Like many people, at a young age I crafted a plan for how my life was supposed to go, a basically straight path of milestones from point A to point Z within a certain time period that ultimately culminated in my happily ever after.

When (inevitably) some milestones went astray, whether in terms of the component or the timeline, it caused no small amount of distress. It felt like my life was going off the rails. My dreams wouldn’t come true, I wouldn’t be able to achieve my goals.

However, after those steps-gone-awry, the feared dire outcomes didn’t materialize, although my original plan actually became altered – significantly, even. Probably the biggest divergent milestone was my career. What I’m doing now, owning a technology business, wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye well into my mid-30’s. But at a critical juncture, my envisioned position in academia just wasn’t in the cards and that forced me to explore different career paths.

What time and experience now allow me to see is that all those paths, planned and unplanned; good, bad, and indifferent, led me to where I’m supposed to be, personally and professionally.

No life path is a straight line, it’s a zig-zag. And that’s OK. In fact, it’s better than OK – the zig-zag route took me to undreamed of experiences, learning, and achievements – so many things I didn’t know I didn’t know. I am a better person for them, but I would never have included them in my life’s anticipated scenario.

We often can only see the value of our life’s path in hindsight, but I’ve seen it enough in my life and others’ that, now, rather than stressing over perceived “Zags” going in the wrong direction, I embrace the Zag. I’ve learned that there are many paths to a successful outcome, whether it is an outcome we planned for or something entirely different. We learn from every step along every avenue and byway we take, making us who we are and adding to our self-value.

Embrace the Zag

Go with the flow. Ask yourself, is it possible that the zag is enhancing my journey and what might I learn from it? Each step you take makes you who you are. Be open to new opportunities along the way and feel confident that you are on your intended path. This hopefully guides you on an enriching journey that, for many of us, takes place somewhere along the Zag.