The last decade has been nothing short of intense building. The foundation, patterns, pain, and hard knock learnings for the journey still ahead. Down the line, easily by a mile will be remembered as the relentless building and “figuring it out” years.
Definitely a lot to still figure out, learn, unlearn and relearn. In the meantime, here are some of the cluster of reflections emerging from the last decade of navigating life, growth and “adulting”.
Ship out fast, stay innovating, iterating and aligned with what the world or your platform needs per time or might require at some point. There is a purpose for us all.
Less focus on perfection, more failing fast and learning smarter ways (think lean operating system) to retain the essence of our purpose, value-add and core people relationships needed to thrive.
If solutions came in ready and handy, we wouldn’t need teams, leaders or corporations. Rather than worry about AI, delayed promotions, organization redesigns or volatile global dynamics turning the tide of our destiny, learning to lean into the abundance mindset and the courage that there is a purpose for us all to contribute to the world in which ever form it takes, enough to make a livelihood and attain fulfillment. We have just got to stay in the saddle, present and plugged in.
The core and perhaps the most important mastery we need to constantly hone to unleash impact is the ability to – create, translate a vision into executable bits, empower/bring people together to drive them while staying agile with the right dose of urgency, innovation, resilience and action.
The reality of Success and progress become what we define them. Find your true north, put in the work, trust the process and stay in your lane.
Consistency, resillence and sustaining a growth mindset are perhaps more healthy dimensions and alternative filters to calibrate growth. But also antidotes to navigating the fatigue and anxiety presented by the sometimes lonely journey of growth.
The competition is the image in the mirror, not the friend or colleague who are most likely also navigating the tidal waves of life. And definitely not the picture perfect moments that we all “selectively” display on our social media profiles.
Bottom lines will always follow the market forces. And there is always more to our being beyond the thrills and lows of hitting or missing targeted milestones. No one promised us perfection or ease, but we could and should always give every endeavour the best version of self per time. If this is all we can accomplish per time, it equally counts as success.
Even better if we stay content, diligently writing and owning how our stories unfold. Comfortable being our own biggest critique, but also a fan, doer and thinker. Staying ready for when the right the one – opportunity, platform, window – comes.
Some of the curve balls we face are self inflicted and down to over romanticising the situation.
The problem or barrier is sometimes inward and over projected. Do we sometimes over romanticise the euphoria from our wins? How long do we bask in them – and is there always more to unlock irrespective of what we want, need or already have?
I reckon we should acknowledge and leverage every bit of our wins and relish the precious life moments. In the same breath, we also ache for days when we don’t hit the same milestones or lack clarity of what the next milestone/direction should be.
We should learn and heal but what is the right dwell time? Without any doubt, I believe we should continue to explore, challenge ourselves and take the learnings from such experiences.
Balance and moderation are always worthy alternatives, staying level headed and steady never hurts. Hard balance to strike I fully reckon. But right there in the middle might just might be the sweet spot to insulate us from complacency and depression. A growing reality of our fast paced and frenzy new world.
Alas, the journey continues
More building ahead for the next decade, new growth and life dimensions to figure out and hopefully more intentionality and fulfilment to navigate the many lessons that life has to offer.
Curious and genuinely interested in what the last decade has thought you. What are you taking forward or leaving behind?
BJA | TDM 
2 responses to “The 3rd decade”
Brick by Brick — My Decade Reflection
The past decade for me has been a brick-by-brick journey. In a world where everything moves at lightning speed, I’ve often found myself racing to learn, unlearn, and relearn — not always having the luxury of time, but learning fast enough, mastering in time, and keeping pace with what life and work demand.
It’s been about building capacity — not just to deliver results, but to navigate people, manage relationships, and cultivate cultural awareness in spaces where dynamics shift constantly. I’ve come to realize that what lies ahead requires more than skill. It calls for a solid foundation built on resilience, composure, and the wisdom to know when to move, when to hold, and when to reset.
If there’s one truth I’ve held onto, it’s this: time waits for no one. And in the midst of all the chaos and demands, composure is key — steadying yourself through every season, one step after another.
The journey continues. More foundations to lay, relationships to build, and personal growth to pursue. Eyes on the next chapter? I would carry with me the lessons of pace, capacity, and presence — because sometimes, being grounded is the greatest strategy in a world that rarely slows down.
Beautifully captured and thanks for sharing.
” I would carry with me the lessons of pace, capacity, and presence — because sometimes, being grounded is the greatest strategy in a world that rarely slows down”