How some decisions end up changing your life
I am now asked many times how and where did this all start - some decisions really do impact your life and often you experience a fork in the road and have to decide which way to turn. For me a huge focus was the dream to compete in the The Ocean Race and the drive to get there. I wanted to explore and open up about this idea and where it came from and the future journey to soon be running my own team. It is incredible how a few decisions have such a monumental impact on your life
If you take time to reflect on your life, you will find a few key moments that basically shaped it. To me, there are a few clear decisions that actually changed the path of my life.
One of them being right after finishing my Bachelors degree in Psychology and finishing the 3 year topsport program at Roy Heiner’s sailing academy, back in 2018. Maybe a few of you will remember this conversation I had with my mum at the kitchen table. I told her: ‘I am going to dedicate one year to trying to make it into professional sailing. Succeeding would be incredible and if I don’t, then at least I have given it my all’. This was one of the best and most self-compassionate decisions of my life, because I made it very clear for myself. I gave myself one year to explore, fail, learn and adapt. By saving money beforehand, I had the freedom to take on the adventure without too much weight on my shoulders. For that matter, I would advise everyone to do the same if you have the freedom to do so. It gives you time and space to focus on what you want and pursue your passions. While I admire people combining their jobs and simultaneously trying to start their professional sailing career, I’m grateful for the focused path I have taken.
Shortly after this decision, I went to Australia to find a boat to compete with in the Sydney to Hobart race, which is right where I left you In the previous article.. During my time at InfoTrack, I met Chris Nicholson. Shortly after the race, in May 2019, he invited me to sail on the Volvo 65 with AkzoNobel Ocean Racing, which made me realise that sailing the Sydney to Hobart race opened up many doors for me. We started training for The Ocean Race Europe 2020, but then Covid hit and the race was postponed. I was devastated, I had the feeling that I had invested in a world that didn’t exist anymore. With races cancelled and sailing opportunities decreasing, I had no prospect of sailing and therefore was not earning any money. I knew I had to do something and take action. Obviously not being able to sail was a hard pill to swallow, but I pivoted and eventually decided to start a Master's degree in Psychology that year. Next to that I built my own campervan, which has given me so much freedom, still to this day.
I felt imprisoned within my own choices and I needed a change whilst it was clear no sailing racing would happen. I believe that people mainly change when they feel pain. Whether it’s physical or emotional. Without feeling discomfort, people are unlikely to seek transformation. It was a very tough decision, realising I was unable to do what I fought so hard for. During that period I recognised the sacrifices I had made for sailing, such as missing special moments among birthdays, weddings, funerals and births, but also how I had been wearing blinkers for the past five years, ever since joining Team Heiner. I had been living in hyperfocus and pursuing my dream consumed me, blurring everything else around me. Covid happening also opened up my eyes again and this showed me that everything happens for a reason.
At times the road ahead isn’t straight or clear, but often making a choice is better than doing nothing. In difficult times, you will experience a feeling of resilience and self-discovery and I’m convinced that you learn by doing, so just go for it and see where it takes you. To me, eventually my decision added another string to my bow and diversified my skills at a time when the world came to a standstill.
Fast forward to today, I am gearing up to compete as skipper with Team Holcim-PRB in The Ocean Race Europe 2025. What preceded this was an enormous decision back in the summer of 2023. Holcim offered me this great opportunity, but after The Ocean Race I was in recovery mode. I was still processing everything that had happened the months before and I wasn't ‘on the hunt’, as I had always been the years before. Needless to say, when this chance came along, I was instantly excited and very grateful, so I took it with both hands! Even though this meant I had to leave my former team, Team Malizia, where we created something magical. My aspiration is to bring this magic into other teams and create an environment where people feel they can be the best versions of themselves and I will try my hardest to do so at Team Holcim-PRB.
So, how do you make these decisions? When you've committed to a goal, each day should feel like a step closer to achieving it, even if only in a very small way. If this feels different, then it’s probably time to make your goal more specific. If that's not the case, then perhaps your goal isn't as clear as you think. This isn't to say that reaching your goal is simple; quite the opposite. What I mean is, when you truly understand what you want and why you want it, you'll figure out the steps to take within a year, a week, or a day. Decisions start to align with your objectives. You start listing the pro’s and con’s, weighing them up against each other and asking yourself out loud ‘Does this align with what I want?’ and ‘Will this bring me forward or will it hold me back?’. Additionally I find it valuable to discuss big decisions with the people who stand closest to me, such as my parents and my partner who know me better than anyone else and keep me grounded. Having a fundamental support system around you is so important.
When you have a big goal or a dream constantly in your mind, you can be very single minded. However, the route to achieving this may occasionally change. The way in which you tackle these changes, navigating the highs and lows, is what really counts at the end of the day and it’s important to learn from your decisions, but not to live in the past.
🔥 Find out what motivates you, what suits you and what makes the fire burn within you
🎯 Commit to a goal, embrace the journey towards your goals with commitment and a well-defined plan of action.
🎧 Recognize that focus on your objectives may require sacrificing other opportunities along the way and the impact on the people around you as well .
🤞🏼 Trust the process. Stay resilient in the face of setbacks and adapt to overcome obstacles and achieve success. And keep smiling along the way, because when you remain happy in the process, you will win in the end, no matter the outcome.
