Having just relocated to the other side of town, I walked into an unfamiliar park with large walking paths, a lake with lots of active wildlife, and people — walking and running at their own paces around me.

I sat down with my dog at a chessboard overlooking that lake. It made me think about a good number of things. The empty chessboard base reminded me that I always need to re-strategize and think about new moves. The sunrise over the reflecting lake made me think about what I’ve done in my career and many things moved through my head at the same time.

I considered past careers in politics, data, retail, services, public service, and volunteering. I couldn’t get that chessboard out of my head. What’s next? I always think about what’s next but have yet to put pen to paper on anything. My vast career has made me well-versed in many different industries, so there’s a lot to consider. As I work to focus that energy on one salient point, I ponder what’s actually a vast land of opportunity, not as narrowly focused into one niche area.

We all have a lot to offer but only consider a linear career path based on our current or past positions. In an era of a shifting landscape anyway, we all must shift with it. I’m reminded that our paths are not simply laid out there for us but simply waiting to branch out into many facets that have shaped our lives.

This is what I’m now considering as I think about what’s next. We all must think about what’s next, while not discounting our often-shattered lineage of what careers, gigs, or projects brought us to this single point in time.

This was originally a post for LinkedIn on November 9, 2026