I was the college student who always learnt things not taught inside the classroom and managed to get decent grades by opening the textbook two days prior to the exam. My curious mind always used to wander and it was comforting to have the leash of time in my hand. Then, corporate happened and you know what followed!

Juggling from codebases to test cases, standup calls to KTs, I started to lose hold of the leash, making me anxious. Although, I was progressing in my career, I was not able to feed my curious soul and it was eating me from inside. I had to somehow sharpen the blurred lines between my personal and professional growth. I realised both of these are not the same.

People often settle with the professional tag they carry in their workplace, ready to compromise with their own identity outside the organisation. Although this does fetch you bread and butter, the professional authority and all other happiness but you stop growing otherwise. You find yourself in the constant loop of running after the scheduled meetings to validate that you're still progressing.

While personal growth gives me much greater joy because no one's feedback matters and personal goals are nobody's but mine goals, professional and personal growth need not be two independent entities. You can put to action personal learnings at the professional front and use your professional work to grow personally as well. They do intersect.

Personal growth for me has acted as a catalyst for my overall career. It has helped me make a presence in the community, gave me confidence to put forward my viewpoint, and the courage to share my learnings to the world. Balancing the two, while not overcommitting will nurture you in ways never imagined.