Career Spotlight - How Mamta got on her bike and changed her life

In 2010 Mamta Prakash was unhappily in business with her husband, longing for freedom and new horizons.
She now has seven years of experience as a finance professional, advising non-profits on how to utilize financial information towards creating resilience and long-term sustainability. (Oh, and she is a really happy person.)

How did she do it?
Mamta's biggest lesson has nothing to do with networking or skill-building or going back to school. In fact, the thing that had the biggest impact on Mamta's success was a physical challenge: signing up for the NYC 5-boro Bike Ride.

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​​"I completed the full ride. I was exhausted but thrilled. I felt if I could accomplish that I could do anything in the world. And that confidence was darn important at the lowest point in my life. I think back and that was the most important part of my transition."
"I would advise other people to take up a challenge unrelated to their main journey and make it happen. The courage and confidence will buoy them."
In order to train for this ride, Mamta did several key things that changed the trajectory of her entire life and allowed shifts to happen in her career.

• She signed up for the bike ride with friends. Mamta knew she needed lots of support during this time of big transition so she made sure her friends were there when she needed them at the bike race and beyond. (SUPPORT)
• She didn't let her lack of experience stop her. She dove in. (RISK-TAKING)
• She didn't let her lack of fitness stop her. She committed to riding every day and upping her yoga practice to 4-5 days a week. (COMMITMENT)
• She showed resilience at several points during the race when she was separated from her friends, got stuck due to congestion and had to walk her bike uphill on some stretches. Once she was in the race, she kept going. (RESILIENCE)

What will you do?
You may not take on a physical challenge like Mamta did, but what will you do?
While navigating my own career change, I took improv classes. I found a support network of really fun friends, took risks in every single class, committed to performing in a few shows and got back up out of my chair even after totally freezing up.
It turns out that improv is what fueled my ability to be a really good coach. It taught me how to be in the moment and respond with curiosity to whatever my clients bring.
Take a moment now to brainstorm a list of 10 non-professional challenges you can take on within the next 90 days. And check in with the following questions:

• What support do I need to take on and stick with this challenge?
• What is the risk I'm taking? And what is the potential payoff?
• How will I stay committed?
• How will I cultivate resilience and walk my bike uphill when needed?

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