On Cooking Perfect.
Alas, they've rescheduled Shrish's meeting from 1 hour to 15 min.
If it' just an employee check-in, I'm heartily disappointed in the founders. Not that I had any huge expectations either.
But my first instinctive reaction was rage. Not because she's not getting fairly rewarded for her efforts, but more so because this reflects on how they treat the role.
For if this is just a 'check-in', I'd say that they view FO as an expendable role.
In all honesty, this is the counter-argument. But I do deep-down feel they might plan to have a longer meeting w/ her maybe this week or the next.
I have hope.
But all of these injustices lead me to think a bit deeper about my life.
4 months into 2026, and I do feel that while most of the goals I've accomplished are daunting, they aren't unachievable or have been circumstantial. The efforts required to achieve these goals are at a threshold level.
Think about it -- losing 15 kgs (now 20) requires a lot more effort than going on a bike ride to Mysore when you already have a bike.
Scoring 340/340 in the GRE is difficult in contrast to travelling the world. The effort required is vastly different.
And I'm yet to really get cracking. 10 books? I haven't finished 1 yet (I mean Churchill was at 700 pages), but ...
The answer to this conundrum lies yet again in the mind. (I really need to re-read 7 habits).
I won't deny that I definitely feel 'grown up'. I'm more patient, pick fewer fights, have empathy, feel less jealousy, and have less FOMO. Yet, a hallmark of a man is being capable of the roles he ought to play. And in all of these roles, there is a subtle 'skill' that plays a part which I substantially lack.
First, let's talk about cooking an egg.
If there's an ingredient that justifies the saying -- 'cooking is an art, not a science', it's an egg.
Scotched, Deviled, Korean, Boiled. Scrambled, Bhurji-ed, Omlette. The list goes on. Within each section of these, there are 100 different ways to cook it yet again.
And there are three stages before one is led to truly appreciate the beauty of an egg. For me, this was while I was making Anda Bhurji.
At first, it's a random set of ingredients all thrown onto the pan. Play on some of the Beatles or a podcast, half-assedly add butter, veggies, crack two eggs, and then throw on some Masalas. Stir for five minutes and serve it up. Problem solved, case closed. And then, for the next few weeks, all's well. You make your Anda Bhurji sandwiches every day, enjoy them heartily and carry on w/ your day. You feel proud that you're able to cook yourself a meal. Of the man you are.
But there's some element in the dish that's always gnawing away in your mind. It feels incomplete. The flavour of cheese in the sandwich overpowers your Bhurji. You're shocked. Garam Masala, Chilli Powder and Turmeric, all overpowered by a slice of cheese? Impossible.
I first discarded it, but it returned to haunt me a week later. Now, is the second stage. You learn. I looked up on the internet, and realised the dish was being cooked wrong from the start. The eggs had to be dropped into a spice-veggie paste. The quantity of butter and ensuring it doesn't get burnt becomes a priority. All the little things that you missed now seemed evident as you committed to learning more and spending more time w/ the egg.
The Bhurji tastes better now. The earphones are off, too. I cook the onions just a little longer, intentionally and wait for them to turn golden-brown. I shop now for brown eggs. Maybe it tastes better? I've learnt to crack an egg perfectly. It's taken me time and practice, but it's helped. Would adding capsicum help? If I add coriander, should it be just the leaves or would the stalk make a difference too?
What spice variation might help? Would adding mustard help too?
I already am in the third stage. Experimentation. I've committed time, built a learning system, and am now intent on getting them done perfectly. I'm in the act of doing justice both to the eggs and myself. And I think this embodies what I lack. Patience.
It's the same issue in August. At Dognosis w/ the merch site, and with the accident. All of them are a chaotic rush of getting things done so I can laze later. In principle this isn't bad, but it leads to sloppy work which I always return to, to FIX.
And this issue just isn't w/ line items at work. It's with life too. Maybe delaying ordering Swiggy by 20 min for the past year would've not led me to gain 15 kgs?
Maybe planning out my day, everyday would've helped me prep for GRE and go the gym more frequently?
A patience and a lack of systems have led to me to where I am. And this isn't a bug, it's the norm. Most of my mates now think like this. What's the next job, is it fun or not. We aren't think years ahead. We aren't think decades ahead.
I'm led to believe the same. I can ~~sacrifice invest a year in building systems. Systems that help me get fit, help me be smarter, experience life more and be a better man. That's why, 2026 is the year of processes for me. It's the time to raise to the pedestal that waits for me. To don an armour of adulthood. Planning that requires effort and patience, and so does implementing it.
But living it out, requires every moment of intentional action.