Few have a bigger presence on Harvard's campus than PK. This shouldn't be surprising because, as we uncover in our conversation, building a community is always top of mind wherever he is. There are some people who just have a knack for making a connection upon first meeting, and that's PK. His positivity was contagious the moment I met him our freshman year in Annenberg dining hall.
On campus, PK studies Applied Math - Biology (and is headed to medical school next year!), manages the Men's Tennis Team (although some mistake him for a player - that's how involved and dedicated he is...), serves as a peer advisor for first year students, and can be found in the front row of any student section at athletic events. With that said, in our conversation, we spend less time on what PK does and more time investigating how he goes about his business.
He thinks about school and his grades in a particularly interesting way - focusing on the relationships he creates along the way as much as he does as the grade. In an environment full of high-achieving individuals always striving for marginal gains in their final grade, at the expense of their well-being, PK is an example of someone who has proven you can invest in both your grades and your relationships.
While he is no doubt a master connector and full of positivity, PK gets vulnerable and shares the tactics he uses to feel better on days he's feeling a little off. And you guessed it, it comes back to spending quality time with those he's closest with.
PK also describes a journaling exercise he uses in moments of stress that he learned from the tennis team's mental skills coach called scripting. After writing three things he is grateful for (backed by solid scientific research), he first describes the challenge ahead of him as simply as he can and then outlines a game plan. PK has found that the roadmap to overcome his obstacle is what helps him remain grounded and less caught up in the million of variables in whatever academic or social stress he's facing. While this might sound obvious and simple, I have also found it to be incredibly powerful to see what it is you so fear down on paper. It's amazing the power my stressors lose once I objectively assess them for what they are - stripped of all the emotional reactions, fears, and rumination associated with them.
And what mindset fuels him through it all? The mantra, "1% Better." At the end, PK describes how this mindset not only defends himself from feeling discouraged when things aren't perfect, but also reminds him how he has the power to positively impact the lives of those around him - even if it is just by 1%. This is a new spin on a phrase I've liked for awhile and an interpretation I'll be adopting. I've always thought of this mantra in terms of the Japanese term "kaizen," setting strong habits a la James Clear, or making marginal gains like that of the British National Cycling Team but PK's interpretation is different and, unsurprisingly, inspired by improving the lives of those around him.
SHOW NOTES: https://therangeproject.weebly.com/episodes.html
CONNECT: Instagram @chris_mcg12, @_pkumar
