2022 has been a year of great changes for me, and July has been a climax to those changes. I am still in transition, and hopefully, as I settle down into a new routine, I can find more time to tell my stories and explore the thought processes that have underlined the big decisions I have made and am still making. In July 2022, I resigned from my job in Nigeria to pursue a Masters’ degree (MBA) in Canada, moving with my wife and children in the process.

I find it amazing how major life decisions can be shaped by simple thought processes cultivated through the years so that when we arrive at those decisions, they no longer feel huge because we have long nurtured the basic blocks that underpin our decision framework. Moving is a big deal, even within the same city. So moving, not just out-of-state or out-of-country, but across continents and time zones with a family, from high-earning to just-learning, is huge. But it has felt like a natural progression of events, an occurrence that has merely come of age.

It started with a restlessness that began late in October 2021, during which period I was engaged in daily prayer with some friends – we prayed for 30 minutes every evening in the last quarter of 2021, from October 1st to December 30th. The story obviously dates further than that, but the distinct thought to take a break from my job, and consider or pursue other possibilities, settled in my mind during that period. It was the culmination of several months of struggle at work – feeling overworked and undervalued, unsure about future career prospects, and unhappy with my daily work experience. I felt I was gradually becoming someone I didn’t want to be.

Once that possibility settled into my mind – of leaving my job and finding another one or pursuing further education – it quickly morphed into a decision and started driving other decisions. In a matter of weeks, I went from consulting with family and friends to submitting two MBA applications, writing the GMAT and completing multiple interviews in the process. Between December 2021 and January 2022, I got two admission offers and was on my way to the future – one that was always in God’s plan but had taken time to come into my mind.

Meanwhile, at work, I had decided I was going to take it slow. Instead of outrightly resigning from my job, I took a personal leave of absence starting January 2022. I knew that I needed time to think through what I was doing before making the big plunge into joblessness, especially as I am married with two children. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to take that leave. Although I heavily weighed the idea of applying for another job I had always wanted, I eventually determined what I needed was a break. That was how I began 2022 on a clean slate.

I will pause at this point, and hopefully continue this story very soon. I just wanted to briefly share how a decision so significant evolved from my basic persuasions about what work should feel like, and how life decisions should be made. There were many little details involved, and many little steps I had to take, which I hope to share more over time. Until then, remember that great decisions are founded on basic persuasions. Thank you for reading, and see you next time!