Living the exploratory life

When author Anne-Laure Le Cunff, who grew up in Paris, landed a coveted job at Google in San Francisco, her parents were thrilled.

- SANJAY KUMAR SINGH

It offered all the perks of working at a top tech firm — money, travel, and the approval of family and friends.She plunged in with energy and enthusiasm. Then, doubts surfaced. Her youth had been a quest for learning and growth. But now her life had been reduced to meeting KRAs (key result areas) and climbing a predefined corporate ladder. Soon she felt bored and burnt out. To her manager's surprise and her mother’s dismay, she quit.

Instead of pausing to reflect, she plunged into founding a tech startup in Europe. When that, too, failed, she felt unmoored. Soon, however, the disorientation gave way to an unexpected feeling of liberation. Not having a defined path opened up a world of possibilities. She reacquainted herself with an old ally — curiosity — paying attention to conversations that energised her and ideas that attracted her. She took online courses, attended workshops, read for pleasure, and freelanced to stay afloat.