Rediscover your mojo – by wasting some time

Mojo

–      A quality that attracts people to you and makes you successful and full of energy: Cambridge Dictionary

–      To be able to find something you like doing, and to do it with passion, zeal, energy and enthusiasm: Urban Dictionary

For a few years now, I have been working with business and social leaders, young entrepreneurs, writers and artists and many others seeking to rediscover their mojo. The primary space for this work is Reflections, an offsite programme run at specific times of the year, usually in Uttarakhand. Many participants have benefitted and truly rediscovered their mojo.

This is the story of one such person who benefited from being a part of Reflections.

What would it mean to you if I said that Mamta Borgoyary (48), the CEO of FXB India Suraksha, an NGO that works across 9 states in the areas of livelihood, quality education, health and child rights, had lost her mojo? Just a word borrowed from early blues musicians or something else? Etymologically, the word mojo belongs to the Black American Hoodoo spiritual lexicon and is a bagful of charms that turns tricks to keep you going. Our Mamta in this story had turned tricks in her organisation, pulling it up from a deep slide to go on to create significant social impact across the country. Clearly Mamta had kept the organisational mojo working. But what about Mamta herself?

A full day and more

Mother to two teenage high school children, Mamta lives in Delhi NCR. Her husband John, also a development sector professional, is currently based in Guwahati and spends weekends in Delhi. As a leader, Mamta is inspiring, empathetic and purposeful. As a mother she is available, committed and a good friend. Like most others, Mamta has believed that office is office and home is home and that life is lived with this separation.

But apparently not. At a time when she was working with her leadership team to draw up plans for the future, something seemed amiss. On the surface all looked fine but she seemed to be lacking the spark and the enthusiasm. It was then that she realised that it had been like that for some time. That the task of leading an organisation and managing home as a single parent was beginning to overwhelm her.

Losing your Mojo

She, it would seem, had lost her mojo. This loss of mojo is something that maybe all of us have experienced. Very often we believe it is limited in its impact to either our business or personal life. In my work with organisation leaders, founders and young entrepreneurs, I have been struck by how the loss of mojo and its confusion with the popular narrative of ‘this is work’ or ‘this is personal’ prevents people from finding it back

So why did Mamta lose her mojo?

Mojo in the urban dictionary is the quality that fills us with energy, makes us more attractive to people and creates a virtuous cycle that makes us successful. It’s a bagful of invisible charms that one dips into to rejuvenate. However, where does one find that bag and how? Lets look at how Mamta found it back.

The Unpacking at Reflections

Over the past few years she had experienced a lot of success. Turnarounds are difficult and makes for heroes. They require inspirational leadership, planning and a lot of hard work. Mamta had immersed herself in the task and her team had rallied around her. Time flew by and FXB India turned the corner.

Around the same time, a great opportunity also came John’s way. He had the chance to work in his dream assignment. It required him to be away in the North East. The couple decided that they would do what it takes to make it work.

Mamta thought she had two separate issues – that the idea of once again leading the organisation through another process of change and growth was not appealing AND managing as a single parent while holding the job down was overwhelming.

As we spent time at Reflections talking through her challenges and unpacking them, Mamta realised that she really made no time for herself. In both her professional and personal spaces, she was always the ‘giver’ and ‘provider’. She delved deep into her psyche, thinking back to the time when she had enrolled for kathak classes, a dance form she loved and then given up as a waste of time, using the time instead for her family or work. ‘Dancing makes me very happy. I feel fulfilled from deep within. But I don’t have the time.’

Finding her Mojo

She realised that taking a few hours out each weekend was probably the ‘me thing’ that she needed. She made it back to weekend classes with her Guru.

Now her family makes sure that she does not miss her rehearsals because ‘when Mamta comes back from dancing, she is so alive and happy that we all feel very good.’ Today, FXB is chasing an ambitious goal and Mamta has just finished her third show on stage to resounding applause. Mamta has found her bag to dip into – a bagful of personal passion and a little wasting of time, to turn tricks in her own life.

Sanjeev Roy is the founder of Bullzi Inc. Amongst other things, he is a Coach and runs Reflections – a programme for leaders to reinvent, recharge and-re-energize themselves. By Finding the Best in themselves. 

The next Reflections programme is scheduled between the 8th and 11th of April, 2020. Write in if you too want to find your mojo. Read here for booking a seat.

An edited version of this article first appeared in the Mint on 21st January, 2019