You’re Not Done Yet (and That’s a Good Thing)
Read time: 5 minutes
Welcome to My Musings, where I share insights that have impacted me, thoughts on personal growth, and actionable strategies to help you navigate career and life transitions.
First, an invitation…
Feeling stuck?
Yeah, me too - whether it's about what to write, where to go, or what I actually want from life.
What I’ve learned? Curiosity kills stuckness. So this week, I’m curious about you. What’s keeping you up at night, and what’s sparking your curiosity? Send me a note and let me know. No sales pitch - I promise.
Musing: When we think of ourselves as means rather than ends, our work feels different.
Key Takeaways:
Life’s a bridge—don’t stop halfway.
Setbacks are springboards, not dead ends.
Think overture: always building to something bigger.
Life is a Transition
"What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not an end: what can be loved in man is that he is an overture and a going under" - Friedrich Nietszche
I am in a reading club, and this session, we’re reading Ulrich Baer’s “Nietszche on Love”.
It’s less a book on Nietzsche and more a greatest hits album of his quotes on the topic of love.
This is not the first time I’ve mentioned Nietzsche on meaning and purpose before. I barely understand his writing. But, when I do, it really resonates.
Nietzsche’s idea of humans as bridges - always in transition, never a final destination - can feel like a relief when you're stuck, reminding us that we’re works in progress."
Here are few more reasons I am into this line.
Reason the First: Life isn’t Final
There is very little finality to what we are doing here on this earth. Sure, we often think that we are going to “become” something. I fall into this trap all the time - when will I become the thing I am supposed to be? When will I achieve the things that I am put here to do? What is it that will be my legacy? Can I just get there already?
All of this expresses some sort of finality to my being here.
Which, I guess, is realistic in some ways. There is a lot of finality in life - ends of relationships, ends of careers, ends of - well - life.
But, at least while we’re here, there is no finality. None. We are crossing the span that connects our entry and exit into this world. Nietzsche says we’re bridges. Viktor Frankl says meaning comes from striving, not stasis. Put those together, and life’s about moving forward — even when it’s wobbly.
And, we can apply this in all sorts of spheres. In the career world, for instance.
Meet Jane. Mid-career, good paycheck, nice title, totally stuck. She has no idea what to do next. She’s halfway across one of those bridges you would see in every jungle adventure movie.
Turns out, being on a bridge is scary.
But it’s not the end — it’s just the next wobble before the next step.
This doesn’t make it easy, by the way. It’s super hard. But, the challenge invited in here is not to cling to stability but to lean into the discomfort of what’s next, perhaps learning a new skill, starting a side project, or redefining what success means. If we think of our careers through this lens, it’s not the becoming of our profession that is what counts. What counts is that our profession is simply one step on the bridge, as Nietszche puts it - to something else.
Which brings me to my second reason…
Reason the Second: There’s Always Something Else
There is always something else.
And, when there is always something else to move towards, there is always something to lose or give up. Joseph Campbell gets to this in his idea of the hero’s journey - we must leave, endure transformation, and then return enlightened (or at least more well equipped for what’s to come). Jung also touches on this - we must confront the stuff in shadow that we’d rather ignore - but only in confronting it can we let go of what’s unneeded and move towards what is next for us.
It’s a common theme. And one which many entrepreneurs face, I believe.
Picture a startup founder whose big idea went up in flames. First, they sulk. Then, in the ashes, they find their next big idea — plus a hard-earned dose of humility. That ‘failure’? Just another plank on the bridge. In that plank there is resilience, self-awareness, and new ideas that shape their next venture. It may feel Sisyphean, but failure wasn’t the end — it was simply a step towards the next thing - for which the entrepreneur is now better prepared, more aware of and for, and, able to navigate.
Reason the Third: The Overture Never Ends
Finally, what I love about this (as I do with anything touching on the idea of purpose and meaning) is the use of the term “overture”. An overture is a prelude to something bigger. "
You know the William Tell Overture? The one with the big finish?
Listen to it - now. Then come back to this.
What do you notice? It’s all buildup. It is continually opening to something greater. Even at the end of the song, there is a sense of lingering - of waiting, of hoping - for what is to come after.
Life’s like that too—always opening, always unfolding, never quite done.
That’s big. In the existential sense, Nietszche may be hinting that our life is simply an overture for what is to come in the afterlife. Maybe.
The existential psychologist, Rollo May, argued that meaning isn’t something you find, but something you create through action, choice, and engagement with life.
Alfred Adler emphasized the importance of striving for significance—a forward-looking process of contributing to something larger than yourself.
Point being - this isn’t final. There is, in fact, nothing final about anything we do or are. Rather, they are all ways of being that give way to something else, something next, something that our work and life serves as a bridge to.
And, now, action.
So what do you do with this information now that I have blown your mind?
Living as a "bridge" means embracing a mindset of continuous becoming. To tie to the work of Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset, take on a “growth mindset” - view challenges and failures as essential parts of learning and development.
Here’s how this can apply to life and work:
Reflect on Transitions: Ask, "What am I transitioning toward?" Journaling on that question or discussing it with a coach or therapist can help clarify what’s next on your bridge.
Embrace the "Going Under": When you face setbacks or losses, recognize them as opportunities for reinvention. For example, a career setback might be the nudge needed to pivot toward something more fulfilling.
Cultivate an Overture Mindset: Treat life as an unfinished symphony. Each step - no matter how mundane - is part of a larger narrative you’re crafting - even when you don’t yet know what that narrative is.
Want to go Deeper?
Ready to cross your next bridge? Let’s figure out your next step together. Get in touch.
See you next week.
