We’re living in a very fast world. Have you ever notice that 2010 was ten years ago? Yup, it’s ten. Not nine, not eight. Ten.
Ten years ago, I was a sophomore in high school. Busy with how to sneak out of the class or got lost in basketball practice to win the basketball tournament. Which is quite impossible because I know how bad we are as a team. Thank God that was 10 years ago.
Present time, I work for Amartha. Pioneer and one of the largest Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Lending in Indonesia. Serving SME’s by helping them get productive loans from urban lenders (that could be you). In Amartha, we work wholeheartedly to serve women in rural. I love my job. It makes me feel good, that, at least, what I did on a daily basis is creates an impact; to help others.
So please, don’t wait for the you-should-quit-your-job-and-start-your-own-business part, because you’re not gonna find it here.
But, (there it is! There are always a “but”) I’m not gonna lie, working Monday to Friday 9 to 6 is not always a piece of cake. Especially in a start-up company where you are encouraged to work in a fast-pace-full-of-changes-and-surprises kind of environment.
Meetings after meetings, deadlines after deadlines, optimize this and that, try this test that, and helping colleagues — yes, of course, because why not?
Then, something changed me. I remember, there was one weekend, when I have to wait for my friends, so I sit on the available pedestrian chair aside the busiest crossroads in Bogor (Tugu Kujang, if you are familiar with that). I saw people are moved, talked and used their cellphones while driving. I saw people in a hurry, maybe late for movie dates? Or their close one is in the emergency situation? Who knows. I didn’t do anything but watch them doing their thing. Busy with their own self.
Then I questioned myself. What have I busy with lately? I haven’t been playing basketball. I didn’t play or spend my time with my dogs. I didn’t play my console. So what did I do? Other than the 9 to 6 routines?
I cannot find the answer to all those questions. But furthermore, I realized, all I need is to take a little break and take a good care of my soul. Why? Because work is not the only thing that matters in this world.
I’ve been thinking, perhaps go for a walk without a cellphone, or try to cook dinner for the whole family will cheer my soul. I also need to be more appreciative of what mother nature gave me. The clear sky, good weather and so on so forth. It’s more like pushing a reset button after a while.
Sometimes, the routine bites hard.
Sometimes, we got lost in our busy schedules.
But it is important to slow down.
Not because we’re lazy or not a determined person. But because we have to.
We did it to take care of our souls.
