From desk bound to purpose driven

Years ago, I sat at a desk twelve floors up, gazing out at a beautiful London skyline. It was a moment in a career I had built with dedication. I was surrounded by a team I respected and milestones I was genuinely proud of. And yet, beneath that sense of accomplishment was a whisper that something was missing. This wasn’t the story I thought I’d be living. In fact, I’d never really had a script for my career at all.

I wasn’t one of those people who always knew they wanted to be a doctor or a teacher. I loved reading, so I studied English literature. I did well at what I tried, but I never had that single north star guiding me to a specific profession. And one evening, after a 12-hour day at my desk, I found myself calculating how many months until retirement—397 months. That was my wake-up call.

In that moment, I realized I didn’t want to spend the next decades feeling like I was living someone else’s script. I wanted to find my own path, one where I could wake up with a sense of purpose and joy. And so I began to ask myself not just what I could do, but what I loved to do.

I wrote down a list of skills I had. This included business analysis, service delivery, report writing. I was uninspired. Then I asked a different question: what do I love doing? Coaching, writing, training, and leading emerged from that question. I continued to sit on that beautiful beach in the Caribbean with a clearer steer of the direction I wanted to go in.

It wasn’t an overnight transformation. I took time off, traveled, and reflected. When I returned, I decided to follow the strand that excited me most: coaching.

That journey led me to where I am now, running my own coaching practice, creating the DAWWN program, and living a life that feels intentional and free. And while I still have goals and dreams for the future, I no longer feel trapped by a path that doesn’t fit.

So here’s my invitation to you, dear reader: take a moment to reflect. Are you on a path that brings you joy? If not, what would you love to do if you gave yourself permission to dream a little differently? What small step could you take today toward that vision?

Life has a way of surprising us when we listen to those inner whispers and take intentional steps. And while the journey is ongoing, every day I wake up grateful that I chose to rewrite my own narrative. It’s not just about reaching a destination, but about enjoying the journey and choosing a life that feels meaningful every step of the way.