1️⃣ Sensing Feelings

A short pause was enough to recognize the feelings holding me back. I noticed:

I wasn’t agitated or really calm. I felt neutral.

However, there was some unpleasantness. Something was nagging in me that did not feel good.

2️⃣ Tracing Emotions

I grabbed my journal and jotted what these feelings meant to me:

There is laziness.

There is sadness (this one surprised me when I labeled it as such).

3️⃣ Orchestrating Work

Simply labeling these emotions made me feel lighter and more at ease. I got up, made an electrolyte drink, and packed my bag. Before I knew it, I was heading to the pool.

4️⃣ Pondering Decision

Post-swim back at home, as I reflected, here’s what I felt:

Energy – I was refreshed and full of life.

Satisfaction – I had overcome my resistance and honored a decision that benefited me.

1️⃣ Sensing Feelings

I was about to visit the store to get supplies, but decided to pause and apply STOP to check-in my feelings:

I felt unpleasantness.

At the same time, I was energized by this prospect of starting painting.

2️⃣ Tracing Emotions

As usual I labelled my emotions in my book

There is Loneliness: I was craving the painting process as an emotional escape.

There is Need for Recognition: A subtle desire to be seen for something, especially amidst the uncertainty of my current phase.

There is Fear: What if I forget how to paint?

3️⃣ Orchestrating Work

As soon as I labeled these emotions, my intense urge to paint diminished. I realized painting was emotional outlet rather than an intentional choice. With my current priorities on startup, content creation, health, and family time, painting would severely dilute my attention.

4️⃣ Pondering Decision

Pondering on it, to not start that painting was a tough choice, but necessary. I now feel:

Relieved – I wasn’t looking at a half-finished canvas demanding my time.

Amazed – At how unacknowledged emotions could have led me to an impulsive choice.

1️⃣ Sensing Feelings

I took a moment to recognize what was happening internally:

I was neutral, neither feeling pleasant or unpleasant on not starting!

Even my energy levels were neutral, neither agitated nor calm.

2️⃣ Tracing Emotions

I acknowledged these emotions by writing them down.

There is shame: I feared anticipated failure.

There is paralysis: I felt emotionally overwhelmed.

There is helplessness: I had no idea how to start.

3️⃣ Orchestrating Work

After tracing my emotions, I felt light and could feel the energy flowing in me. I began typing and the words began to flow. Within two hours – I had completed the draft!

I am always amazed at the openness that unfolds by just sensing and tracing my emotions.

4️⃣ Pondering Decision

Now that I’ve published the article, here is my reflection on how I feel:

Satisfaction – of finally done it.

Pride – I was genuinely happy with the result.

Enthusiasm – I was now free to move on to the next thing.

1️⃣ Sensing Feelings

Sitting alone in a cafe, instead of contemplating, I tuned into my feelings and recognized the following bodily sensations and affective states:

I felt unpleasant yet calm and energized.

There was unease – a tension in my chest. My chest felt heavy.

At the same time, my breath was steady – I wasn’t breathing rapidly, and I felt light.

This steady breath created a sense of openness.

2️⃣ Tracing Emotions

I grabbed a napkin and labeled my emotions by writing them out:

“There is fear”: of failure and financial insecurity.

“There is anxiety”: about letting go of a structured corporate career.

“There is excitement”: at the thought of meaningful, independent work.

“There is anger”: at how my previous job ended due to a medical emergency.

And below it, I instinctively scribbled a quote from Marcel Proust:

“Griefs, at the moment when they change into ideas, lose some of their power to injure the heart.”

3️⃣ Orchestrating Work

Once I externalized my emotions, something shifted. I felt a surge of optimism and a clear sense of direction and certainty I hadn’t felt before.

In that moment, I knew: I’d rather risk the regret of trying than live with the regret of playing it safe.

The next day I documented my thoughts, marking the beginning of my journey in this Day 1 blog post.

4️⃣ Pondering Decision

Now, months into this decision. I still reflect: Did I make the right choice?

An empathetic “Yes”. As I write this, my emotions are,

Confidence – in my approach and the path I’m pursuing.

Happiness – in the way things are unfolding.

Excitement – I’m learning so much I never would have otherwise.

1️⃣ Sensing Feelings

I paused and reflected: what was keeping me from making a decision? Here’s what I could sense:

I felt unpleasant at the whole proposition of social media. I’ve never been an active participant here.

Though I knew I had enough energy. But the energy was felt in my legs more than my hands!

2️⃣ Tracing Emotions

I typed these emotions on my Keep Notes

“There is Overwhelm“: Yet another platform, more content. Do I have the bandwidth?

“There is Doubt“: I had actively avoided social media all my life; could I really build something meaningful on it?

“There is Anxiety“: Where do I even start?

“There is Uncertainty“: What if it fails? What if all this effort leads nowhere?

3️⃣ Orchestrating Work

After acknowledging my emotions, I used the Wise Mind technique to balance emotion with reason. If I wanted to build tailwinds for my product, avoiding social media wasn’t an option.

I researched and found Pinterest to be the best fit as it allows evergreen content and aligns with how I communicate decision-making principles.

4️⃣ Pondering Decision

Now, after posting 100+ pins over the last two months, here’s how I feel:

Pride – Having figured out a system to post consistently (3 pins a day) without burning out.

Confidence – That I can manage social media platform alone (for now)

Uncertainty – I still worry that this whole experiment might fail.

1️⃣ Sensing Feelings

Updating my car has been a long-delayed decision, and this opportunity suddenly seemed to revive my interest.

I paused to sense what was this energy:

I felt pleasant (of course!) on having a new car.

I also felt energetic about this decision. I could feel this energy surge every time I met my friend.

2️⃣ Tracing Emotions

Next, I shifted to my emotions. What emotions had I constructed for these feelings?

“There is Hope“: At last, it seems I will update my car after all!

“There is Reservation“: A sliver of concern amidst the hope and excitement.

“There is Courage“: This one surprised me. Why did I think of this and label it?

3️⃣ Orchestrating Work

After acknowledging my emotions, I applied the DCM skill to see if there was any bias influencing my decision here:

Confirmation bias:

Am I only noticing the facts that confirm what I already believe?

Response: I usually consider cars a liability, not a necessity. So this wasn’t about fitting into the crowd or external validation.

Anchoring Bias:

Am I holding on to the first information I received?

Response: Yes. The price anchored me. But I also questioned whether the urgency of a distress sale was creating a false sense of value.

Availability Heuristic:

Am I going with what’s easiest to recall, not what’s most accurate?

Response: Yes. I wasn’t even shopping for a car. The sudden availability made it feel more important than it was.

Overconfidence Effect:

Am I being overly certain without solid evidence?

Response: Didn’t apply. I wasn’t assuming I knew everything about the deal.

Sunk Cost Fallacy:

Am I pushing ahead just because I’ve already invested time?

Response: No. I hadn’t done any prep or research.

Status Quo Bias

Am I resisting change because staying the same feels safer?

Response: Yes. I was hesitant to redirect funds from current priorities.

Affect Heuristic:

Am I letting my current mood or emotional state make the call?

Response: Yes. Peer pressure and emotional excitement were influencing.

4️⃣ Pondering Decision

After this clarity, I set a delay window of three days. That period was for me to reassess my finances and priorites.

Eventually, I passed on the deal. Not because it wasn’t good. But because it wasn’t “right now”.

Looking back, this is what I feel today when I think of this decision:

Courage: This emotion is still there, but it’s meaning is now a source of pride. Saying “no” was difficult, but necessary.

Confidence: The past few weeks have been a whirlwind activity of structuring the start-up. With the insight on capital required, I’m glad I did not commit funds on a car.