Sometimes life works better when you stop trying to script it. Two years ago, I thought I was just taking a break. No end date, no plan — just a pause to let life decide what came next. That daily “unplan” has now stretched into two years, and only recently have I started calling it retirement. This is the story of how not having a plan became the best plan of all.
I didn’t step away with a master plan or a perfect script. I simply walked into an open space — and life filled it. Looking back, what emerged were not “steps” or “milestones,” but phases. Each one had its own journey, its own timing, and its own revelation.
Phase 1: The Wild Frontier
Freedom in its rawest form.
My first year felt like an explosion of possibility. Pickleball, skiing, hiking, improv classes, Spanish lessons, and even a return to India with my daughter and after 30 years celebrated Utrayan, the festival of kite flying, in my home town. Every day was a holiday, a blur of activity and rediscovery.
This phase was about freedom — unstructured, messy, exhilarating freedom.
Phase 2: The High-Definition World
Then, the noise settled.
Life slowed, and suddenly I could see with a clarity I never had before. The color of fall leaves changing daily. A blossom opening one petal at a time. Coffee in silence, with no meeting waiting on the other end.
This was a phase of incredible gratification and appreciation. It helped put life in perspective. I realized you don’t need a lot of material things for joy — happiness is scattered all around you, if you give yourself the time and patience to see it.
It was as if I had discovered a new sense: the sense of slowing down time. Like watching life in slow motion, where every action reveals its detail, and the ordinary becomes fascinating.
This was the phase of clarity.
Phase 3: The Purposeful Pursuit
But clarity eventually stirred a new hunger.
I wanted to create, to contribute again. So, I began writing — first on LinkedIn, then here. I leaned into learning, especially around AI, and dipped into advising when the fit felt right.
This phase brought a deep sense of gratification through expression. Every article, every conversation, every moment of advising wasn’t about checking boxes — it was about rediscovering the joy of sharing, teaching, and building.
And here’s what surprised me: the freedom and clarity from earlier phases gave me conviction and courage. I found myself saying what felt right — not just what people wanted to hear. It was liberating. No titles to protect, no agendas to manage. Just truth, offered with the hope it might help.
It felt like reconnecting with an old instrument — familiar, but played with a new rhythm, one that sounded truer this time.
This was the phase of commitment.
Phase 4: The Contemplative Crossroads
And now, here I am.
The freedom and clarity that once fueled exploration, and later gave me conviction and courage to speak truth, have carried me into a different space — one of quiet reflection.
This phase has been about the privilege of contemplation. The space to ask: What deserves my energy now? Not because I need recognition or stability, but because I finally have the freedom to choose — and the patience to wait.
It’s not about chasing a job. It’s about committing to a cause that aligns with the principles I’ve refined through experience and introspection. A cause that multiplies momentum — especially for people with potential but limited resources. A cause that helps the “momentum makers” who, in turn, create ripple effects for others.
Contemplation feels like slowing time again — but this time, with perspective. It’s looking back at what mattered and what didn’t, and looking forward with the resolve to do the right things, in the right way, purely for the joy of it.
This is the phase of contemplation.
The Real Plan
Each phase revealed itself only after I lived it. None could have been forced, rushed, or preplanned. That’s the beauty of it.
Freedom. Clarity. Commitment. Contemplation.
Each is its own journey. Each its own revelation. Each its own reward.
So if you’re standing on the edge of a big change, here’s the message: don’t wait for the perfect plan. The phases will come to you, in their own time. And if you let them, they’ll reveal more than any spreadsheet ever could.
👉 Question for you: If you suddenly had the freedom to shape life on your own terms, which phase would you lean into first?
I love this and love to see what a tech sales career can give you long term = freedom. Motivation motivation
An amazing read and wonderful takeaways sir! Thanks for inspiring us always.