Breaking the mold: Life lessons on imperfection, defining impact and self-care
Round Award recipient, Bosky Mukherjee, shares how she is breaking the rules and crafting her well-rounded life.
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Today, I've got a Roundy Award winner story that'll tug at your heartstrings and inspire you to look at success in a whole new light.
Meet Bosky Mukherjee, a remarkable woman who received a Roundy Award.
In her nomination she wrote:
I am a mom to a 8 year old who has gone through 3 open heart surgeries. I have had PTSD and severe burnout that was life-threatening in 2019. Many of these events in my life made me make a number of life changes and also changed my view on work, life, and parenthood. I am an entrepreneur and I started my business called PMDojo in 2019 where I support people from all walks of life and different learning styles to advance their Product Management and UX careers by giving them real-world experience, mentorship, and career support.
I love The Roundy Award initiative as stories of people in our community serve to uplift and inspire others.
After reading that, how could I not want to talk to her and learn more about her story?!
Over a Zoom call, Bosky opened up about her challenges – her son's health struggles, her own battles, and the shifts in her mindset and values over the years. What emerged from those challenges is a life that’s beautifully imperfect, consciously crafted, and deeply inspiring.
Here is how Bosky is breaking the rules and creating her well-rounded life.
Learning self-care is not just about a weekly bubble bath or yoga session
There was a time when Bosky didn’t even make it onto her own priority list.
Work and family took center stage, leaving her with little time for herself. She was in the fast lane, chasing money and titles, breaking the glass ceiling until life threw a curveball – her son was born with a heart condition that required multiple surgeries and demanded her full attention.
Bosky didn’t feel daunted, in fact she prided herself in overworking. “I pushed myself so much towards the edge because I used to wear this badge of ‘Bosky works the hardest’”. And I think that became my identity.”, she shared.
The stress of balancing a demanding job with her son’s health reached a breaking point.
A pivotal moment came one day when Bosky was running fumes and lost her temper with her son. In response to her anger, Bosky’s son asked, “Mommy, do you love me less because of my scar?”.
It was this heartbreaking question that flipped a switch in Bosky. “My son’s question made me realize that my lack of self care was causing me to be angry and impatient.” She realized that taking care of herself wasn’t selfish; it was essential to be the person she wanted to be for her family. And to get to the place she wanted to be, she would need to set boundaries, listen to her body and learn to say no.
Now, Bosky is okay with canceling meetings to go for a walk or communicating what she is feeling in an effort to regulate her emotions and energy level. She is practicing Real Self-Care (as in the stuff Dr. Pooja Lakshmin talks so eloquently about)
Bosky is perfectly okay being imperfect
Bosky's life isn’t about climbing the corporate ladder or crafting Instagram-perfect moments.
Growing up as an immigrant, she witnessed her parents' hard work for a better life, instilling in her a drive for stability and financial independence. However, the challenges with her son made her realize the importance of embracing imperfection.
“I’m not going to kill myself trying to have the cleanest house, the perfect dinner, the perfect birthday parties,” she wisely shared. Instead, her focus shifted to being a decent mom, acknowledging that perfection isn’t the goal; love, understanding, and presence are.
“I know I'm never going to be perfect but I don't ever want my son to feel that he doesn't have a place in my life or my heart,” Bosky confided, her words carrying the weight of experience.
Redefining impact to be small and meaningful
Bosky isn’t out to solve world hunger or the climate crisis.
She let go of the idea that impact only means solving global challenges. Instead, her satisfaction stems from micro-interactions – conversations with her son that lead to new discoveries or subtle shifts in the people she works with.
In a world obsessed with grand gestures and monumental impacts, Bosky finds fulfillment and purpose in the smaller, everyday moments.
Bosky is one of those people who is challenging the norms of what a so-called “successful life” looks like.
Instead, she is consciously crafting her life and tailoring her ambitions, values and decisions to her own needs and desires.
She is through and through a Roundy.
Know someone like Bosky that you want to recognize with a Roundy Award?
As I absorb Bosky’s story, I think about:
What does success mean to me?
In what ways am I okay to be imperfect?
How does this change the career and caregiving choices I make?
What does her story make you think about? Share in the comments below.
Till next time, keep well.
✌️
J
P.S. I’m prioritizing shipping over perfection, so this post may not convey all my thoughts perfectly. I’d love comments or questions to keep the discovery going.
P.P.S. With thanks, as always, to my Junior Associate, ChatGPT-3.