Aryan Manoj Blogs

A few weeks ago, I was invited to give a talk at REVA University on how I balance everything I do. During that session, I briefly spoke about something I had never consciously thought about before, getting freakishly good at compartmentalising. That moment stuck with me. It made me reflect on this a bit more deeply, and I realised it was something I had been doing naturally without even recognising it.

As athletes, we experience an emotional rollercoaster almost every day. Whether it’s a poor training session or a minor injury that makes us anxious about the future, the highs and lows are constant. When you’re conditioned to push yourself and perform at the highest level every single day, strong emotions, both positive and negative, are inevitable. It becomes very easy for these emotions to spill over into other parts of our lives, affecting everything else we do. That’s why learning when to switch on and switch off becomes so important.

Always thinking about one single thing and letting it consume you is not dedication, it’s obsession. “Leave the track at the track” is something I strongly believe in. Over time, I’ve realised that this applies to every aspect of my life. One negative thing on the track should not affect other aspects of your life and vice versa. As someone who wants to do multiple things and do all of them well, I’ve had to learn the importance of being fully present and focusing on one thing at a time. So if I am training or preparing for training then that is solely what I am thinking about, and if I am in the middle of a doomscroll then that’s what’s got my undivided attention.

People often ask me how I manage to balance so many different commitments. For a long time, I didn’t have a clear answer. Maybe because I don’t actually try to “balance” everything all at once, or even think about everything all at once. Instead, I give my full attention to whatever I’m doing in that moment. And when it’s time to move on, I shift that same level of attention to the next thing.

Compartmentalising different areas of your life is something more people should consciously develop. It allows you to chase excellence in multiple areas and also “have a life” without letting one interfere with another. At the end of the day, we’re all human. We’re allowed to care deeply about different things. We’re allowed to have a bad day in one area while thriving in another and still being happy. The key is not letting those experiences blur into each other.

Because sometimes, the difference between feeling overwhelmed and staying in control is simply knowing where to place your focus and when.