I used to think life had a sequence.

You go to college. You earn your degree. If you’re ambitious—or perhaps just incapable of leaving well enough alone—you go back for graduate school. Then you build your career. You work hard, gain experience, move up, and spend the next few decades applying ever...

Have you ever felt like you were running a sprint in what was actually a marathon? 

For most of my career, that is exactly how it felt. 

When I was younger, success felt straightforward. I wanted visible progress. I chased opportunity because I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to be seen. I wanted...