Is this it?

I joined advertising 17 years ago and have been in it all heart and soul all this while. I have had some great mentors, few horrendous ones but all this while, I never lost the passion for it. Then came the pandemic and bared us, shook us up from a reverie. Beyond the stress of regular unending calls, this was the period that we got to ourselves to explore and ask ourselves - "Is this it?"

I could never find an answer to this. The pandemic receded, disappeared, its memories fading even faster than how it had spread. I was back to the race which somehow had become more stressful. My chosen profession and passion seemed like a baggage and there was something that kept me off. I changed job, got into a bigger role and that is where things became clear. Not because the organisation helped, but the stress that ensued with the role got me thinking deeper. The question resurfaced - "Is this it?" It was during the relentless period of chasing calls, processes, awards and never-ending targets, I realised that the charm of advertising was getting lost in the large, networked agencies. The work was getting commodified and words like 'insights,' 'strategic output,' 'disruption' seemed to be plucked from thin air without having true value to it. To top it the race for each agency seemed to be revenue first and people later. It is not unfounded that anyone you speak to in an advertising agency, will talk about the stress and unhealthy man-hours, all given into in the vacuous pursuit of glory that someone will buy an idea that the agency thinks will work but the brand doesn't. While we would discard this off with a meme, the processes of how agencies function got me thinking of my own priorities. For a good month, I asked myself multiple questions - "How do I want to be remembered? Will my job allow people to remember me long after I am gone? Will my passion at work make difference in someone else's life? Am I exploring my potential at all? Who am I working for?" I kept writing my answers every day adopting the good old way of journaling to delve deeper inside my own predicament. The answers began in an obscure manner. It was years of mind modulation at work that did not allow a clear picture. But as days passed, it became clearer. Even more, the day after we received a survey of employee morale and motivation of our organisation, where I clearly understood that there was a whole bunch of people facing similar situations, the office score being dismally low. Worse, when the leadership team met, we could not arrive at concrete actions beyond statements like - "Let's motivate them more," "AM team needs to be more empathetic" "We have too much work" "Clients do not understand." I realised that each one in the agency is clamouring to give time to themselves never actually having time to explore their true potential. True potential cannot be explored by your bosses or peer groups sarcasms or pressures. True potential must be explored yourself. Only when you pause, take life slow and stop to smell the flowers on the way, is when you will have answers to what you seek.

One key answer to my relentless question of 'how would I want to be remembered?' emerged clearly as wanting to be known as a person who could leave behind some legacy of being a considerate and a loving human being. I wanted to be remembered for my passion but more for the difference I may have made to a few people’s lives with the work I created/produced. And it was clear to me that this work could not be by being in a race. It must be work that is created with love, time and patience. In the current scheme of how the world operates with its million distraction and pace, I would not be able to commit to anything that my mind truly desires. I must unplug from the matrix of pace, take some hard calls to pursue what I really want. And so, I did. I unplugged myself from the network to take life slow. Not give up advertising but not willing to succumb to the hollow dreams of fast paced agencies. I would rather be slow and creative than being fast paced and shallow. It’s a hard call, because the immediate worry was finances. But like they say, when one decides to sail a boat, the wind finds you a direction and your will tides you through any storm. And three months since I have begun as an independent consultant working with some enterprising friends, taking life at my own pace here is what has happened - I completed 5 books in the last 3 months, that is the fastest I have read in the last 15 years. I wrote more than ever (with a fountain pen on paper). I travelled more than I ever did before and that has been so liberating as well (when I don't have to go to a portal and 'plan' leaves, and prepare an excuse of why I need it badly). I have pursed sketching more than ever. I have been regular to the gym. I have begun work on my podcast. I have spent more time with my family and friends. And while doing all this, I have managed to help win 3 clients, produce 2 great pieces of advertising at my own pace of work. But the best of all, I have woken up every day with a smile, feeling lighter and brighter. Pursuing my own dream has made me feel better. I am responsible for my own growth and life. I have prioritised myself over other things and that I where all the difference is. I hope that all of you reading this (if you all had time to reach till the end) get my message. I don’t say that your pursuit is wrong. It could be what you seek, but please take a moment to understand that at the end of all that you are doing, there will be a day when you must pause and ask yourself – “Is this it?” The answer you honestly give yourself at this moment is what your true journey will be. May the power be with you all. :)

PS: I am available to all of you who would seek on how to embark on this process. I am no life coach but I can talk about my experiences and hope that it helps you too. Ping me in a comment or even in a DM and I will reach out to you at my own pace and then we can meet, do a call, speak in a group, anything that suits you all.

#Life #Mentalhealth #Worklifebalance #AdvertisingLife #Peace