I spend a lot of time thinking about life, purpose, and where I’m going. I believe in having goals and finding meaning in what I do.
But when I’m physically exhausted, emotionally drained, or mentally overwhelmed, I can barely think about tomorrow, let alone the next five years.
That’s when I remind myself: just show up and survive the next five minutes.
When I was in school, there were days when I was too exhausted to care about my future career or how a particular lesson would contribute to society. I couldn’t imagine where I’d be in twenty years. Sometimes, I just needed to get through the lecture, take a few notes, and go home.
At work, it’s no different. Some days, I’m motivated and passionate about what I do. Other days, everything goes wrong. I make mistakes, deal with difficult situations, or feel so drained that answering another email seems impossible.
On those days, I stop expecting myself to perform at my best. I focus on the next task, the next meeting, or simply getting through the workday. I don’t need to feel inspired every morning to keep moving.
And when life gets particularly difficult, even a whole day can feel overwhelming.
Sometimes, getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, eating a meal, and making it through the day takes more energy than anyone else can see.
During those periods, I don’t force myself to think about my life purpose or figure out what everything means. I let myself rest. I eat something comforting, binge-watch a show, sleep, and put unnecessary expectations aside.
I’m not trying to optimize every moment of my life. I’m trying to get through it.
When even the next few hours feel unbearable, I shrink my world down to five minutes. I take a breath, do the next small thing, and deal with whatever comes after.
It’s a way of making life feel manageable when my mind and body have run out of capacity.
I still believe in ambition, personal growth, and living meaningfully. But I don’t expect myself to pursue those things with equal enthusiasm every single day. Sometimes, I need to focus on surviving before I can think about flourishing.
I don’t need to figure out my entire life while I’m struggling to get through the present.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel better. Maybe I’ll find my motivation again. But I don’t need to solve tomorrow today.
For now, I just show up. I take things one minute at a time, and I give myself credit for making it through a difficult stretch.
That’s how I cope.
Just show up and survive the next five minutes.
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