Item 1 on this list of deathbed regrets is living the life you want, and there’s a great quote that refers to the idea of being “fully committed.” I’ve not done a great job of that over the past several years, and maybe longer. It’s been a combination of things, of course, that led to that outcome. One of these has been not fitting inside the circles on the Venn diagram of careers but rather in the multidisciplinary odd spaces created by overlapping interests and skills.

I like words; I like numbers. I solve fuzzy problems. I make hard decisions. I build whole systems in my mind from seeing a single piece.

That’s a very different description from “lawyer,” “consultant,” or “investment banker.” It’s been hard for me to figure out how to create a better path without trapping myself with a name, or getting wrapped up in the label that makes it easier for other people to get a handle on what I do.

I know that I made “build” one of my themes for the year, and I’m not sure that I’ve done such a great job of that. I’m doing okay on pursuing the other two themes, so that’s okay.

Over the next week, I’m going to stir the pot and take everything that’s been stewing in my head, pour it out, sort through it, and serve up a tasty plate of pure Rick. I don’t honestly know whether that will be sweet or savory, crunchy or chewy. But it will be a self-generated epiphany.