LinkedIn. Each platform promising that next little dopamine hit.
When one didn’t deliver, I’d jump to the next. It was a cycle of chasing micro-highs and stacking micro-disappointments.
This is emotional compounding in action.
Not in a dramatic, heartbreaking way but in a sneaky, low-grade dissatisfaction kind of way. The kind that drains you slowly.
And this isn’t just about creators or analytics. Even if you’re not checking stats, you might be doing the same thing scrolling to see if someone replied to your message, if a creator posted something new, or if you can stumble into a piece of content that’ll shift your mood.
The real trap? When expectations go unmet, we don’t log off. We scroll harder. We open more tabs. We switch apps. Hoping the next scroll will give us what the last one didn’t.
The solution? Awareness first. Start asking: What am I hoping to feel right now?
And if you notice the loop repeating break the chain with movement, change of space, or a manual redirect. Don’t numb the feeling. Intervene with action.
Mental Masturbation & Motivation Fatigue
Ever found yourself knee-deep in YouTube videos, absorbing hours of advice yet never applying any of it? That’s what I call mental masturbation. It gives the illusion of progress, but it’s really just comfort dressed up as productivity.
You feel like you’re doing something… but deep down, you’re just numbing a deeper discomfort: the fear of starting.
After days of cycling through this scrolling, watching, never acting I noticed something else. The content wasn’t even hitting anymore. Even the most inspiring videos felt dull.
Why? Because my brain had grown immune to the same messages, over and over, without seeing any results. No execution = no integration.
This wasn’t laziness. This was emotional fatigue. Motivation burnout from overstimulation and under-action.
So I tried two resets:
Time-blocked Access
I created rigid boundaries for dopamine-heavy activities. I added calendar blocks for checking analytics and replying to DMs. That’s it.
Those were the only windows I allowed myself to “look.” The rest of the time no peeking, no impulse checks. It felt restrictive at first, but after 2–3 days, the clarity was liberating.
Managing the Urge, Like a Wave
Urges aren’t permanent. They only last 90 seconds to 4 minutes. Think of it like a graph: there’s a small rise, a steep peak, and then a natural crash. The trick is to ride the wave without reacting.
Once the peak is gone, the urge dies down.
Here’s what helped me through those 4-minute windows: Move rooms or change location
– Do a quick set of pushups or squats
– Wash a dish or organize a small space
– Hold an ice cube in your palm until it melts
– Paint, doodle, or color a small pattern
– Go on a walk—no headphones, just walk
– Ask yourself: Why am I doing this? and really wait for the answer
Also, let’s not ignore how this entire cycle is rooted in emotion hope, disappointment, restlessness, validation-seeking. When your expectations aren’t met, the loop intensifies.
The solution isn’t more scrolling. It’s less reacting. The goal? Create a system where action leads and emotion follows. Stop numbing yourself.
Fell in love with her (Kaya) 🐾
PS: I think she likes me too
20s are for Hustling BS
My eye started twitching last week. Subtle, but annoying. Then came the nail tapping. Leg bouncing. Turns out, my body was trying to say slow down.
Even though I believe in hustling in your 20s, I realized I wasn’t following my own definition of hustle. I was borrowing someone else’s: 16-hour days, nonstop output, sleepless nights.
But mine?
3–4 hours of deep, focused work.
Moving the needle 0.001% every day.
Being present and calm, not constantly stimulated.
When you adopt someone else’s pace, you start burning out on goals that aren’t even yours. So, just after reading this write down your definition of Hardwork/ Hustle.
Few Tips to get more work done
Before I jump onto those, I wanted to address something. Recently, I put out a form asking, “What’s been the hardest part of your journey to move abroad?”
Most people responded that they aren’t struggling with paperwork they’re battling student loans, fear of rejection, lack of direction, and above all, the loneliness of doing it alone.
That’s why I’m building MAP (Moving Abroad Pathway) a private community where you’ll find step-by-step guidance, modules, and real people who get it.
Who have been in your shoes, are facing same issues put together with support from me and my huge Network of High Performing Individuals via Guest sessions, Dinners, Meetups, retreats etc. exclusive only to the members.
I want this community be the only support system you need abroad.
I’ve priced it at ₹5000 for half yearly subscription, because this kind of connection shouldn’t be out of reach.
Would you be willing to join a community like this?
Hit reply and let me know. I read every response. And now let’s move ahead.
#1 The Sandwich Method (For Resistance)
I’ve been struggling with stretching. Even though I know it’ll help my neck and spine, I kept skipping it. Why? Because the friction was high:
Going downstairs
Rolling the mat
Cleaning the space
Opening my laptop for a video
So I reduced friction:
I made my own app, Kept the space clean already, Lowered the startup effort
Then I used the sandwich method: Put a difficult task between two easy ones.
For example:
Hang out with friends → Shoot YouTube video → Hang out again.
You get the hard thing done… and it feels almost painless.
#2 Motivation is a Myth
What if action is what generates motivation? Think about going to the gym. You rarely feel like doing it at first. But once you’re in motion, the momentum builds and so does the motivation. The reward is in the doing.
Ali Abdaal once explained this through a quirky coordination trick: try patting your head with one hand while rubbing circles on your stomach with the other. It feels awkward because your hands are doing different things but it’s possible. And that’s exactly how emotions and actions work.
You can feel anxious but choose to act calm. You can feel unmotivated but still begin the task. You can feel tired but take the first step anyway.
The key idea: your feelings don’t have to align with your actions. In fact, your actions can lead your emotions.
And once you start showing up consistently, your emotional state often follows suit like a loyal pet that finally catches up to its owner.
This is a reminder to act even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable. Because the motivation you’re waiting for might just be hiding on the other side of that first rep, that first word, or that first click.
Whenever you’re ready, here are some ways I can help you:
#1. Strategic Advisory call: Get on a 50-minute strategic advisory call with me to break through a current personal or career roadblock.
Gain a high-impact mental model to navigate your challenge with clarity and confidence. Reframe obstacles into leverage points that accelerate your growth. Walk away with a precise action plan that gets you moving without unnecessary friction.
#2 By far the best Podcast I have done, How to Land a Job in Economic Slowdown
See you next Sunday!