The nonlinear career isn't confusing. You've just been using the wrong vocabulary for it. And when you're explaining yourself in someone else's language, you will always sound like you're apologising.
For years I felt like I had to explain myself: Pilates teacher, entrepreneur, coach, speaker, team builder, movement creator. I would simplify my story so it made sense to other people, as if the fact that it didn't fit neatly into one box needed justification.
What I've come to realize is that none of those chapters were detours. They all shaped how I see the world and how I work today. The skills compounded, even when the path didn't look linear from the outside.
"The vocabulary needed fixing. Not the years."
You put something into words that I have been feelng for a long time.
I LOVE THISSSS, thank you for sharing! I totally hear you! I lived with that dread of explaining myself for yearsss. The pressure to have a neat, 10-second elevator pitch for 'what do you do' is so real! I spent years trying to cram my squiggly career path into a straight line just to make it digestible for others... mostly because I was afraid of their judgment or didn't want them to worry. Now? I just own it. I don't need to explain myself to anyone. It’s so freeing to just embrace the whole journey
Yes, it is a superpower. Being multiple roles you see it from a very different angle that is so valuable! a linear job can't compete with it and that is ok.
I feel like we’re all taught to explain ourselves in the neatest, most digestible way possible, especially when it comes to careers, but real life rarely works like that. I love the idea that every experience is a deposit, not a detour. That completely reframes the pressure to make everything “make sense” on paper. The line about the vocabulary needing fixing, not the years, really stayed with me. Such a thoughtful read.
Love this so much, Melissa! Unlearning that "linear vocabulary" is a journey in itself, but it’s incredibly freeing once you do. So glad the article resonated with you, and I love what you're building with The Good Yield. Cheers to the beautiful, messy, nonlinear path! 🥂
This resonated deeply.
For years I felt like I had to explain myself: Pilates teacher, entrepreneur, coach, speaker, team builder, movement creator. I would simplify my story so it made sense to other people, as if the fact that it didn't fit neatly into one box needed justification.
What I've come to realize is that none of those chapters were detours. They all shaped how I see the world and how I work today. The skills compounded, even when the path didn't look linear from the outside.
"The vocabulary needed fixing. Not the years."
You put something into words that I have been feelng for a long time.
I LOVE THISSSS, thank you for sharing! I totally hear you! I lived with that dread of explaining myself for yearsss. The pressure to have a neat, 10-second elevator pitch for 'what do you do' is so real! I spent years trying to cram my squiggly career path into a straight line just to make it digestible for others... mostly because I was afraid of their judgment or didn't want them to worry. Now? I just own it. I don't need to explain myself to anyone. It’s so freeing to just embrace the whole journey
Yes, it is a superpower. Being multiple roles you see it from a very different angle that is so valuable! a linear job can't compete with it and that is ok.
I feel like we’re all taught to explain ourselves in the neatest, most digestible way possible, especially when it comes to careers, but real life rarely works like that. I love the idea that every experience is a deposit, not a detour. That completely reframes the pressure to make everything “make sense” on paper. The line about the vocabulary needing fixing, not the years, really stayed with me. Such a thoughtful read.
It definitely took time for me to get used to the fact that what I’m geared to do is definitely nonlinear. Relate a lot to this article!
Love this so much, Melissa! Unlearning that "linear vocabulary" is a journey in itself, but it’s incredibly freeing once you do. So glad the article resonated with you, and I love what you're building with The Good Yield. Cheers to the beautiful, messy, nonlinear path! 🥂
💕✨ cheers to you too!