Have you ever connected your dots? It is useful to understand what decisions, thoughts and moments brought you to right now. How did I end up here?
Over the last couple of years, I have looked back and reflected on key decisions I have made and how they affected the direction of my life. It’s a fascinating exercise. Even more so, if you can be fearless in examining why you have chosen to do something.
This can help you understand why you choose some things over others. It also lets you know more about what you value and what you are attracted to.
One pivotal moment, I recall, was being 19 and walking to a university lecture in Ottawa, Canada. I saw a flyer on the stairs and picked it up. It was about travelling to various destinations around the world. A minute later I had reached my class and finished reading the parts that interested me the most.
I sat down and turned to my friend Kevin. I declared that I would finish the term and then take a year off to travel around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Excited, I studied, planned and worked to make and save money. Several months later I was on a jet headed to Auckland.
‘How did I end up here?’, I thought.
But actually, I knew.