Six months into the year, and only my first published reflection says everything about how the year has unfolded. Caught in the crosscurrents of life, work, personal growth, and the daily search for meaning amid constant motion.
I’m not an avid surfer, subject matter expert and far from being an explorer, yet the lessons I’m drawing feel perfectly aligned with this season—like learning to read the ocean when the sets keep rolling in. It’s all about timing, pause, observation, and patience. You watch the waves build, let some break, and wait for the right one to carry you safely to the other side.
Human nature pulls us toward certainty, clear visibility, and constant clues. When those don’t come—especially during a season of frequent, overlapping waves—it’s easy to spiral inward and the mental load can compound quickly.
Here are a few principles I’m actively learning (and re-learning) through the waves of life, career, and everything in between. These are easier said than done, and consistency remains the real challenge.
1. Chase Micro Wins
In a period of waves, big victories could feel elusive. As my colleague Javier put it (and it has stayed with me), even when our worlds and teams are bombarded with complex problems, the satisfaction that comes from solving one small, tangible issue is still a genuine win. We should celebrate and acknowledge them. Micro wins build momentum, confidence, and clarity when the horizon looks hazy. Shoutout to Javier —your perspective landed exactly when I needed it.
2. Pause Is a Strategy
Sometimes the smartest move is to let things play out. Step back, shift your lens, and give time a chance to reveal new angles. Boardrooms and life don’t always grant permission for this, but when the impact remains redeemable, intentional stillness can be powerful. Doing nothing—for a deliberate period—can prevent reactive mistakes and open better paths.
3.Architecture Matters
When immediate wins stall, zoom out and strengthen the underlying architecture. Systems, processes, habits, and foundations might not deliver flashy results today, but they determine how well you weather the mounting waves. While the surf is rough, ask: Do we have the right structure to handle this? Building better architecture is often the only thing fully within your control.
4. Signals Over Noise
Everyone has an opinion when the waves pile up. The real skill lies in filtering for genuine signals amid the roar. Adversity is a brutal but effective teacher—if you can stay brave and patient enough to endure the fire without losing your discernment. Not every loud voice or urgent distraction deserves your energy.
5.Acceptance Mitigates Pain
Fighting uncontrollables only deepens the suffering. Accepting the current state—what is, what isn’t, and what you cannot change—doesn’t mean giving up. It simply reduces the unnecessary mental and physical toll. There’s quiet power in meeting reality without constant resistance.
6. The Wave Doesn’t Define You
Likened to man-machine separation in HSSE terms, important to create a separation between you and the running waves. The hazard or condition is not the person. Your current waves—the problems, scope of work, setbacks, or season of uncertainty—are real, but they are not you. It’s dangerously easy to internalize them and adopt the identity of struggle: “I am overwhelmed,” “I am stuck,” “This is who I am now.” You are the observer, the surfer, the architect. The wave is the environment you navigate, not your essence. Separating the two protects your peace and preserves your ability to respond with clarity.
Boundaries, constant reflection and putting the reality in the buckets they belong can help insulate your core. As Mike would say – the container stops at the door at home, shouldn’t go inside. Easier said than done but critical one.
7. Perspective matters
While a few passages stall, how about the ones successfully navigated or those that uncovered invaluable patterns and victories. They count too and still do! While the currents gather, articulating the current state and getting everyone crucial on board is a great enabler and possible start of something great. And this counts too as success! The passage to the other side is an outcome or momentary event, the real essence of the journey itself is what is learnt, impact (no matter how small), who we become and the possibilities uncovered while we ride or wait out the waves.
These reflections are still works in progress. I’m living them imperfectly, adjusting my stance daily. If you’re in a similar season of waves, I hope something here resonates. Keep paddling. The right set will come—and when it does, you’ll be better prepared because of the ones you let pass or learnt vigorously from.
Here’s to patience, perspective, and eventually riding one all the way in.
BJA | TDM 