At McKinsey, the skill I needed the most was not maths. In fact, the most advanced maths I used was a simple regression. Surprisingly, even more than ‘problem-solving’, the skill I used the most was 'articulation' - writing, explaining, and crafting persuasive stories...

“You want to change the world? Start by making your bed” – famously spoke Admiral Bill McRaven, the former head of US special operations command. How you start your day is often how your day goes. And how your days go, is how your life goes. So if you want to change...

If you ever feel guilty about not figuring out your career path quickly, please take heart – I graduated more than two decades ago, and I still feel like I am just exploring life. Maybe some of us take more time than others. Or maybe we are all like that – I don’t...

I know you love your smartphone more than you should -- but this is not your fault really. Between 2010 and 2012, Facebook made two changes that kicked off our smartphone addiction. Here they are: 1. Before 2010, everybody on Facebook had a ‘wall.’ Anything I posted,...

At my last job with a private equity firm, we had retreats at some really fancy hotels. At one of them, as part of the ‘evening service,’ the hotel staff would leave an array of small perfume bottles on the bed to help you sleep better. For sure, it felt like luxury....

On day 1 of my first job with the Indian Police Service – I was quite useless. I had some theoretical knowledge of law enforcement but I am pretty sure I was good for nothing. But people tolerated me and with time and exposure, I learned. The same thing happened at...

Should you choose success over health or the other way around? It is a false choice. No job should make us choose between health and success. Without health, there can't be any success. When we are in good health, we do better work. When we are relaxed, we think more...

Growing up in a strictly middle-class family, we did not have too much money. And it may seem like it put me at a disadvantage. It did not. In fact, I consider my upbringing my biggest luck. Not having money, I knew that whatever I wanted to do in life, I had to do it...

Yesterday, when I needed some medical advice for my dad, I called my friend Dr. Shankhabrata Bagchi, one of the best doctors I know. And yet, Bagchi has never practiced medicine – he joined the IPS right after his MBBS and was our batch topper. But such is his love...

When I left McKinsey to move back to India, I promised myself two things: 1. No more working late nights. 2. No more alarms – I would wake up when I had enough sleep. So when I joined a private equity fund in Mumbai, I wanted to make sure that they didn’t work late...

Here is an easy way to destroy your life. Start the day by checking WhatsApp, and then get sucked into a vortex of endlessly checking Facebook, Instagram, online news, Twitter, whatever... Keep repeating the cycle, and by evening, you will be a worn-out, empty shell....

Very few professions that look glamorous or exciting, are actually that. During my MBA, I thought McKinsey would be very glamorous. Big clients, global travel and fancy hotels, advising CEOs, yada yada. So here is a reality check. At 11 pm one night, one of my buddies...

If you ever find yourself stuck in a rut of laziness, low energy, and lack of direction, these five keystone habits will help you smash through it: 1) Regular workout: More than for physical fitness, exercise is a great medicine for mental well-being. Study after...

In 3 months, you can get ahead of almost everyone. Here is how: 1. Every day, for an hour, disconnect your phone from the internet. 2. Pick a learning goal or a task that requires focus. 3. For the next 50 minutes, keep a timer on. 4. While the timer ticks, work or...