When I was working at my first company post-college, I was told I would not be promoted to a Senior Software Engineer.

I was working for two and a half years, and I felt I made really impactful improvements for the company. I shipped projects, designed clever algorithms to accomplish tasks, and I was a beloved team player (feels weird saying this but I need to be confident in myself). It was not made clear why I would not get this promotion, but nonetheless I was heartbroken.

I left 2 months later for a title I wanted.

In this second role, I was asked a lot of me, and, at times, I felt like I delivered. However, life events settled in and I struggled in my personal life. Those struggles affected my work performance and I got lost in areas I was deeply unfamiliar with. I had the inevitable conversation about my (lack of) performance, and I cried. I felt like I couldn’t cut it.

These two stories show an interesting distance between the two experiences, one where I delivered positive outcomes and an inflated ego, and one where I was depressed and struggling to remain productive.

In the end, I wasn’t getting what I wanted or needed.

In the first story, I desired to advance my career quickly. The contributions I felt entitled me to the promotion are the forgotten stories of celebrations and camaraderie. In the second story, I got in too deep and floundered in a state of desolation. Reflecting back, there’s no clear path of enjoying a successful life and career. But the one thing is certain is that you are on a path, and it’s important to select a direction but enjoy the scenery.

Put simply, dream big, but enjoy the journey.