Perfectly Imperfect: My journey of Becoming Sustainable by Pragya Kapoor

“It’s easier than it looks”

“It’s easier said than done” 

“Oh, if you think it’s gonna be easy, you’re in for a wake-up call”

There are many such pearls of wisdom you’ll hear over time when you first decide that it’s time to switch to a more sustainable lifestyle. Many of these will come from a place of encouragement, but most of the time, #BecomingSustainable is a very personal experience for everyone. While our journeys may be different, our common goals equalise us all. 

Film producer, mom, entrepreneur and environment enthusiast - Out of the many roles I play in my daily life, being a hands-on parent & passionate planet-warrior remain my favourites. A lot of what I stand for comes directly from my commitment to these two roles. And that’s exactly what has me here today. I’m Pragya Kapoor, and today I’m here to share my sustainability story with you. 

Let’s start from the start 

I get this question a lot- ‘Have you always led a sustainable way of life?’. To be honest, not really. Sure, I always believed in not being very wasteful or excessive because that’s just how things were done at home, in my growing years. But I also enjoyed my shopping sprees and indulgences ever so often. 

My conscious mindset grew over the years, and became even stronger when I started to learn and read about our impact on the planet. I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to deep-dive into things and research before I try something new. So naturally, once I learnt that my actions can have a great impact on the planet, it became impossible to ignore them. That’s when I really started to sit up and take notice of how I conduct my life. Slowly over time, I got into the habit of asking myself- ‘Do I really need this?’ before buying something new. This one simple question made it so much easier for me to stay minimal and I think it’s something we should all ask ourselves. 

How motherhood motivated my decisions 

Another thing people often wonder about me is how I manage to live a low-impact life despite my busy schedule. Besides having to juggle many roles on the work front, I am also a hands-on mother. Just like most of you, I too have to keep track of my day with task lists and agendas, and sometimes it does get overwhelming. 

But, when you start to see things from a larger perspective, a lot of your goals become clearer. 

The one motivation that always keeps me going is my children. When I first began my journey, wanting to leave a better world for them became my top priority. Today, this has also changed the way my home functions. 

Now, we make it a point to do what it takes to reduce our waste output. For our daily groceries, we tend to shop locally and in bulk, while also being mindful of not letting anything go to waste. Everyone in my house has also made sustainable swaps for their essentials, so we all have now built the habit to shop plastic-free (and only for the things we need). 

When I see my little ones reach out for Earth-friendly alternatives by default, it gives me great joy. To know that they are learning by example and developing a Planet-positive mindset early on feels like a job half done already!

How Becoming Sustainable affected me and those around me

Once I started making Earth-friendly swaps in my daily routine, there was no looking back. What started as something personal, gradually became a big part of my conversations. I still remember the day I spoke of my first swap online. I had recently switched to a bamboo toothbrush and was so excited, that I posted a picture of it on Instagram. Little did I know, that this small move would lead to something larger.

Slowly, people started asking me more about the products I use and sought out my advice too. Eventually, my friends and family too started making conscious choices. The first time I realised that my work was meaningful to others, was when I started hearing back positively from those who tried my recommendations. 

Knowing that I helped even just a few more people make a better choice, motivated me to spread the word on a larger scale!. And that’s about when I also discovered Brown Living. 

Teaming up with Brown Living 

I discovered Brown Living as just another customer. This was the one place I’d get everything I needed, without having to worry if it was genuinely sustainable or not. They always did their research before selling a product and so it made my life so much easier to source all my essentials from here. 

Having known Chaitsi personally, made me realize how similar our ideologies & ethics are. And that was it - I knew almost instantly that I wanted to be a part of Brown Living in a larger way. The rest, as they say, is history! 

I think there is no greater strength than joining forces to enable a larger change. For me, being a part of Brown Living & helping people switch to a low-impact lifestyle is a means of doing just that. 

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My Two Cents 

In all that I have done & learnt so far, one thing is clear - Sustainability isn’t a competition & it isn’t about perfection. I’ve come to realise that I still have a long way to go before I can call myself perfectly sustainable - And that’s okay! 

When you first begin, you may feel the pressure from peers to be perfect. But mistakes are a part of the learning, so you have more to gain by trying & sometimes failing. 

To me, sustainability is simply about being able to stay kind to the planet in the long term so our children have a better future ahead. When you see the larger picture, you will realise that living a sustainable life is an equaliser. 

At the end of the day, we all can benefit from each other’s journey. This is why I have learnt that leading by action is far more effective than preaching for change. By doing my individual best and working together with Brown Living, I hope to be able to do that in the long run.