Photo Credit: Harlie Briggs Art

Every year I set out a few key goals that I want to achieve by the end of that year and 2025 was no different. As a high achiever that has always felt the need to grow and do things ‘bigger and better’, the year 2024 was also the year that I finally experienced burnout.

I heard about people talking about burnout, but I always assumed that it was simply a feeling of fatigue that would go away with some additional sleep and some quality coffee. Naive I know.

Of course, I f*cked around and found out that ‘burnout’ was not something that could be fixed with a few flat whites and binge watching of Sex and the City. It was something that weighed heavy on my head and felt like a constant grey cloud. A heaviness that I could not shake off. It felt like I’d lost my spark. Like I was going through the motions. Like I’d gone to an all you can eat buffet and was unable to finish the food on my plate.

It felt unshakeable.

Growing up in the South Asian community, being an over achiever was always validated. Getting a promotion, getting better grades than the year before, getting a bigger car or a bigger house, was always validated. However my smaller wins rarely ever were. Wins such as the creation of this site and the minor but somewhat meaningful impact my writing may have had on those consuming it.

That was until last night.

I was at a social gathering at my parent’s place and an aunty pulled me aside and told me something that brought me to tears.

She said that although I was married now, I should not stop writing. She said that the words I wrote were ‘bold’ and took guts, especially in a culture where brutal honesty is rarely appreciated.

It was in that moment that I decided that 2025 was the year that I was going to become boring. 2025 was the year that I would move slowly and more creatively. Unlike every other year – this year I was going to let the chips fall where they may and make decisions that felt in alignment with my calling.