GENERATION T

The co-founder of RIDE Jakarta shares her secrets on how to work things out with self-confidence while finding peace in both body and soul

Gita Sjahrir talks about breaking barriers in her life, and how to overcome them with her zany Zen attitude

Gita Sjahrir has been routinely exercising for the past 20 years. Along the way, she has learned a lot about herself and those around her through observation and reflection. This is why Gita wanted everyone to enjoy life and to feel the same way she does by building the first indoor cycling studio, RIDE Jakarta, which has now turned into R Fitness to include yoga, dance, and HIIT classes.

I believe that this world is full of competition.

A lot of people are competing with one another, but in my opinion, what we need is collaboration. When we collaborate and work together to build a better society in which we live, it’s the best way to move forward. I apply this in my business, with R Fitness collaborating with many lifestyle brands and other studios so we can expand the market rather than fighting for the same slice of pie.

If money were no object, I would still do what I am doing now.

I enjoy what I am doing because it matters to me. This is what purpose is, which is more than just a passion and more about striving towards a higher goal and meaning. Money and status should not be your goal because they will never be enough. Always learn from each other, share what you know, and be kind: these are my company’s values, and what I personally live by.

Be careful with your ego.

Know yourself well so you can handle your feelings. We need to understand what we want and what we need. Three things I do to make this happen are limiting my mobile phone use each day, meditating at least 5 to 10 minutes every day, and reading a lot. By doing these, I can control and respond to my feelings because not everything needs an instant reaction. Knowing oneself and being calm are the keys to achieving balance in life.

As an introvert, attending too many meetings in a day can be exhausting.

I have been in a position in which I pitched to 30 investors in a month, not to mention having six to seven meetings each day. I realised that I don’t like being too busy and when I stretch myself too thinly to do so, I start to lose myself. As such, I take time alone to balance everything out: to prioritise myself, my family, and my friends because that is my way of achieving happiness.