Life Is Too Short for “This Is How We’ve Always Done It”

Utkarsh Narang
6 days ago
4 min read

December 8, 2025

That quiet sentence - “This is just how things are” is one of the most dangerous beliefs in the world.

That’s the status quo. The existing state of affairs. Familiar. Predictable. Safe. And slowly suffocating.

Many people aren’t stuck because the world is unfair. They’re stuck because they’ve made peace with a life that doesn’t fit them anymore.

My Life Has Been a Series of “This Can’t Be It…”

If you know a bit of my story, you know this:

I’ve challenged the status quo in my life more than once, not because I’m fearless, but because something inside me kept whispering,

“What you have is not bad… but it’s not it.”

I started as a physiotherapist in Delhi. On paper, it was respectable. Good work. Clear path. Stable future.

But I used to look around and think, “Is this really my whole story? Clinic, patients, repeat?”

That question wouldn’t leave. So I stepped out of the safe lane. I moved into video work. Then, into building a leadership training business. Eventually into coaching, facilitation, speaking. Each shift felt risky. Each one broke a “this is how life is supposed to go” script.

Then we moved countries. Uprooted from India to Melbourne. New rules. New networks. New identity. Another status quo challenged.

At every stage, the pattern was the same:

Life was fine.
Something in me said, “Fine is not enough.”
I chose discomfort over quiet resignation.

That’s what challenging the status quo looks like in real life. Not a movie scene. Just repeated decisions to not settle.

Why We Don’t Challenge the Status Quo

Whether it’s life or work, we don’t question the status quo because:

It feels risky to be the one who says, “This isn’t working.”
People in power often have unconscious reasons to keep things the way they are.
We’re scared to lose stability, approval, or belonging.
We tell ourselves, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” (Ignoring the fact that “not broken” doesn’t mean “truly alive.”)

And so we keep participating in systems, routines, and roles we’ve outgrown.

But here’s the problem:

Growth requires friction. Innovation requires deviation. And being unapologetically you requires disruption.

Challenging the Status Quo as an Individual

Your personal status quo is that version of your life that’s… okay.

Not horrible. Not inspiring. Just… meh.

You know you’re stuck in it when:

You start sentences with “Someday, I’ll…” a lot.
You feel more numb than alive.
You keep complaining about things you never actually change.
You’re more afraid of rocking the boat than of staying in the wrong ocean.

Challenging your personal status quo might look like:

Saying no to work that drains you, even if it impresses others.
Choosing a career move that aligns with your values, not your ego.
Being honest in a relationship that’s been politely stagnant for years.
Starting something that feels a little “too big” for you — and doing it anyway.

It’s not about reckless decisions. It’s about refusing to betray yourself.

Challenging the Status Quo as a Team

Teams get stuck too.

You hear it in phrases like:

“We tried that before.”
“This is how we do things here.”
“Leadership will never go for it.”

The status quo in teams looks like:

Meetings where everyone nods and no one says what they really think.
Processes that clearly don’t work, but no one wants to own changing them.
Talented people quietly disengage because their ideas hit a wall.

Challenging it as a team means:

Inviting all perspectives, especially the uncomfortable ones.
Asking: “What isn’t working? Why? What could we do differently?”
Creating a culture where dissent with respect is seen as a contribution, not threat.

Healthy teams don’t worship “how we’ve always done it.” They honour it, learn from it, and then improve it.

Why This All Comes Back to Being Unapologetically You

At the deepest level, challenging the status quo is not just about systems and structures.

It’s about identity.

To be unapologetically you, you will have to:

Question the expectations placed on you.
Walk away from “good on paper” options.
Disappoint some people who liked your older, more compliant version.
Choose alignment over approval, again and again.

That means challenging:

The version of you that stays small.
The stories you tell yourself about what’s “realistic.”
The idea that you must earn the right to live your truth.

The world will constantly hand you templates.

This is how a “successful” career looks. This is how a “good” parent behaves. This is what a “serious” professional does.

You don’t have to be rude. You don’t have to be reckless. But you do have to be brave enough to say:

“Thank you for the template. I’m choosing my signature instead.”

Final Spark

Challenging the status quo will not always make your life easier. But it will make your life yours.

As you read this, ask yourself:

Where have I made peace with a situation that no longer fits me?
What’s one status quo, in my life, team, or organisation, that I need to question?
If I truly lived unapologetically, what would I stop tolerating?

Life is too short to sleepwalk through someone else’s idea of “normal.”

Challenge your status quo. Design your own path. Be unapologetically you.

With courage and clarity, Utkarsh, Coach | Founder, IgnitedNeurons

PS - On Dec 12 at 12 PM Melbourne time, I’m leading a 90-minute masterclass, “Unapologetically You.”

It’s for those tired of living the default version of themselves.

For those ready to reclaim their signature… in work, life, and impact.

If that stirs something inside you, come join me.

Save your spot. Be remembered for being you.

If you enjoy this newsletter, you will definitely love listening to the IgnitedNeurons

podcast. Find it on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube.