Procrastination has been my shadow companion for years. The comforting pull of “later” promises a cushion of time to tackle the difficult, the mundane, or even the exciting.
But “later” often becomes “never,” with dreams withering like untended crops.
This year, I’ve decided not to make sweeping resolutions that end up on the list of dreams untended.
Instead, I’m choosing to nurture consistency.
Inspired by an exercise in the Japanese philosophy of Ikigai, which encourages people to live a life filled with purpose and joy, I see my goals as seeds planted in fertile soil, awaiting care, patience, and intention.
The process begins with preparation. For me, this meant taking stock of my values, strengths, and long-term aspirations.
The MBA I embarked on last year is one of the most challenging and enriching journeys I’ve undertaken since becoming a mother to my two boys.
It demands structure, discipline, and perseverance, qualities I’ve often struggled to uphold.
With that learning still fresh, I see it as the perfect opportunity to prepare the soil of my life, clearing the weeds of distraction, enriching the ground with purpose, and creating space for growth.
Like any gardener, I have had to ask hard questions. What habits are choking my progress? What tools do I need to tend to my vision?
The answers lay in my commitment to showing up, not perfectly but consistently.
The Ikigai exercise was like holding a handful of seeds, each representing a piece of my essence. What I love, what I’m good at, what the world needs, and what I can be paid for.
They all came together to reveal a vision of a life rooted in storytelling, sustainability, and impact.
Planting these seeds means aligning my daily actions with this vision. Every choice, whether completing a reading for class, drafting an article, or simply resting, is a tiny act of planting. It’s about honouring the long-term by valuing the present.
At the same time, growth doesn’t happen overnight.
As I’m learning through applying design thinking and systems, the most impactful solutions are iterative.
Likewise, self-discipline isn’t a switch but a practice. Each time I resist the siren call of procrastination, I’m tending my garden. Each time I choose focus over distraction, I’m watering my dreams.
But it’s not just about hard work. It’s also about balance.
Just as plants need sunlight and rain, I’m learning that rest and reflection are vital. This balance keeps the garden — and the gardener — healthy.
There’s a quiet magic in gardening. The unseen work happens beneath the soil. Roots deepen, sprouts push upward, and life unfolds in its own time.
This year, I’m going to embrace that magic. Instead of being fixated on immediate results, I aim to trust the process of consistency.
My MBA is teaching me to be disciplined, not just for its own sake but because discipline creates a sturdy framework for my ideas to flourish.
Procrastination will still lurk (I’m human, after all), but it won’t hold the same power.
Every day I choose to work intentionally, I will be proving to myself that my dreams are worth the effort. That I am worth the effort.
Here’s to January, not as a time for radical overhauls but as a season to plant, tend, and trust.
While the harvest may be months or even years away, I will enjoy the act of gardening itself.
This year, I’m showing up for my dreams, one seed, one moment, one choice at a time.
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