Reflections on 2021

It’s the last day of 2021.

This year has been one of significant change.

One major milestone was concluding my work at an international organisation here in the Netherlands, where I had been employed for four and a half years. In hindsight, my journey there had always been with an eventual "graduation" in mind.

In September 2016, I left fieldwork at another international organisation, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) —a role that had been part of my identity—and moved to the Netherlands with the goal of settling down after living a "rootless" life for nearly 20 years. The following years were filled with ups and downs, a true period of "transition."

Discovering facilitation and coaching in 2019 became a breakthrough for me. These were not just skills or professional tools but also catalysts for deep personal transformation.

When I realised that these practices could be my way to contribute to the world—and in a way uniquely my own—I began asking myself, “When will you leave your current job and fully dedicate yourself to this?”

Throughout 2020, I went back and forth. While I was eager to launch my business, I was also enticed by what seemed like a dream job that aligned perfectly with my values. After several weeks of inner conflict, I experienced both the shock of a fundamental misalignment and the relief of returning to my usual work. It just wasn’t the right time yet.

In 2021, that time finally came around March. It felt as if everything that had been brewing within me was finally ready to come to fruition. When I informed my supervisor of my intention to resign, it was such a small step, yet it brought an incredible sense of lightness and freedom. I could feel the energy around me shift dramatically, both within myself and in my environment.

Around the same time, I also encountered a new meditation practice. This led, quite unexpectedly, to an opportunity to teach at a higher education institution in the Netherlands.

Having been so focused on leaving my job to dedicate myself to facilitation and coaching, I never imagined stepping into another full-time role. Yet, the transition felt entirely natural.

I plan to write more about the connection between facilitation, coaching, and teaching in the future.

For the past two years, I’ve been engaging in peer coaching—exchanging coaching sessions with fellow coaches—every week or two. Reflecting on this, I can say with certainty that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the power and benefits of coaching. Each session helped me clarify seemingly trivial, everyday questions like:

• “Where do I want to go?”

• “What do I really want to do?”

• “When is the right time to leave my job?”

• “How will I know when it’s time?”

• “Why do I feel unsettled and restless?”

  
  

These sessions brought clarity to those questions and gave me the foundation I needed to arrive at where I am today.

Wishing you a wonderful New Year!

[While the article has been translated from the original Japanese into English with the help of AI, its message, energy, and nuances have been carefully preserved.]