New horizont, old projects.

Writing this letter wasn’t on my to-do list for today. Actually, nothing was on my to-do list for today. I banned those lists a few months ago, in favour of quarterly goals, monthly projects, and weekly tasks. Nothing too sexy.

Yet, today I’ve got the feeling it’s the right time to set themes and targets for 2025. During the process, I’ve figured out I’d like to re-launch two projects. And this is one of them.

My career didn’t go through any major shift or breakthrough last year. Quite the opposite: I’ve shut down everything around myself, didn’t work for a full quarter, took a job I could work blindfolded, and focused on my studies and some private matters.

Not so a popular decision, one might argue.

Am I throwing away everything I worked for? All the sleepless nights, and numerous sacrifices? Just to do nothing, and to go nowhere. A wasted year, that could cost me a lot in the long run.

The rabbit race we’re living in got me into believing a lot of things. One thing, that got me on a highly destructive overworking path, is that if I get there faster it’ll be better.

About this time last year, more or less, I’ve realized I don’t know where is that specific “there” nor what “better” stands for. What’s the next chapter for me, and my career? I was just blank, numb and quite depressed. I was actually furious, angry and lost, but that’s a story for a therapy session.

The digestible thoughts are, however, displayed in this letter from last January.

To live is to work

Fast forward — I did some quiet time, some travelling, and a lot of restructuring. By the last quarter I’ve opened for new paths, and opportunities started coming in. Not flooding, like it might be advertised. But one by one.

I got opportunities to work on projects for UNICEF and PwC. I’ve been challenged to mentor some youngsters and to participate in quite a few projects.

This quarter I’m doing a monthly pause again, plus I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter.

And it got me, just today, that I knew all along where I wanted my career to go, I just didn’t dare to acknowledge it.

So it turns out that pushing that pause button can get you much further than pushing yourself through.

Grind or die is not my motto anymore. (I still love the song, tho)

In light of rediscovering the path, this (un)happy flow is continuing after a major debugging process.

I’m still on with my initial idea:

Welcome to (un)happy flow

When it comes to the format expect a little bit of everything - stories, conversation, interviews, books or podcast recommendations…

Let’s commit to monthly lunches in 2025. 🥂

Love,

B.