Justyna Kucharska, Psychologist, Educator, Lecturer, JK Elate
Dr Justyna Kucharska is a psychologist, researcher, and academic lecturer. She is passionate about the science of well-being and personal effectiveness. In her classes, Justyna shares evidence-based techniques that allow us to "hack" our thinking, emotions, and behaviour, thus improving our lives quality.
Apart from working in academia, she has trained and coached business leaders and professionals to help them develop their soft skills. Originally from Poland, Justyna has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, where she taught at the Queen Mary University of London and the University of Westminster.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
LinkedIn allows for better-quality conversations than other platforms. Also, I often find great things to read there - many people share really interesting articles.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I'm a psychologist; I work as a university lecturer. I also design and deliver well-being interventions for businesses and individuals. Finally, as a trainer and coach, I help people develop their soft skills.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
The geeky part of my job is reading research articles from the areas of psychology and neuroscience. I do my best to base my work on science, and the perk is that I get to learn new things all the time.
My second favourite thing is connecting with people - I love working with individuals and small groups.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Focus on the things you can control. I used to waste a lot of time and got frustrated over things outside my control. It certainly helps to recognise that many things in life are beyond our control and save energy for actions that truly matter.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
A certain degree of independence and freedom helps, knowing that I can choose which project to pursue and how to go about it. It really gives a great sense of agency, which is always a great thing. I am inspired by all things beautiful: books, music, and nature.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
The courage the quit a steady job in academia and work on my project, JK Elate.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I have to say in-person, especially after the two years of the pandemic. I prefer situations that allow for longer and more meaningful interactions. I'm quite introverted, and I hate small talk!
Networking events where you can meet many new people - on a fairly superficial level - drain my battery.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I learn fast - this includes learning from my mistakes. In general, I am able to adapt to new situations quite well.
Persistence - this one's obvious.
Openness to try new things and to go into the unknown - I didn't always choose the obvious path; my career path has been quite "weird". While this can be a liability, I learned an enormous amount of things on my weird, crooked path. And it took me to places I couldn't have imagined.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That I will fail (over and over again) - and that's ok because everyone else does too.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I was recently in a hospital and was truly moved by the dedication and concern shown by some of the nurses. It's such a difficult job, and I don't know if I would be able to do it with the same level of integrity.
It's so difficult to choose one person. Also, admire people usually don't feature on the covers of magazines! So, I suppose it's mainly people who are trying to go through life with honesty and integrity, trying to help others as much as they can.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I meditate a lot. I love hiking and spending time in nature. I read a lot and wish I had more time to do it.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
A fair amount of my work moved online, and I loved it. I liked the flexibility, the lack of commute, and not having to wear shoes. Obviously, this was a very stressful time of uncertainty and unprecedented change in our lives. I was very lucky because the pandemic didn't affect me as much as other people.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I've had some great formal and informal mentors. Some people probably didn't even realise they were my mentors! There were times in my life when I was trying to figure things out on my own - there is a great value in that, but often you end up trying to reinvent the wheel.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Surround yourself with people who are wiser than you.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Quite often, people take things personally. When they don't get that interview, or their business is not immediately successful, they assume that it's somehow a verdict about them as a person. But, so many factors contribute to our success and failure. It's so important to see the bigger picture.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Do well on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them." - Markus Aurelius.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
I think it's healthy to be critical of companies and keep them accountable. However, I don't think any company or brand gets it entirely right or wrong - it's all about constantly working to improve your culture and the impact you make.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Everyone has their own definition. It's good to listen to others, but at some point, we all have to find what success is to us. I remember someone saying it's a real tragedy to climb to the top of the ladder only to find out it's propped against the wrong wall.
It can take years before we figure out what successful life is to us. To make things worse, this idea of success can change over time.