Fast company logo
|
advertisement

PREMIUM

How Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar Keeps Her Future Self On Track

“Whatever the opposite of FOMO is, I have that.”

How Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar Keeps Her Future Self On Track

Dona Sarkar, author, fashion designer, blogger, and head of Windows Insider Program at Microsoft [Photo: Ramona Rosales]

BY Elizabeth Segran2 minute read

I believe that your dreams and your day job can coexist. I always have at least four projects going on at the same time, and I switch frequently between them. If I’m struggling to work on a project for Windows Insiders, I’ll write a chapter of a nonfiction book I am writing, or I’ll sketch something from my fashion line, or I’ll watch a short [tutorial] video.

If I have a pocket of time—seven minutes or 20 minutes—I set my timer and do a work sprint. You can whip off 10 emails or five ideas in five minutes. If I have seven minutes to write a document, I will finish it: It may not be the best document in the world, but all the bones will be down, enough to the point that I can share it with someone and ask them what they think of the overall framework.

I don’t put all my emotional eggs in one basket. I’ve never had a bad day in my life because I can always go and do something that means a lot to me, and that I have invested a lot in, and that is within my control.

Whatever the opposite of FOMO is, I have that. I am too busy living my life to worry about what other people are doing.

advertisement
ModernCEO Newsletter logo
A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Privacy Policy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Segran, Ph.D., is a senior staff writer at Fast Company. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts More


Explore Topics