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The Art of Reinventing Yourself Without Starting Over
As winter begins to make itself felt, let me take you back to the warmth of summer one last time. This time, to Osaka where I was fascinated by how the city preserved its historical identity while adapting to modern life. But this is more than a travel story. It's about what Osaka taught me about evolving my professional practice two months later, and what we can all learn about continuing to grow. How do we grow without leaving behind what made us who we are? Walking through
2 days ago3 min read


How Taking Action Changes What We Believe Is Possible
Last week, I wrote about the gap between knowing and doing. But I have been thinking about what happens after we take action. Could doing something new change not only what we know, but also what we believe is possible? In Kyoto, I walked uphill through the red torii gates of Fushimi Inari. It was a hot, humid summer day, and the path was full of visitors. One gate followed another. I could see what was immediately ahead, but had little idea what the rest of the climb would b
Oct 133 min read


What Are We Performing For?
For the past two and a half years, I have been paying more attention to my physical health than at almost any other point in my life. Food. Movement. Sleep. Recovery. Not obsessively, but curiously. What works? What doesn't? What can I sustain? And lately, a different question started bothering me: What am I trying to be healthy for? What am I trying to be fit for? And more broadly: What are we performing for? Problem: Performance without Purpose For years, I thought physica
Sep 293 min read


How Can We Prepare for 3 Emerging Career Worlds?
Since returning to Vienna, many conversations have started with questions about my summer. What was it like working remotely from Vietnam for six weeks? What did Japan teach me? Could I imagine living and working differently after all this? But sooner or later, someone turns the tables on me: “You spend your days partnering with people on their careers. So, tell me, Dilek, where do you think all this is going?” With AI changing everything, what should we prepare ourselves for
Sep 224 min read


The Person Who Arrives Is Never the One Who Started
I've always wondered whether the destination waiting for us might be very different from the one we imagined when we first began. Last week, I wrote that rhythm carries us from where we are to where we hope to be, one small step at a time. But what if reality turns out to be richer than we imagined? Ba Na Hills gave me my answer. Before we went, I had done my research. I knew we would visit the famous Golden Bridge, and I knew there was a French-inspired village on top of the
Aug 103 min read


What You Build First in a New Place Matters Most
The biggest challenge of spending time in a new country is rebuilding the systems that make you feel like yourself again. We've now arrived in Hanoi! One of the first things we did was rearrange the furniture in our apartment so we could recreate the routines that matter to us. I've always been a person of routines. Meal times. Deep work. Sessions. Exercise. They all have a rhythm because these systems support the way I think, work and organise my family and profes
Jul 73 min read


The Moment Preparation Becomes Trust
Every year around this time, something interesting happens. This is the fifth year my family and I have chosen to spend part of our summers living and working in different countries. It has become one of our favourite ways to learn, grow, and experience life from a different perspective. Our suitcases are almost packed. The plans are in place. And still, I wonder why I feel a level of anxiety alongside my excitement... Problem: Preparation Doesn't Eliminate Uncertainty
Jun 303 min read


The Best Career Decision I Made Had Nothing to Do with My Career
For years, I wanted to change my career and could not act on it. Deep down, I knew I wanted to work with people. To help them grow, find clarity, and create a better future for themselves. But whenever that thought appeared, I pushed it aside because I couldn't find enough energy to take action. Looking back, I can see what’s missing; it was my ability to stay with it long enough, to make it real. Where I was and where I wanted to be had a dark, foggy and non-visible road in
Jun 33 min read
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