Work-Life Harmony

Komal Ahmad

03.11.20

Komal Ahmad founded Copia, a business with a noble mission: end world hunger. It's been easy to become absorbed by it -- to let her life be defined by her work. But she is starting to appreciate the need for a life with broader interests, maybe not work/life balance, but work/life harmony.

Work-Life Harmony

Summary:

Komal Ahmad founded Copia, a business with a noble mission: end world hunger. It’s been easy to become absorbed by it — to let her life be defined by her work. But she is starting to appreciate the need for a life with broader interests, maybe not work/life balance, but work/life harmony.

Single-minded focus is OK — but not without a break. Komal shares some insights with Thuy about what she’s been learning lately about the need for variety in life.

Komal_Ahmad

Komal Ahmad

I think I've learned a lot this year particularly of just the fact that this can't also be my entire life. That I also do need to have fun. That I also do need to sleep. I also do need to you know work out and and spend time with friends. I think that you know so often when you become so absorbed and what you're doing and you believe in it so with every fiber of your being it just kind of takes over and this is my first and longest lasting love so I know that it has that capability and it's okay. I don't necessarily believe in work-life balance.

Thuy

Why do you say that?
Komal_Ahmad

Komal Ahmad

Because I think it's more work life harmony that you have to develop instead of balance I think balance implies 50/50 and I think that there are times where life or your family requires more of your immediate attention and I'm also okay with Copia taking most of my brain space it's just when it takes all of it I think it becomes a bit dangerous to have your entire identity tied to you know one organization or one cause or I think that you know Copia is bigger than bigger than me of course but I am also bigger and separate from it and I think that that's an important distinction to remember.

Thuy

So what do you do for fun then just to have that separation?
Komal_Ahmad

Komal Ahmad

I go boxing. Yeah. I like to punch into things. No yes, I like going boxing.

Thuy

Getting out some of that tension some of that stress.
Komal_Ahmad

Komal Ahmad

Oh yeah, absolutely the number of faces I imagine. Yeah, so I go boxing. I like to go hiking I try to go and you know in into or in front of a body of water at least once a week I think that has a ability to really calm me and soothe me and kind of reset my my entire system ahead of the following week. I also am very fortunate to have a you know really incredible family that I can turn to and having friends who love me because I'm Komal not because I'm the founder and CEO of Copia like they wanted to be successful because they want me to be successful but they don't necessarily care about the organization as much as they care about me and I think that having people to remind you that you're loved and you are stronger than you know I think that is also probably a very nurturing and nourishing.

Thuy

And needed.
Komal_Ahmad

Komal Ahmad

And needed critical part of it.
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