I coach high performers on creating a life of ease and enjoyment, without sacrificing ambition.
Your Life Situation
You’ve accomplished impressive things on paper, but are noticing an emptiness to the success. You’re overhwhelmed or tired out from performing at such a high level, but also don’t want to give up your ambition in order to live a life that feels good.
My Coaching is for you if:
- Your definition of success is defined by others (society or your parents), and you are motivated to define it on your terms
- You seek to pursue your ambition in a sustainable way
- You want to make important career or life decisions thoughtfully, without ruining the success you’ve worked so hard to build
- You’re ready to start making changes, but don’t know where to start
Testimonials
My clients include people working at places like OpenAI, Tesla, +more, and building companies backed by investors such as Y Combinator, a16z, Khosla Ventures, +more.
“When I first started coaching with Aatik, I knew something had to change in my life, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Aatik helped me develop my self-awareness from scratch by asking precise questions getting to the root of my struggle. He has a deep level of care, intentionality and curiosity in me and my journey that I’ve never experienced with other coaches. Coming out of our engagement, I underwent a substantial career transformation, one rooted in my own definition of success and prioritizing enjoyment.“
— Ankur B. (Founder)
“Aatik has not only helped me become the best version of myself but also guided me to uncover my true values and align them with my career goals. Aatik helped me realize my over-optimization in my career was counterproductive. This changed everything for me. Since embracing this newfound clarity, I’ve been living every day with enjoyment, and I’ve been extremely productive as a result. It’s an incredible feeling.“
— Alec N. (Software Engineer)
“With Aatik’s guidance, I reclaimed my energy and channelled it into projects that genuinely resonate with me. Unlike most people, I felt like he was able to see through my lens. He genuinely listens and asks pinpoint questions that trigger reflection. Working with Aatik helped me zero in on what matters most to me, build a clear action plan, and follow through. My career which used to make me feel lost and anxious now feels exciting to me, without needing to rush it and without compromising my performance.“
— Shaan M. (Management Consultant & Founder)
“I was introduced to Aatik during a point in my life where I was facing major crossroads. Aatik helped me question myself and understand what my priorities are and what I want my focus to be. There was a lot of extra noise like doubt and anxiety in me he helped cut through which gave me the clarity I needed. His insight and wisdom were transformative for me.”
— Isra K. (Program Manager)
“I found myself with an excitement for my sessions with Aatik and felt compelled to take action afterwards. He has a depth of experience as a meditator, which shows with how he created space for all the fear I was resisting or unaware of, to rise to the surface and help me make big decisions in my careeer. Getting clear on what I need and want is an invaluable investment I would do over again. For now, I’m busy living fully, thanks to my work with Aatik.“
— Luke M. (Founder)
Book a chat.
My Approach
Most coaching approaches exist at two opposite sides of the spectrum, either solely enhancing work performance despite the consequences on the rest of your life, or get you to ditch your ambition so you can rest up.
I offer a third option, where you don’t have to struggle through life, nor escape it. The middle-path of integration, where the various parts of yourself when operating in harmony produce a value greater than the sum of the parts.
I’ve been told I’m equal parts compassionate and intense. I care to deeply understand you while simultaneously holding you to the highest standard you’ve set for yourself.
My Core Philosophies
Some concepts that have emerged directly from coaching previous clients:
- Agency Within Ambiguity: The power to make intentional choices and maintain control over your responses, even when the future is uncertain and the path ahead is unclear.
- Energy Optimization Over Time Management: Recognizing that everything is either energy restoration or energy utilization, and that managing your energy is more important than managing your time.
- Enoughness: Understanding when you have sufficient resources, achievements, or effort, and recognizing that you are worthy as you are without constantly needing more.
- The Wise Self vs Inner Child: Accessing your mature, thoughtful self to make decisions rather than letting your reactive, conditioned inner child drive your choices.
- Service Through Presence: Being fully present and in service to others paradoxically energizes you more than self-absorption, creating positive-sum relationships.
- Consequences Over Obligations: Recognizing that you always have choices – you’re simply choosing based on which consequences you’re willing to accept, not because you’re truly obligated.
- High Standards on Input, Not Output: Focusing on the quality of your process and effort rather than tying your self-worth to outcomes you can’t fully control.
The Structure
We begin with an intro call (book here), where we both test out what it might look like to work together.
We decide on the frequency of sessions and duration of working together based on your specific set of needs and goals
The coaching offering is includes:
- Coaching sessions (biweekly or a cadence we decide on together);
- Asynchronous coaching between sessions.
The asynchronous coaching is entirely client-led; some engage deeply between sessions, seeking to be challenged, sometimes to the level of a few four-minute voice notes per day during a critical time in their lives. Others don’t use the async support and focus all their energy into our sessions.
Why Aatik?
I’ve honoured each unique chapter in my life, proven by my track record of intentional pivots over the past decade. I’ve left high-status careers to focus on one that makes me the best version of myself, to maximize joy but also to maximize my service for others. I’ve taken pay cuts to teach in public schools and coach incarcerated Indigenous people to reintegrate into society. I then took my craft to the highest level, only to take an 8-month sabbatical once my first child was born to focus on the most important thing.
My experimental approach to life is highly effective for our increasingly uncertain world. I first unlearn self-limiting beliefs and stories through meditation. Then I formulate hypotheses based on my attunement to what’s going on inside of me and what reality is demanding of me in this current chapter. I run experiments (take actions) and iterate (gather insights) on each experiment, leading me to a life that is authentic to m and is aligned to my current circumstances.
I’ve dedicated my past decade to cultivating the most precious resource of our time: attention. As any good student does, I’ve not only studied meditation and philosophy for the last ten years, I’ve applied my knowledge every single day: original Stoic texts (mostly Seneca), tons of East Asian philosophy (Krishnamurti, Buddha, Suzuki, Trungpa), and integrated modern teachers’ tools from the likes of Tim Ferriss, Byron Katie, and Julia Cameron, among others. I’m now here to share what I’ve painstakingly curated during my adulthood thus far.
If you’re resonating with what you’ve read, I’m sure we’ll enjoy a short chat getting to know each other.