One Step at a Time

In this week’s Thought for the Week, I’d like to share the translation of  a German saying that describes my life over the past few months quite accurately: “When there’s no way forward, keep moving until one appears.”

About three years ago, I lost everything I had built my life on – my flat, most of my belongings, and my life in Hamburg. I moved back in with my parents, into my childhood bedroom. Strangely, that decision brought a sense of freedom. But the fear of not having enough to live on stayed with me.

At the beginning of this year, things became even tighter. There was a moment when I couldn’t even afford health insurance anymore. And still, out of experience, I had this quiet knowing: solutions tend to appear when I keep moving. When I could no longer afford a hotel in London after first getting to know St. James’s Church at Easter 2022, I started pet-sitting. Responsibility in exchange for a place to stay. My deal. The first time someone trusted me with their home and their cat, I felt grateful, slightly overwhelmed, and deeply honoured. I still look after that cat – my god cat. And that one experience led to many others.

Today, I get to spend long stretches of time in London and across England, caring for animals and meeting open, generous people. What began as a necessity has become something I genuinely love.

At the start of this year, when I no longer knew how to cover even my basic needs, I found myself doing the same thing again. I didn’t have a plan. I simply looked for the next step. In fact, while dog-sitting in Castle Cary, I started thinking about how to earn money. I remembered that student assistant jobs are often well paid. So, an almost absurd thought appeared: I would have to become a student to get one of those jobs. I followed that thought. After some research, I found a degree programme I could study remotely. And to my own surprise, it wasn’t just practical – it sparked something in me. It became more than a solution. It became something I genuinely wanted. Now, at fifty, I’m a Cultural Studies student. And it feels like coming home – to literature, history and philosophy. I’ve only just started, and I’m curious to see where it might lead.

At the same time, I began applying for jobs. Not guided by passion or purpose, but by a very clear intention: I needed a stable income. Maybe a role in the background. Administrative work. Structure instead of creativity. I’m an engineer, a journalist, a coach, a book author. I lead technical conferences, shape content, work closely with the automotive industry and moderate presentations on-site. The new job wasn’t about status; earning money was the only thing that mattered. The only condition: the role had to be entirely remote. The idea of fixed office hours in one place still felt overwhelming to me. Compromises – yes. Playing small – yes. Betraying my own values – never! I was clear about that in all applications.

A few weeks later, I signed a contract. After more than twelve years of being self-employed, I am now working full-time as an Executive Assistant. The job is fully remote – which, in Germany, feels like a jackpot. It gives me the independence I had been longing for. After the first three weeks, I can say this: it’s not easy, it’s not glamorous, and my supervisor is demanding. But it allows me to cover my living costs and gives me space to rebuild. To continue my pet-sitting. To keep one or two of my own projects alive.

Looking back, none of these steps came from a clear vision. They came from accepting what is and responding to it. Just moving forward.

Have you seen the film or the musical – ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’? That’s it, really! Isn’t life a pilgrimage? Step by step. Don’t look at the whole journey – just the next step. One of my favourite lines from the musical mirrors something that might count as a life motto: “The art of getting lost is the key to being found.” Each of us has our own path, our individual challenges or turning points. And all I can say from experience is this: Don’t stand still! Keep going! Walk on — the road will rise to meet you. If you don’t know what to do next, if you are afraid, if there’s no bigger picture yet – take the next step anyway. Be open to what may emerge, to new opportunities. Even if it feels strange at first. Keep walking until the way opens.

And for the coming week: What could be the next little step? Just one step at a time.