The version of you at 25 wasn't wrong. You just got very busy becoming someone else.
I find myself asking this question with clients: cast your mind back to who you thought you'd be. I don’t mean the specific job title or salary. More, the kind of person and the kind of life.
Most describe something quite vivid, purposeful and alive. Definitely a version of themselves that felt more open, more possible, perhaps even more true.
Then life happened. Their responsibilities accumulated. Of course sensible choices were made. And as a consequence the bold edges got smoothed.
I’m not saying that’s a failure. For most of us, I’d say the choices we made were the right ones at the time.
But sometimes the gap between who you imagined and who you became can feel weighty. I wouldn’t call it regret but it has the sense of an unfinished conversation with yourself.
If that resonates, it's worth sitting with. Because that 25-year-old wasn't just dreaming. I think they were pointing at something real for you. About the kind of impact you wanted to have, or kind of presence you wanted to bring; and the kind of story you wanted to tell.
The home straight of a career is one of the few moments where you have both the wisdom to know what actually matters and the time to do something about it.
If that sounds true, please know it's not too late to close more than a little of that gap.
Photo by Amy Cheung on Unsplash