Karan Bajaj is a #1 bestselling Indian novelist with more than 200,000 copies of his novels in print, both optioned into major films. Karan’s first worldwide novel, The Yoga of Max’s Discontent, was released in May. The book, called “The greatest adventure of our Generation” by The Daily Telegraph was inspired by Karan’s one year sabbatical traveling from Europe to India by road and learning yoga and meditation in the Himalayas.

Karan has also worked in senior executive roles at companies like Procter & Gamble and the Boston Consulting Group and was named among Ad Age’s “Top 40 Under 40 executives” in the US.

Over the last decade, Karan has lived by the following model: Four years of extreme goal-directed living—working at his corporate job, disciplined reading/ writing/ researching etc. followed by a one year sabbatical where he travels without a goal, allows himself the space to just be, and discover facets of himself without the constant hankering to become.

“I have this year in which I’m completely free. In that freedom, things come to me. Innate tendencies start to reveal themselves.”

In This Episode:

  • Growing up in foothills of the Himalayas
  • Value of an individual vs. community in different cultures
  • The meaning of “Dharma”
  • The 4-1-4 model
  • Purpose behind taking a year long sabbatical
  • The misconception of space in the Western World
  • Why his employers have been ok with him taking a year long sabbatical
  • How to determine when the right time is for taking this journey
  • The tangible return of a sabbatical
  • Why he doesn’t feel a burden to be perfect
  • The difference between becoming better and revealing yourself

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