The Next Move
Over the summer holidays, I shared a reflection on a book that stayed with me long after the final page. The Power of Choice by Neale Daniher is one of those books that quietly reshapes how you think.
Daniher writes: “The past is over. The future isn’t promised. But what you do next is your choice for the taking.”
There were many takeaways, but the idea of the "next move" has stayed with me for various reasons.
Not the whole plan.
Not the entire mountain.
Just the next step.
With my boss moving on to another school, this idea of the “next move” has felt especially close to home. When you support a single leader, your professional identity can become closely tied to that partnership. And that can be a wonderful thing. I loved everything about my previous role, title and working with my boss.
Change, can stir many emotions: loss, grief, uncertainty. Sometimes what we imagine our professional future will look like doesn’t eventuate, and we have to learn to sit with that discomfort.
In work and in life, we face transitions — teams evolve, projects end, roles shift, careers take new turns. People get on at a certain station and then depart at another. But, instead of seeing goodbyes purely as loss, perhaps we can see them as markers of connection — proof that something mattered enough to miss. The strongest cultures are those where people can leave, grow, and yet remain part of the story.
So this next move as an Exeutive Assistant sees me being a part of and supporting the Senior Leadership Team — and, to my surprise, I am starting to truly enjoy it. It has enabled collaboration with other work colleagues, learning from people with different knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is early days but I am finding my purpose again and a renewed sense of where I can contribute.
So my advice, if you’re experiencing a similar transition and emotions: stay with it. Allow yourself to grieve and feel the sadness that comes with change — that’s part of letting go. Just don’t let yourself stay there forever. In time, gently turn toward what the "next move" might be.
