VYSHNAVI: So before the pandemic began, I really had a set of things laid out for the entire semester, a set of goals that I needed to reach. But then the pandemic started. And everything basically just slowed down. So when I looked at the bigger picture or the goals that I set, it felt like I was still at the bottom. I was nowhere close to the top of the mountain.
And that wasn’t a good feeling. But then, it took me a while, like I said, took me over a month. But then I understood that there’s no point looking at the big picture. I mean, the picture is big. Yes, the goals are big, I agree.
But in order to achieve them or in order to go there, I have to start small. So there’s no way I can try to do something big and get there. That’s not going to happen. I really have to start small, no matter how big the goal is.
So I think realizing that was kind of what made the change, just thinking that I’m going to do one small thing at a time and nothing beyond that. And I’m not going to think of the bigger picture for now. I already know what it is. So there’s no point thinking about it every time I set out to do something. So let’s forget the bigger picture and just focus on the small activity.
And I was actually surprised because when I started doing this, it in a matter of a few weeks or a month or two, it just felt like I was there. I was closer to the top. And all the time when I was just focusing on getting to the top, that never happened, I didn’t really make that progress. So I think having the change in perspective about what is more important in the given moment is really helpful.