Face Front! Friday! Clear the Paper Path

Have you ever found yourself on the paper path?

I don’t mean those infernal printer jams… but this can still feel like your pages are misaligned and all progress is stopped.

The paper path is the one that looks right… on paper.

But in your real world, the paper path is taking you in the wrong direction. Misaligned.

On Tuesday we met Annette, who saw her dream job turn into the wrong job.

Challenging work in a top program. A highly sought-after opportunity.

On paper, everything checked out.

But something didn’t feel right.

As we explored her journey, she reflected:

I gained experience across multiple areas: culinary nutrition, working with underserved populations, supporting dementia patients, and counseling students in a community college setting. Eventually, I landed what felt like my ideal opportunity: a graduate research role at the Phoenix VA. I stepped into a world of grant writing, review boards, and constant pressure to publish. But then I realized that  felt completely out of alignment. I asked myself, “Do I stay on this path? Or is there another direction I haven’t considered?” After reflecting on mentors I admired, I recognized that while they had built meaningful careers, some shared that they wished they had combined nutrition with business. That insight stayed with me, and I began exploring a path that blended both, For the first time, it feels like I have found a natural fit.

Annette’s path didn’t suddenly become easy, but it became clear.

Annette recognized something many professionals struggle to admit: just because you’ve invested in a path doesn’t mean you’re obligated to stay on it.

So she made a change, ignored her sunk costs, and moved toward what felt aligned.

Your challenges are the beginning of your origin story.

You Own Your Origin Story (YOYOS) helps you turn your experiences into assets.

You own your origin story. If you’re ready to claim it, message me.