
Finding clarity in chaos
“The campus is so beautiful when you have no people around,” a friend remarked on the night of our final exam. We had gathered for an event in the lounge of one of HBS’ dorms, bidding farewell to each other and looking forward to much-anticipated travel plans or family time. While everyone seemed excited about the break, I couldn’t help but feel wistful. I wasn’t going to visit family this time, and the so-called “break” felt more like an extension of the RC semester — a period filled with recruitment interviews and the anxious energy they bring.
However, what unfolded during the break was something deeply introspective.
The RC semester at HBS felt like living a lifetime compressed into four months. It wasn’t just a cultural shift — after all, as I often say, “My first day at HBS was also my first day in the U.S.” — but also an intense whirlwind of academic, professional, and social experiences. I had never been immersed in such a dynamic environment for so long. Every moment felt like a race against time, whether it was completing an assignment due at 8 a.m. Monday, wrapping up an internship task by midnight the prior Sunday, attending a recruitment networking event, participating in a club meeting, or showing up for a section social. For an introvert in a new country with no familiar faces around, this was anything but easy. Yet, the hustle — and the support of my friends and the HBS community — made it all worthwhile.
When I returned to my room after completing my last exam, with no travel plans and only a few interviews on the horizon, I felt an immense weight lift off my shoulders. The grind was over — for the moment. However, in the next couple days, I slipped back into a routine of interview prep, mock sessions with ECs, and endless to-dos.
Then, just a couple of days into the break, Boston witnessed its first snowstorm of the winter. That morning, I woke up to a campus transformed into serene stillness, with everything cloaked in a soft blanket of snow. I bundled up in layers and ventured outside, and that’s when my friend’s remark hit home. My footsteps crunched against powdery paths, the air crisp and invigorating. The campus, so often alive with energy, seemed to have paused in quiet reflection, offering a rare moment of calm. It felt as if nature had wrapped the world — and my mind — in a comforting stillness, inviting me to pause and reflect, something I hadn’t allowed myself to do in months.
Amid this serene pause, a podcast I listened to sparked further introspection. It featured the founders of a company I had previously worked at reflecting on how their work aligned with their purpose, giving them a reason to wake up every day excited to do what they love. They had found their ikigai — which, for the uninitiated, means the intersection of profession (what you’re good at), passion (what you love), mission (what the world needs), and vocation (what you can be paid for). Their journey was deeply inspiring, but it also stirred a sense of restlessness within me. While I was clear about my near-term priorities, I wondered if — and when — I’d reach that stage of clarity in my life. What would my ikigai look like? The uncertainty of the job market only added fuel to the fire.
Finding peace amid this restlessness took effort. It required moments of introspection about my professional journey and conversations with close friends and family. As I reflected, I realized this wasn’t my first encounter with uncertainty. During my undergrad, the professional path I had visualized for myself didn’t unfold the way I had planned. I ended up on an entirely different trajectory, but a few years later, I reached the milestone I had originally set out to achieve. That detour taught me a powerful lesson: clarity often comes from the journey itself, even when it doesn’t go as planned.
This realization led me to face this uncertainty with a mindset and approach the 20-year-old me had subconsciously followed. First, define what truly matters to you and why. Second, set meaningful goals — both personal and professional — and focus on the factors you can control, like upskilling and surrounding yourself with the right people. Finally, embrace the unexpected while giving your best to take steps in the direction of the set goal. Unforeseen paths may feel daunting, but the intention and purpose behind your goals will guide you to your destination, even if the journey looks nothing like what you envisioned.
Around this time last year, I was navigating business school applications with no idea which part of the world I’d find myself in a year later. Little did I imagine that I’d be sitting in my dream B-school, reflecting on how to embrace the uncertainties life throws my way. Today, as this restful break comes to an end, I find myself on yet another unplanned path, different from what I had once visualized. But I’m learning to lean into the discomfort of the unknown, knowing that the lessons I’ve learned will help me navigate this journey.
As I step into this next chapter, I’m choosing to trust the process — focusing on what I can control and welcoming the twists and turns of an uncharted path. For now, I’ll embrace the uncertainty, trusting that each step — no matter how unexpected — will lead me closer to my ikigai and the clarity I seek.

Palak Raheja (MBA ’26) is originally from Lucknow, India. She graduated from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, with degrees in Statistics and Economics. Prior to HBS, she worked at Bain India, and in the Indian consumer and health-tech start-up ecosystem. In her free time, she can be found reading, running, or watching movies.
コメント