i’m the planner friend

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, a 19 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in! 💌 

btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: i’m the planner friend 📒 

i previously wrote about leadership fatigue, and how it’s disheartening to always be the person driving plans forward.

in another context, being the planner friend is an absolute blast. i’m currently exploring kyoto with philip, and immediately took up the role of filling our itinerary. i thoroughly enjoy researching cafés, getting to know a new neighbourhood through google map searches and routing public transportation, adding to my growing list of must-visit thrift spots and seeing it all come into fruition later on.

of course, i love wandering while exploring, but i’m also intentional about allowing myself an optimal frolic under the pleasant sun with yummy snacks. 😋 

travel is something i enjoy catering to my own preferences, which is why i like being the planner. it helps that our dynamic is perfect for this — philip is basically down for anything (even being dragged from café to café), and we’ve already established that we can go off on our own whenever. no hard feelings involved.

crafting a fun day brings me a great sense of accomplishment, even more-so when my friends enjoy it. you guys already know that someone hating an experience i planned / recommended is my worst nightmare. one way i combat this is simply prefacing from the beginning of a trip that they are welcome to skip out on anything, and that it’s also my first time.

if things go wrong on a trip … show a little more grace to your planner friend. chances are they’re probably even more stressed out. 😭

daily opportunity + resource drops 🔍️