Why I Let Go of Linear Thinking to Follow Curiosity

How I walked away from a scripted, mainstream, success-driven life to embrace freedom and authenticity, guided by curiosity, intuition, and deep inner resonance.

A photo of me brainstorming ideas at my desk. Captured by Janine Laag, June 2025.

“Are you sure?” my manager asked. I wasn’t.

A few days earlier last month, I had left a secure, well-paid job at a top international corporation. Not because I had a plan. But because I could no longer keep pretending the old script fit me.

If you're a creator, leader, or someone questioning old maps, we're on the same wavelength.

I kept asking myself, "Why am I following a fading path in this uncertain world?" I felt like putting myself on the back burner. I was prioritising a path that didn't let me take my actual steps. I was not showcasing my direct contribution and talent to the world. I was starting to realise that I was not amplifying what I wanted to become; I love to create and help first-hand.

That realisation didn't hit like a thunderbolt—it was a gradual process over a long phase in my life. It's more like the slow, sinking feeling that the map I was using might not take me where I want to go. It's about wondering if I can thrive in the direction I am heading.

So I walked away. And I gave myself the gift of following my curiosity.

And that's when everything started to come alive again.

The Myth of the Ladder

We're raised on the idea that life is linear. Success is a series of logical steps: get good at something, climb the ladder, and feel fulfilled. It's clean. Predictable. Easy to measure. But if you've ever actually tried to live that way, you know how fast the shine wears off.

It's not that ambition is bad. Or that striving is wrong. Most of us have got someone else's idea of a meaningful life. We never paused to see if it fits us.

For me, it stopped fitting a long time ago, but I kept trying to squeeze into it. I measured myself by the same outdated rules. I was performing a life I no longer wanted, and the longer I stayed in that role, the harder it became to hear my ownvoice.

When I finally left, I didn't know what would replace it. But I knew I couldn't keep optimising a script I didn't believe in.

The Space Between

There is this quote from Viktor Frankl that I keep coming back to.

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"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

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That space—that's the sweet spot. That's where everything changed for me.

When I left, there wasn't a clear answer waiting for me on the other side. There was only space. A lot of it. At first, it felt like floating in mid-air. No next thing. No job title. No pitch deck.

But then I noticed something I hadn't felt in years. Curiosity.

That quiet hum of what if.

What if I followed what actually felt alive?

What if I let myself not know for a while?

What if I focus on building something real?

That's when I stopped trying to live my life like a plan—and started living it like an experiment.

From Control to Curiosity

I began to observe in a different way. Less as a strategist and more as a behavioural neuroscientist. What I needed was not a master plan but a lab.

Instead of asking, "What should I build next?" I began asking, "What am I curious about right now?"

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant refers to this approach as the "scientist mindset." This perspective involves letting go of certainty, maintaining curiosity, and testing assumptions in order to learn. In his book "Think Again", he urges us to reconsider not just what we know, but also how we come to know it.

Not in a grand, life-changing way. More like: what's interesting enough that I'd want to follow it for an hour? An afternoon? A week?

I started testing small things. A project idea. A conversation. A piece of writing. Some felt magnetic. Some didn't. Some resulted in completely unexpected collaborations. Some faded. But it wasn't about outcomes. It was about attention. Tuning in to the frequency of aliveness and letting that lead the way.

And the more I practised this, the more I realised I wasn't lost. This is about being in the process. This is about staying close to what's true, even if it doesn't yet make sense on paper.

Letting the Old Scripts Burn

The hardest part wasn’t starting over—it was letting go of the need to explain myself. To prove that I was still “doing something.” That I hadn’t fallen behind. That I was still worth listening to.

But a gradual change began to occur.

I stopped needing to justify the in-between.

I stopped apologising for my curiosity.

I stopped trying to sound smart and let myself sound honest instead.

A weird kind of freedom comes to me when I realise that I don’t need to win the game I was playing. I need to redesign it.

And when I let go of the old scripts, I discovered something better than certainty. I discovered movement. Flexibility. Improv. I found that I could still be ambitious—but from a place that felt grounded, not performative. Purposeful, not pressurised.

The Joy of Micro-Experiments

I underestimated the power of small experiments. Clarity comes from both vision and action. From trying things. From seeing what happens when I let go of needing to know the answer first.

So, I started keeping loose “field notes.” Only the observations I was sensing. What made me feel alive that day? What sparked a question I wanted to follow up on? Where did energy flow, and where did it feel like I was forcing it?

No metrics. No hacks. Only awareness.

The more I listened, the more I saw life inviting me to grow. I stopped forcing the outcome.

There is something liberating about choosing to live this way. It is not the loud, shiny kind of growth you post on social media. It is quieter. Deeper. More cyclical than linear. It does not look like crushing goals. It seems like dancing with uncertainty. That’s where the transformation happens.

Growing With the World, Not Just In It

Over time, my dreams didn't shrink. They expanded—but in a different shape.

They became more connected to me. I can contribute to the community and to something larger than myself. I started thinking less about personal "success" and more about shared resonance. About how we complement one another, evolve together, and how ideas can ripple out.

This isn't about hustling culture. It's about living in such a way that the present moment becomes meaningful now, not someday.

When I live this way — staying curious and treating life as a lab — everything feels more vibrant.

That's where I met myself again and again as an explorer of the unknown.

Generative Adventures

So if you're in the in-between, if you feel the tug of something unnameable but real, you're very welcome. You're becoming.

And then I encourage you to notice what it teaches you. It's not about the world. About yourself.

It can be challenging to establish credibility and demonstrate the impact of our work without clear signs of success. I realised that I can unlock endless possibilities in my life by following five key principles.

1: Doing the work first

In a linear professional life, there is a clear hierarchy: everyone behind me and everyone in front of me. To face a new challenge, I have got the right skills for a promotion. Then, I will have to wait for permission to begin the work. These rules create unnecessary hurdles and can hinder my ability to make a meaningful impact.

In contrast, a generative approach focuses on creating value in advance. I won't wait for permission to get validation. I can now use my skills and resources to create tangible assets that demonstrate my ability to make a meaningful difference.

Much like skilled athletes strategically position themselves on the field, anticipate the game's direction, and leverage their strengths to make game-changing plays, thereby increasing their positive and authentic impact and expanding their area of influence. They balance the environment with opportunity as best they can and connect with the people around them who share their commitment to making a positive impact.

Sharing my work helps me to build a community of similar people. Over time, this creates ongoing value for everyone. By focusing on how my work can help my community, I will discover the path I want to create. Feedback from like-minded peers will flow with ease. I will achieve this by exploring and sharing my work and experiences. This will create value and have a positive impact on those around me.

2: Growing lateral Roots

In the plant world, lateral roots are crucial. They help anchor the plant to the soil, making it easier for the plant to absorb nutrients for growth. These roots enable the plant to access a broader range of resources.

A generative approach enables me to broaden my skills in various areas. Lateral roots are vital for a plant's growth and strength. Skills outside my primary expertise can significantly contribute to my success in today's rapidly changing world. I remember my background in design. Yet, I chose to explore programming to use it in textiles and smart materials. I also pursued leadership and innovation to meet my curiosity. Integrative nutrition helped me balance my body and mind, leading to a lighter mindset. Finally, I learned from my slow travel experiences, enjoying the chance to discover new cultures.

Cultivating lateral skills enables me to make an impact regardless of my work status. Over time, I build a unique skill set. This helps me see unique opportunities. I enjoy making a positive impact on others and the world.

3: Close the loop to open doors

Many innovative thinkers and doers take winding paths. They close the loop on each experiment and share their hard-earned insights. They turn each experiment into a thread that builds a field of expertise based on their life experience. This helps them create value for others.

When I finish what I start and reflect on my learning, even if the outcome is not entirely what I envisioned, I see myself as someone who takes the initiative and extracts insights from every experience. By closing the loop, I can show others that they can trust me and that I take responsibility. It also helps others tackle similar challenges. This leads to more like-minded people seeking me out as a potential collaborator. This way, I share my experience, expertise, and authenticity with the collective wisdom of the community.

Closing the loop consistently fosters trust in my commitment to learning and growth in any collaborative effort. People will know they can count on me in a way that contributes to the collective good.

4: Playing along the way

A generative approach recognises the importance of playfulness alongside credibility. It fosters creativity, exploration, and innovation. Creating work can bring joy and lead to discoveries. These discoveries can improve my life, those of others, and the world in ways I might not have imagined.

I can reinvent and reshape my work journey to create value for myself and others. The world is uncertain and constantly changing.

I can't wait to hear about your current small experiment. We are all explorers leading our lives. There's no universal formula. We are unique, and nothing about the future is set in stone. We can move in any direction when our curiosity leads. Success is the lifelong experiment of discovering what makes us feel most alive.

I look forward to hearing about your experiences and exploring how we can grow together on my website and here on Substack.

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