A transfer station is a good reminder: changing direction doesn’t mean the first train was a mistake.

People treat a change of direction as a verdict on everything that came before it, as though the first choice has to be wrong for the second to be right. Usually the first leg carried you somewhere you could see from. The miles still count even when the heading changes.

If you are thinking about leaving a team, a class or a job, write down three things it gave you before you decide. Skills, a friend, a clear sense of what you do not want. Then switch without telling yourself you wasted a year.