The Pitfall of Research

Researching is great, but it can give you fake dopamine hits. 

You might feel like you’ve accomplished something, but in reality, you’re just doing the groundwork. I get it though… we don’t want to ship products that no one wants or needs. Do your research, but keep it to like, once a month.

Action is where it’s at! The saying "learning by doing" exists for a reason. Creating and shipping a product, even a flawed one, offers insights and lessons that no amount of reading can provide.

Relax. Don't worry about getting it wrong, unless you're a medical professional (please, for the love of God, finish your training first!).

"Do you have a big dream?"

I was scrolling through TikTok when a girl popped up on my screen and asked, "Do you have a big dream?"

I starred at my screen, feeling like she was talking directly to me, and my immediate, honest answer was "no."

Because my life right now is quite literally my biggest dream comes true 🥹 Alhamdulillah ya Rabb

I just got home from yoga which is always versatile: I moved (taking care of my body), stretched (flexibility), and meditated (mind). You see, me exercising twice a week? NEVER happened in my life. Ever. I might have been physically slimmer in my twenties, but baby, I am much stronger now.

After yoga, I bought a coffee and sat down to read a book, with nowhere to be. My husband, a true dreamboat, took our son to visit his grandparents. Being a mom is yet another proof I am living my dream.

When I decided it was time to head home, I just walked to the MRT, rode one single stop, then walked the rest of the way. That's how strategic my place is.

I don't have a boss. I don't have anyone to answer to. My laptop and a Wi-Fi connection are all I need to make a living. I am incredibly blessed.

I can put food on my table and never be hungry. I have access to clean water and hot shower. I can buy an entire Sephora shelf if I want to, but I know my skin doesn't need all those fancy products to glow. Buying things I don't actually need is wasteful, and I've realized that happiness doesn't come from having a lot of things. 

I have enough. I am enough. And that, is a beautiful feeling.

This is a hot topic among Indonesian parenting influencers recently. We need to teach our children the feeling of contentment to prevent them from becoming adults who abuse their power. Raising the next generation a sense of enough starts with parents who are content themselves. After all: monkey see, monkey do.

The only downside to all of this is that I no longer have that burning fire to "make it." I don't feel the need to be on the cover of a business magazine or to be part of a "people under a certain age" list. If you had asked me in my twenties, I probably would've replied that those were my dreams. Past tense. Not anymore, though. I’m content right where I am. Alhamdulillah ya Rabb.

Of course, I know this comes from a place of immense privilege. I make enough money to live comfortably. I'm not naive; if that weren't the case, I'm sure that ambition would come roaring back.

For now, I'm simply embracing this feeling of contentment. I don't need a grand, sweeping dream.. because I'm already living it ♥