The Sprinting Monk 🏃♂️🧘
There are two people living inside my head. One is a high-speed sprinter, chasing deadlines and fueled by endless cups of coffee.
The other is a contemplative monk, who finds peace in quiet focus and deep thought.
I am conflicted between them. Let me start by outlining then
The Sprinter
One runs on dopamine and coffee. It’s ambitious, restless, hungry. This version of me is fueled by speed and urgency:
- Drinks a lot of coffee
- Push to production, NOW
- Living on social media, new tech, constant streams of information.
- Slave to notifications, always checking the phone.
- Thrives on adrenaline, loves deadlines.
- Always moving, never stopping, never reflecting.
- Hating deep work, preferring quick hits and context switches.
- Great at networking, charming, charismatic.
- Present during social events, but absent when alone.
- Burning cortisol like there’s no tomorrow.
This side of me thrives on the rush, but it’s also exhausting.
The Monk
The monk is calm, reflective, and deliberate. This version of me values depth and presence:
- Loves deep work, uninterrupted focus.
- Creates instead of endlessly consuming..
- Loves to go deep into subjects, learning and mastering them.
- Enjoys tangents and exploring ideas in depth.
- Loves to iterate and improve.
This side of me thrives on calm and focus, but it can also feel slow, unproductive and even boring sometimes
The Conflict
Which one should lead? The truth is, I probably need them both. The Sprinter gets things moving, takes risks, and pushes boundaries. The Monk is the one who helps me find balance and peace.
I think burnout happens when the sprinter is speeding but is forced to do Monk activities. Deadlines and fast pace can create a conflict that leads to exhaustion.
Sometimes the mind wants to be a monk but life forces it to be a sprinter, and vice versa.
Could i be a monk with deep thoughts and be present in the moment?
And to be honest i don’t know the solution. I just know that i need to find a balance between the two.