Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
We all want to find our purpose—yet nobody ever teaches us how. We grow up comparing ourselves to others, assuming they’ve got it all figured out, while we’re the ones stuck in limbo. Truth is, most of us feel just as lost. In fact, up to 90% of people struggle with “purpose anxiety,” the unsettling feeling of not having a clear life direction. ...
If you asked me 30 years ago whether I felt wealthy in time, I would have laughed. Back then, I was working 60–90 hours a week in consulting, often late into the night and on weekends. I still remember my very first business trip with McKinsey. I was thrilled to be flying from Hong Kong to Beijing, imagining sightseeing and soaking in the city. Instead, I spent nearly the entire trip inside the hotel, working from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. on client interviews and decks. I barely saw the city at all. That early experience set the tone: my time wasn’t mine. My schedule belonged to clients, managers, and deadlines. ...
If someone asked you right now, “Are you wealthy?”—what would you think of first?
For most of my life, I would have thought about this question from a monetary standpoint: Is my salary, savings, and investments enough to give us financial security? Growing up, that was the only kind of wealth I understood. ...
I used to think meditation was a waste of time—and definitely not for someone like me. When I felt overwhelmed, I’d run, dance, or work out. Sweating it out always helped reset my mood. Sitting still? Focusing on my breath while my brain bounced between to-do lists and worries? No thanks.
But eventually, I realized something: while workouts helped in the moment, they didn’t create lasting calm. And in stressful work situations, I couldn’t exactly run out the door for a jog. I needed a way to reset in the moment. ...
It’s been about 2.5 months since I left full-time work. You’d think I’d be sleeping in, sipping tea, and enjoying the freedom I worked nearly three decades for. And some days, I am. But more often than not, I find myself restless—stirring in the quiet, confronted by thoughts I had long buried under deadlines and meetings. ...
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on something I didn’t expect to be thinking about so much after leaving full-time work: contentment. Not success. Not achievement. Just contentment. For years, I chased financial goals believing that once I hit certain milestones, I’d finally feel “good.” Safe. Satisfied. And sure, money brings options and peace of mind—but it doesn’t automatically bring ease. It doesn’t create that deeper sense of being okay with yourself and your life. ...
It’s been two weeks since I officially said farewell to full-time work. You would think I’d be living the dream right now — waking up whenever I want, traveling the world, feeling nothing but freedom. After all, I worked 28 years for this. And yet, reality looks a little different.
The weirdest part? I’m actually having trouble sleeping. I use to sleep soundly for at least 7-8 hours. Now I find myself waking up at 5 or 6 am, thinking. It’s like my brain is floating around, searching for a new anchor now that the old one — work — is gone. Yes, financial freedom means I can have vocational freedom now – work with who I want, how I want, and on what I want. But what is that? I have some ideas but nothing concrete. Freedom sounds amazing in theory, but in practice? It’s a lot. ...