How This Writing Practice Transformed My Direction in Life

"That question stayed with me for years before I ever tried to answer it honestly. Growing up, I was shy and rarely spoke about myself. I grew up in a very small town and spent much of my time in my imagination, surrounded by stories, even though I never believed my own story needed to be shared. Writing an autobiography was never part of my plan."

"The decision to write came when I reached a point where hiding parts of myself no longer felt right. I realized I had gone through enough change, challenge and resilience to honestly examine my story. At that time, I was not trying to write a book. I was trying to understand my own journey and why certain patterns kept repeating. What surprised me was how disruptive the process became. Writing forced me to face assumptions I had carried for years without question."

"I served as a senior program manager, leading complex programs, managing multimillion-dollar initiatives and helping organizations move through significant transitions. Discipline and consistency shaped how I worked, and I believed commitment and loyalty would one day allow me to retire from one of the companies I served. That belief quietly influenced many of my decisions and often came at the expense of personal goals I set aside more than I realized at the time."

A leader wrestled with what legacy would remain after current work ended and initially kept personal experiences private. Childhood shyness and imagination delayed sharing a story publicly. A turning point came when hiding parts no longer felt right after substantial change, challenge and resilience. The act of writing became disruptive, compelling confrontation with long-held assumptions and recurring patterns. A career as a senior program manager involved leading complex, multimillion-dollar programs and guiding organizational transitions, where discipline and loyalty influenced choices and deferred personal goals. Writing revealed deeper impacts of experiences beyond conventional success metrics and prompted reflection on legacy and priorities.

Read at Entrepreneur