Merancang Hidup dengan Logika Terbalik: Bukan Tentang Goals, Tapi Hindari Lubang

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Merancang Hidup dengan Logika Terbalik: Bukan Tentang Goals, Tapi Hindari Lubang

Kadang gue bingung. Kita ini manusia atau burung dara lomba, sih? Tiap hari dikasih target, harus ke titik A, harus nyampe B sebelum jam segini, harus C plus D biar bisa disebut “produktif”. Lama-lama kayak hidup tuh cuma soal checklist yang semakin absurd. Kayak: “ngopi sambil ngerjain proposal sambil senyum biar keliatan waras.” Udah, serius, siapa sih yang bikin standar hidup kudu kayak gitu?

Terus gue mikir—gimana kalau logikanya dibalik? Daripada mikir mau jadi apa, kenapa nggak mikir: jangan sampai jadi apa? Kayak, daripada gue ngejar "sukses", mending gue tanya dulu, "Apa sih hal-hal yang bikin gue gagal total?" Dan ternyata… wah, itu lebih jujur. Lebih gampang juga. Gagal itu jelas—contohnya banyak. Sukses? Definisinya bisa berubah tiap buka Instagram.

Jadi, inilah logika terbalik. Bukan soal “mau apa” tapi “hindari apa”. Dan percayalah, ini bukan teknik manajemen waktu—ini teknik bertahan hidup biar otak nggak meledak tiap Senin pagi.

Kenapa Harus Dibalik?

Charlie Munger pernah bilang, “Coba pikirin, gimana cara kamu mati. Terus, ya udah, jangan ke sana.” Lucu sih, tapi logis. Kadang mikir cara berhasil itu susah, tapi mikir cara nyungsep tuh gampang. Dan dari situ, kita bisa bangun hidup yang lebih... waras.

Gue sendiri sering kejebak sama yang namanya to-do list. Tapi belakangan, to-do list gue berubah jadi “to-ignore list”. Isinya bukan hal yang harus gue kerjain, tapi hal-hal yang harus gue jauhin. Kayak: scroll TikTok jam 10 pagi. Buka 15 tab sekaligus. Balas chat yang nggak urgent tapi bikin ke-trigger.

Intinya, kadang solusi terbaik bukan nambah kerjaan, tapi ngurangin jebakan. Daripada mikir: “Gimana caranya fokus?” mending: “Apa aja yang bikin gue ke-distract, dan bisa gue jauhin?” Karena jujur, fokus itu kayak sinyal wifi: kadang kuat, kadang ilang pas lagi butuh.

Ngalamin Juga, Nggak?

Waktu skripsi, gue bukan nggak punya niat. Tapi tiap buka laptop, ujung-ujungnya malah ngerapiin folder musik. Buka Zotero? Nggak. Tapi playlist band Jepang tahun 2007 tiba-tiba rapi banget. Gue sadar, mungkin masalahnya bukan kurang niat, tapi terlalu banyak lubang distraksi yang gue biarin.

Temen gue yang kerja remote juga cerita, dia burnout bukan karena kerjaannya berat, tapi karena dia terus-terusan mikirin goal gede tanpa tahu lubang-lubang kecil yang pelan-pelan nyedot energinya. Kayak: notifikasi, grup kerja yang isinya debat gak penting, atau ngerasa bersalah tiap istirahat.

Kadang kita capek bukan karena kurang semangat, tapi karena kebanyakan nginjak ranjau mental yang nggak kita sadari.

Coba Deh, Hindari Ini Dulu

1. Buka semua tab browser tanpa niat jelas. Pas sadar, kamu udah baca tiga artikel tentang alpukat dan teori bumi datar.

2. Ngecek HP setiap 3 menit, “sekedar lihat jam”. Tapi malah ending-nya nonton story orang yang nggak kamu kenal.

3. Meeting yang bisa diganti dengan voice note 3 menit. Tapi dibikin 45 menit karena... ya gitu, katanya penting.

4. Nunda tidur karena pengen “me time”. Tapi akhirnya scroll sampe jam 2 pagi dan bangun besoknya kayak zombie dengan nasi kering di sudut bibir.

5. Membandingkan hidup kamu dengan “konten estetik”. Padahal kamu cuma lagi butuh minum dan buang air.

Penutup

Kadang cara berpikir terbaik adalah yang paling sederhana: bukan nyari sukses, tapi ngindarin gagal. Nggak usah muluk-muluk pengen jadi versi terbaik diri sendiri. Kadang cukup dengan jadi versi yang nggak ngulang kesalahan sama dua kali.

Gue juga masih belajar. Masih sering kejebak. Tapi sekarang gue tahu, kadang hidup bukan soal nambah cara, tapi ngurangin jebakan. Kalau kamu pernah ngalamin yang kayak gini juga, drop komentar ya. Siapa tahu kita bisa saling nguatin. Atau minimal, saling curhat sambil ngopi.

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Welcome to Hajriah Fajar: Living Smart & Healthy in the Digital Age

Designing Life Backwards: It’s Not About Goals, It’s About Avoiding Potholes

Sometimes I wonder—are we human, or just racing pigeons in disguise? Every day it’s “get to point A, finish B before 5 PM, achieve C and D or you’re lazy.” Eventually, life starts to feel like a checklist contest: “sip coffee while doing proposals with a smile to appear sane.” Seriously, who made these rules?

Then I thought—what if we flip the logic? Instead of asking what I want to become, ask: what don’t I want to become? Rather than chasing “success,” I ask, “What leads to guaranteed failure?” And you know what? That feels more honest. Also, way easier. Failure is clear—it’s everywhere. Success? That depends on what app you opened this morning.

This is inverted thinking. It’s not about “what to aim for,” but “what to avoid.” And no, this is not some productivity hack—it’s a survival tactic for tired brains on Monday mornings.

Why Flip the Script?

Charlie Munger once said, “Figure out where you’ll die, then don’t go there.” It’s funny, but it works. It’s often harder to figure out how to succeed, but easier to know how to mess things up. And from there, you can start building a life that’s… less chaotic.

I used to swear by to-do lists. These days, I’ve built a “to-ignore list.” It includes things like: checking TikTok at 10 AM. Opening 15 tabs just to feel busy. Responding to triggering messages that could’ve waited.

The truth is: sometimes success isn’t about adding tasks, but subtracting distractions. Instead of asking, “How do I stay focused?” maybe ask, “What’s constantly breaking my focus—and can I gently avoid it?” Because honestly, focus is like Wi-Fi: strong when you don’t need it, weak when you do.

Ever Feel This Way?

When I was writing my thesis, I wasn’t unmotivated. But every time I opened my laptop, I ended up organizing my 2007 Japanese band playlists. My citations? Still untouched. Maybe the problem wasn’t willpower—but too many mental potholes.

A remote-worker friend once told me he wasn’t burned out from work, but from constantly chasing vague goals without seeing the small things draining him—notifications, irrelevant group chats, the guilt of resting.

Sometimes, exhaustion doesn’t come from lack of motivation, but from too many landmines left unchecked in your day.

Try Avoiding These First

1. Opening all browser tabs with no clear reason. Next thing you know, you’re deep into avocado conspiracies and flat earth forums.

2. Checking your phone every 3 minutes “just to see the time.” Then spending 30 minutes watching strangers’ vacation stories.

3. Joining meetings that could’ve been a 3-minute voice note. But it turns into a 45-minute session of polite chaos.

4. Delaying sleep for “me time.” Only to scroll till 2 AM and wake up like a fried noodle ghost.

5. Comparing your life to “aesthetic content.” When really, you just need water and a bathroom break.

Closing

Sometimes the best thinking is the simplest: don’t chase success—dodge failure. You don’t need to be your “best version.” Sometimes, just don’t repeat the same self-destructive cycle twice.

I’m still learning too. Still messing up. But now I know: life isn’t about more hacks, it’s about fewer traps. If you’ve been through this too, drop a comment. Let’s laugh, cry, or rant together. Maybe over a cup of coffee—or several.