Last week I was on a break from writing this column. I was away on a personal break. It had been 2 years since I took some time off with the intention of not working. The long Easter weekend seemed inviting but I dithered. I looked at many options throughout the month and kept vacillating. Madurai seemed perfect with an escape to Rameshwaram. So did Chikmagalur. And there was, of course, Gokarna. If I planned well I could even do a hill escape in Himachal. But why not stay at home and do a think week? Read books and eat well. Two days before the break I decided to head to South Goa with the only intention of overcoming this inertia.
I kept it simple. An overnight KSRTC bus to Madgaon, local bus to Patnem and then a small homestay by the beach booked over Airbnb. No other plans. Over the next few days by the sea, I spent a great deal of time walking about the small village, swimming in the ocean and gorging on local seafood delicacies. Though I also spent time reflecting upon why there was indecisiveness in my actions. It seemed very clear that there was discernible inertia induced in my attitude.
Planning a trip for others and leading one used to be my prime job at Breakfree Journeys. But here I found myself putting off even booking a bus ticket. It seemed difficult to make plans and follow through and break out of the routine. This led me to further wonder if this inertia was impacting my thoughts and ideas as well? I dug deeper. The more and more I thought about it, it seemed apparent that this Covid-era life had become about maintaining normalcy. One needed to keep going and that would be fine.
But there is an urgent need to break the inertia. In thoughts and actions. Of dreaming the impossible and finding ways of making it happen. On the trip I realised a few things which I am sharing in this week’s State of Affairs.
First, impulsivity is a good antidote to breaking inertia. Mulling over an idea can take away from the essence of the idea. The escape window does not remain open for very long. There are many reasons to stick to the routine but even one compelling reason is good enough to break free from the rigmarole of everyday life. Second, creativity is definitely influenced by your environment. It had been a long time since I updated my personal blog – The Fourth Seat – where I dabble in creative writing. Most of the posts are generally inspired by my personal life and some are not but I had struck a creative block there. On the trip I managed to write three pieces out of which I published the first one on Friday.
Third, it is okay to do nothing. I have spent countless weekends feeling guilty for not having utilised them to do something more productive. But on the trip, I embraced doing nothing whole heartedly. I finished a book in one sitting and clocked in 8 hours of sleep. Then I also ditched the must-see places on the list and stuck to my usual favourites. I managed to spend a lot of time mindfully living in the moment – an idea which I had only read about but never actually practised.
I also met some wonderful folks – two girls from Bombay who reminded me so much of the familiar sights and sounds of home, a casting director from Germany and of course, the lovely villagers of Patnem. Exchange of ideas and thoughts did give a further impetus to this momentum of breaking away from the inertia but more on that in another post.
And finally, it is vital to acknowledge the temptation of inertia and embrace ideas of letting go. It is easy to fall into a lull. So last Sunday when it was time to turn back from the golden shores of Goa, I took it up as a challenge to let go of this heady Goa feeling and head back to the other life.
Here’s to never stopping again.