How to Take a Year Off and Balance Your Life with Vikram Seth

By day, Vikram Seth is a Senior Economist working on renewable energy at Shell. By night, he is the co-founder of Bounce Bhangra, an award winning combination of high energy cardio and Indian dance. And at heart, Vikram is a philosopher. Someone who spends much of his time thinking deeply about life and the meaning of it all. In this episode we talk about how Vikram has cultivated balance between a demanding career (working for one of the largest corporations in the world), his personal passions, and his spiritual side.

Episode notes

In this episode we talk about:

“The Great Resignation” happening now. Why are workers quitting jobs?
What is a sabbatical?
What forced Vikram to re-evaluate his life and confront his own mortality
How do you arrange a sabbatical with your boss?
The two things you need to do before you can ask for extended time off
“Hunting like a lion” at work
Managing your schedule and your energy to do your best creative work
How to play to your strengths and gain leverage in negotiations at work
So you’ve arranged a year off… now what? How should you use that time?
A fateful first stop in Dubai, leaning in to serendipity and where it leads
What a 10 day Vipassana silent meditation retreat teaches you
How to get out of your head and back into your body
Eastern vs Western views of time. “Transcend and include”
Zooming out to see the “upward Spiral Graph”
What is Hindu philosophy, once you strip away all the mythology?
Mysticism and the power of direct experience
Consensus mechanisms and why crypto gives Vikram hope for humanity

Links to Resources and Other Books Mentioned: