A substantial amount of thought went into defining my goals for 2026. To avoid confusion later, I also articulated them clearly. Setting goals was the easy part. Ensuring that I achieved them meant making 2026 relatively distraction-free.
I felt confident because I had weeded out the usual culprits over time. I gave up social media and messaging services a while ago. LinkedIn had my attention until I realized that instead of professional networking, I was just getting riled up reading all the humble brags and performative morality that showed up on my feed. I hibernated my LinkedIn account too.
For the many people who ask me questions like, "how can you survive without WhatsApp?", I am supposedly on the path to nirvana just because I can keep away from social media. But the mind works in mysterious ways. In my case, it finds very legitimate ways to distract me from the task at hand. I always seem to find some new topic to explore or some new subject to learn. Often the learning in question is adjacent to the task at hand. These distractions are insidious because they feel respectable and productive—harder to reject precisely because they improve you.
My good friend, Ajay, had recommended Ajay Shah's In Service of the Republic, a while ago. I had promptly added the book to my Amazon wish list. Last week, I stumbled upon a captivating podcast where Ajay Shah was being interviewed about this book. I ended up buying his book and called up my friend Ajay to share my excitement of discovering the brilliance of Ajay Shah.
Sensing my fanboying over Ajay Shah, Ajay also recommended that I listen to Everything is Everything, a podcast Ajay Shah co-hosted with Amit Varma. I could not wait. I hung up, and as a man possessed, I listened to an episode. I was also impressed by his co-host Amit Varma who has a long-standing podcast called The Seen and The Unseen. My excitement knew no bounds as I explored these two new podcasts as well as their writings. At every step, this felt productive—almost virtuous.
I was hooked until I saw the calendar.
It is already the 20th day of 2026, and I am showing signs of slipping on my goals. I have no doubt that following Ajay Shah and Amit Varma down any of the rabbit holes they have created will leave me a smarter person, but it will also keep me away from my goals for 2026. This year is about discovering and surfacing my voice. This year, I make the transition from a passive consumer of ideas to an active producer of insights and knowledge based on my varied experiences.
I will have to watch out for all kinds of distractions, including the ones that will make me smarter and wiser. Come to think of it, especially the ones that flatter my intellect.