When Productivity Slips and Self-Doubt Creeps In

The feeling of being stuck as a student…

The feeling of not being able to do enough even when I know I have the potential to do so much more has been visiting my mind quite often these days.

Over the past few days, I haven’t been as productive as I usually am. I kept overthinking why that happened and began doubting whether I was even a good student. Work kept piling up, and before I knew it, I felt completely stuck for several days in a row.

Later, I realised that this mainly happened because I wanted to be perfect in every single course by the end of reading week. I spent most of my time focusing on the subjects that had midterms right after the break.

At the time, I didn’t realise I was sidelining my other subjects. But in the end, I saw that I had invested so much energy into those two courses that I barely made progress in the rest.

That’s when panic set in. I hadn’t followed the plan I had imagined so clearly in my head (the one where I would be fully prepared for all my classes after reading week). Instead, I felt like I had done nothing at all, and that feeling kept me stuck for almost two or three days.

Being stuck as a student comes with its own kind of suffocation, a quiet pressure filled with strange fears. Dreams about missing exams, not meeting my own expectations, or failing to get into my dream medical school suddenly flood my thoughts.

But then I realised something important: my plan itself was beyond what was realistically possible for me or for anyone. Having hopes and expectations is good, but setting them so high that I become afraid to even try is demotivating. It becomes self-sabotage.

It’s okay if things don’t go according to the timetable or the plan even more than once. What truly matters is not letting that derailment trap me to the point where fear stops me from working altogether.

Because completing a task halfway or even making the smallest progress is always better than zero.

So, here’s what I learned:

1. Set realistic goals.
2. Never speak harshly to myself.
3. It’s okay when things don’t go according to plan.

I hope this inspires you.

Yours lovingly,
Laasya Kanagala