Striking the Right Chord

Yukti Arora is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Buildsys, a construction productivity application that reduces paperwork and makes field-to-office communication faster, trackable, and mobile. She is passionate about storytelling, design strategy, visual thinking and creating experiences that makes technology human and emotion centred. At Buildsys, she leads the product vision and business strategy. She talks to Corporate Citizen about her health and wellness mantra and what keeps her fit

Corporate Citizen: How do you set out your priorities to keep your work and personal life balanced?

Yukti Arora: As an entrepreneur, I spend most of my waking hours working or thinking about my work. I set my work goals weekly that drive from our monthly strategic vision meetings.

On a daily basis, I spend the first twenty minutes of my day planning. My work hours are pretty consistent every day. So interestingly, for me to make time outside of work, I first start by blocking time on my calendar to schedule activities that help me de-stress, re-energise and spend quality time with friends and family.

I am an early riser and like to dedicate my mornings to self-reflection and catching up with the latest design news, going for a run, or practising Bharatanatyam. In the evenings, I try to switch off all my screens beyond a certain hour and spend time reading before bed. I also make sure I have some plans with the family and some hours with my creative self doing activities like painting scheduled for the weekend.

CC: What helps the most in maintaining calm and peace despite an overload of work?

Running and dancing help me stay centred. I always feel calm and rejuvenated after a good run or dance practice.

CC: What keeps you fit and healthy? Share with us your secret ways of keeping your mind calm and cool.

My motivation to stay fit, eat right and stay calm is derived from my passion for what I do. I believe that staying physically and mentally fit ensures that I am always on top of my game as an entrepreneur and designer. I also love playing sports and spending time outdoors. I love to run, hike, snowboard and play squash, which has added benefits of keeping me fit.

CC: Your stress busters? How do you like to rejuvenate and recharge and de-stress?

When I am overwhelmed and stressed, journaling helps clear my mind, reflect and be inspired again. A long walk, spending time in nature or a quick shower helps me to recalibrate and de-stress after a long day.

CC: Anything else you would like to say about keeping fit and on holistic wellness, what can others learn from your learnings?

I feel very strongly about the importance of holistic wellness. While pursuing undergraduate studies in the US, I was swamped with the course work and had developed unhealthy eating habits which took a toll on my physical and mental health. I decided to make a conscious effort to cook for myself, so I started eating clean and wholesome foods and incorporated physical activities into my lifestyle. My energy levels improved and it reflected in my work. Nourishing your body is not limited to just food and exercise, but also your mental and spiritual well-being. It is just as important to meditate and make time for yourself and the activities that bring you joy.

CC: Do you play any game which helps you in your work? How does it help? What are the lessons the game teaches for life?

I snowboard, play squash and train for marathons. Snowboarding taught me that in order to succeed you have to be persistant even after you fall down. While training for marathons, I learned that every run is different and you might not feel ready for every run. But it’s important to show up and do the best with the energy levels you have that day. Life is similar, there are days when you have to show up and start from wherever you are.

CC: What is the secret of your success?

For me, the first thing is always the intention. All the focus and hard work drives from that.

CC: What is your philosophy of work?

I believe in pursuing what one loves and is most passionate about, that way it doesn’t feel like work. This quote by Rabindranath Tagore inspired me to pursue design and embodies my philosophy of work, “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”

CC: What message would you like to give to youngsters on management?

It’s important to find what works for you, there is no universal rule. Remember to compartmentalise your time and strike a balance between your personal and professional life. Find activities or techniques that help you stay grounded and centred. Most importantly do not entangle your entire identity and happiness to your profession, balance is vital.

CC: Lastly, can you define yourself in one sentence?

A creative person who is trying to make the world a better place, one little design change at a time.

TIPS TO MAINTAIN WORK-LIFE BALANCE:

• Schedule your life outside of your 9-5 work hours to self-nurturing activities.
• Always see life as the glass half full. This mindset helps you to be thankful for what you have got, stay positive and focus on achieving your goals by not getting distracted from little things that don’t happen your way.
• Have a growth mindset. Life doesn’t always go as planned. There are always things to learn from. Look at setbacks as opportunities to learn and do better next time.
• Do not overplan. Make sure you set realistic and achievable goals. I am guilty of biting off more than I can chew, and it can be emotionally draining and demotivating.
• It is impossible to make everyone happy, instead, prioritise maintaining a balance between your physical and mental well- being, your work, and your family.