Lately I’ve been thinking about how everything seemed to fall into place. Not just work, but everything else too. Finances, relationships, freedom, the ability to absorb a hit without everything falling apart. It didn’t happen all at once, but it sort of felt like it did.
If I look back, I can see the build-up. In 2015 I wanted to work in Big Tech after my son graduated. By 2017 that shifted. I wanted to lead cloud-native projects in consulting. I didn’t make a big plan or announce it to anyone, but I kept moving that way. I updated my resume regularly. I wrote up accomplishments even when I didn’t think I’d need them. I said no to things that didn’t feel right, even when I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for.
And then things started to happen. A recruiter reached out at the right time. I got a new job quickly when I needed one. Another opportunity showed up before I even realized I’d need to take it. It felt like timing, like chance, like luck.
But I don’t think it was just that. I think it was the result of moving in the same direction for a long time without losing the thread. Of staying ready without being desperate. Of building quietly even when no one was watching.
It’s a strange feeling. Landing in the place you’ve been heading for. It doesn’t always feel like you thought it would. There wasn’t some big moment. There was just a kind of quiet. A sense that the system I built was finally holding.
I’m not sure I can explain it better than that. I don’t even know if I fully understand it myself. But I know I didn’t get here by accident.
