Acharya Prashant addresses the anxiety, racing thoughts, and palpitations that arise when facing deadlines. He explains that there is a philosophical paradigm to this issue. The ego becomes scared and anxious when it perceives a goal as something terribly big, distant, or unattainable. This feeling of the task being overwhelming causes the ego, which sees itself as small and petty, to become anxious about its ability to reach the goal, leading to physical symptoms like palpitations and restless sleep. The solution proposed is to shift one's perception from the distant and large to the immediate and manageable. Instead of being overwhelmed by the entirety of a deadline set for a future date, one should break the task down into what can be accomplished in the present moment. Acharya Prashant advises focusing on what can be done in the next hour or even the next few minutes. When the focus is on the immediate, the task no longer seems daunting, and the associated anxiety subsides. This practical approach mirrors the spiritual wisdom of the wise, who see the highest not as something far off, but as intimately near. He further elaborates that people miss both spiritual liberation and practical deadlines for the same reason: they perceive the goal as big and distant. He quotes the Isha Upanishad, stating, "That is far, and That is near," to emphasize that the infinite is also immediate. The key is to embrace the "intimacy of the immediate" rather than being mesmerized by the "blaze of the beyond." By remaining humble and attending only to the task at hand, one can overcome the fear and effectively meet any challenge.
