When we talk of a MBA program, most of us can easily identify the professional and academic goals we have during the program but personal goals tend to be a bit more difficult to identify and quantify…but,yesterday, I had my PDE appointment with Lisa and came out of the appointment feeling like I had made a breakthrough in my personal development.
Like a lot of Indians from their generation, my parents left India in the late 70’s in search of better opportunities and they were completely focused on helping their extended families and ensuring that their children had the best opportunities and education. I can’t thank my family enough for continuing to be the backbone of my fantastic life where I have enjoyed a great many privileges and luxuries…a great education system also helped me build the foundations to a successful professional background. In the process to ensure that their kids got the best, my parents (as normal parents, especially Indian parents) constantly pushed me and "encouraged" me to push my limits and strive for the very best…I still remember my dad would say that “Second place is one less than first!” and while I attribute most all my success in my life so far to this motivation….it also led to the fact that through my life, 80% of the time I am unable to live and enjoy the present…
Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong in being super ambitious and goal driven (And I like being that!) but when you are constantly thinking about the next best thing and the next big milestone/achievement, you start losing out on TODAY…a lot of times, I come back home from IMD and find myself naturally drifting in thoughts about the next exams, the ICP, my resume and where that next job is going to be…and for someone like my partner who enjoys living in the present, this is “interesting” behavior to say the least…
So one of my goals coming to the MBA this year was being able to live in today, enjoy it and appreciate it…we regularly spoke about this in my PDE sessions but yesterday, I realized that some of the things I enjoy doing most like driving, cooking and working out/sports are activities that force you to be in the present and keep your senses very focused on the NOW. Why is all this important? – Because in weeks when I don’t have the time to do either, I find myself more stressed and lost in thoughts about the future which further drain me and leads to a less happier me…so it’s important that I continue to make time for some of these activities on a regular basis to be more aware of today and keep myself happy and free of stress…
Some of you might think I’m merely exaggerating a straight-forward PDE meeting but unfortunately, I can’t share all the details since that would expose how “weird” my thoughts generally are :-) however, I can definitely say that the PDE sessions are definitely helping me become more aware, positive and well-rounded, all important attributes for an aspiring global leader but also important attributes to keep happy and content in life....so thank you Lisa!
So last night was Italian –bruschetta, caprese and ravioli and today is Indian – egg and chicken curry with “raita”(a yogurt preparation with vegetables)…and of course, I picked one of the coldest days to go for a run but nevertheless it got me focused on the present and how cold it was!!!
Some finance reading later on tonight followed by the excitement of meeting our ICP client tomorrow….
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment - Buddha
At your service,
Chef Vikas Menon
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