Being on vacation feels amazing.
You discover new cities, new cultures, no pressure.
You get to experience all pleasures in the world.
It feels like you're playing the game of life on easy mode.
Except...Something feels off.
You don’t wake up with the same fire.
No motivation. No hunger.
You get out of bed and just consume.
Food, sights, comfort, content.
The whole day.
And overconsumption...
Consumes your soul. Your drive. What makes you feel alive.
Suddenly, you’re not living. You’re just surviving like a vegetable.
A functioning organism, but nothing more.
And that’s not good.
Because when you stop facing challenges, you start feeling bored.
And when boredom lingers long enough, life starts to lose its meaning.
I’m not some billionaire in an existential crisis after a big exit to say things like that.
I’m just a 19yo guy who may have spent too much time out there traveling, wandering...
When he could’ve been locked in a cave, grinding toward his goals. (not a real cave thankfully)
Or...maybe I'm just unsatisfied with what I currently have.
It's true that the tech twitter is a bubble. I sometimes compare myself to startup founders my age or even younger building companies, going viral, and shipping great products in SF.
Even if I know I shouldn't.
Then I look out the window here in Singapore.
Put my phone on airplane mode.
And think:
These people in the street may have no idea what tech Twitter is.
No clue about AI drama, B2C apps, or the latest LLM.
And yet they seem happy.
Unbothered. Present.
Traveling is good.
It was one of my best experience as a human being, interacting with nature and other human beings.
But it won’t make me level up.
Not in my career.
Not online.
Not in my skills.
And for now, I don't feel like I'm able to work while traveling and really enjoying . There will always be some guilt hidden in my subconscious about the work I could have done while visiting a new city.
And I'm too much in "tourist mode" to work efficiently.
To level up, I need focus.
Real, uncomfortable, deep focus.
So I’m eager to go back home.
Back to my desk.
And work until I find my limits.
It may not be the healthiest approach. But it’s what I'll try for now.
I’ll still have some cardio and workouts to keep the basics in check.
Question of the week:
Do you feel guilty when you travel instead of working?
And what do you do to prevent it?
Until next week,
Rémy
