In late 2019, before the world turned upside down, I knew I needed to shift gears. On paper, I had a career that looked respectable. In practice, I felt boxed in by something that no longer fit. That was a what now moment — but I didn’t step into it right away.
Instead, I circled it. I tried other versions of myself. I launched new ideas, doubled down on consulting, chased strategies that looked fine on paper but didn’t work in practice. Some things succeeded, plenty didn’t, and the truth was always there. The work I was building wasn’t the work I wanted.
I remember completing a client engagement, looking around at the virtual blackboard and notes we’d spent hours building, and feeling nothing but emptiness. Everyone thought it went well. I just thought: this can’t be it.
So why now, after nearly six years, am I choosing to step in? Because avoiding the question didn’t make it go away. Because the box I was trying to stay in was never built for me. Because midlife raises the stakes: If not now, when? And because time is finite, and I don’t want to spend any more of it on what doesn’t matter.
That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m writing this.
I call this space The Art of What Now because “what now” isn’t a question you answer once and move on. It’s a practice: pausing, listening, experimenting, and choosing again. That’s what I want this space to hold — not quick fixes or easy answers, but an honest place to notice what no longer works and to take the next step.
Over the years, I’ve had my share of resets. I moved between the US and Europe, built a business, faced burnout, and started over more than once. Through all of it, I’ve learned that the hardest part of change isn’t the logistics. It’s telling the truth: this no longer works.
And if you’re like me, maybe you’ve carried that truth longer than you’d like to admit. Maybe you’ve known for years that something doesn’t fit — but life was too busy, or fear got in the way, or the timing never felt right. Maybe you’ve circled your own what now moment without stepping into it.
If so, you’re in the right place.
Here’s what you can expect from this Substack:
- Reflections on resets and reinvention
- Stories from my own life and work — not polished highlights, but real reminders that we all wrestle with this
- Prompts and practices to pause, reflect, and reset in your own life
It’s about letting go of what no longer works and stepping into what does.
So welcome. If you’ve ever looked at your life — your work, your relationships — and asked yourself what now? this is your space too.
I spent nearly six years circling mine. Maybe you’ve been circling yours. That’s what I’ll write about next.
Here’s to stepping in — not perfectly, but fully. Because if not now, when?
I’ll be sharing a new piece here each week. Subscribe if you’d like to follow along.
—Beco