When people ask about the projects I’ve worked on, they often focus on the outcome.
How many books were donated?
How many people participated?
How many hours did it take?
While those numbers certainly matter, they rarely tell the whole story.
Have you ever walked into a room and immediately wondered if everyone noticed your outfit?
Or maybe you sent a text, saw that the other person read it, and spent the next three hours replaying every word you wrote.
If you have, let me start with a question:
What if nobody was paying nearly as much attention as you think?
I know—that sounds slightly depressing at first. But stay with me.
A Stanley cup sells out within hours. A sneaker release creates queues around the block. A fast-food chain launches a seasonal item and suddenly everyone wants to try it before it’s gone.
In many cases, the product itself isn’t revolutionary. So why do people rush to buy things simply because they’re limited?
The answer lies in psychology.
When I first began teaching yoga to a small group of children each week, I expected the experience to be mostly about poses, breathing techniques, and flexibility. I spent time planning sessions, choosing activities, and thinking about how to explain movements in a way that would be engaging and easy to understand.
What I didn’t expect was how much the experience would teach me about motivation—not just in children, but in people as a whole.
Have you ever noticed how some people return to a place they once loved and suddenly act as though they’re too good for it?
Maybe it’s an old school, a childhood neighborhood, a local café, or even a group of friends. After achieving a certain level of success, status, or personal growth, they begin to view these places differently—not as stepping stones in their journey, but as reminders of a version of themselves they’ve outgrown.
Psychologically, this phenomenon is closely tied to identity.
Why is it so hard to put down our phones?
Most of us have experienced opening TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube for “just a few minutes” only to realize that an hour has passed. While many people blame a lack of self-control, the reality is more complex. Social media platforms are carefully designed using psychological principles that encourage users to stay engaged for as long as possible.
From endless scrolling to personalized content and constant notifications, these platforms rely on behavioural science to capture one of today’s most valuable resources: our attention.