A Blank Slate

I’ve been given a rare opportunity in life. To be fair, it wasn’t only given—I chose it. The opportunity is to start over.

I’ve sold my company, rented out my apartment, and left other engagements behind. And since I’m single, have no kids, and a decent amount of money saved, I get to begin again. I get to choose, again.

In a way, it’s thrilling—but to be honest, it’s mostly terrifying. Terrifying because I don’t want to waste this opportunity.

I want to take it slow, which is not my usual cup of tea—I’m usually the fastest. But making decisions when the circumstances are known is one thing. Then you can move fast. When they’re unknown, though, every decision comes with ripple effects.

Where I choose to live will decide who I spend time with, what kind of activities I end up doing. Where I choose to work might limit where I can live—and will definitely shape my quality of life. And since there are no “knowns” right now—not even something like “I’ll live in Sweden”—every big decision feels massive.

I think part of the weight comes from reading The Almanack of Naval Ravikant a few years back. In it, he writes that there are three big decisions that define your life: where you live, what you do for work, and who your partner is. All three are currently undecided for me. And the choices I make in the next few years will probably shape the next 10 years or 20 years or maybe even the rest of my life.

When I was in my 20s, I never saw it that way. I never really moved to Stockholm—I just went to a party there and never left. Little did I know how much that would shape my life. Twice I’ve visited fairs that randomly became the thing I ended up working with. Back then, I didn’t fully grasp how deeply our choices affect everything.

I don’t have any regrets. I’ve had a beautiful life so far, and I’m incredibly fortunate. But as we get older, we become more set in our ways. I don’t think I’ll make changes in the same way as before—partly because I know more now and have the confidence to say no, and partly because it’s easier to get comfortable.

So I want to be conscious with this blank slate. I want to make decisions with care—to follow my heart, and my gut.

And I’ll try to use this blog to share how I go about it. And maybe some other stuff too.