How I Won and Lost My Last Decade

A Review of My 20’s as I Step Into My 30’s

Jake Daghe
22 min readMay 24, 2022
Photo by Martin Reisch on Unsplash

“I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing.” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

I am on the precipice of entering a new year of life. In all reality, it’s no different than any other birthday. Another revolution around the sun, another run around the bases. But turning 30 feels different. It feels more like a doorway and less like a lap. More like a checkered flag and less like a pit stop.

Although it is technically just one additional candle to add to the birthday cake, this one seems weightier, like it’s the one candle to rule all other candles, the one that finds them. The one to bring them all together, and in the flames and celebration, to bind them. Bonus points if you get the reference.

The closer the actual day has gotten, the more I’ve come to be settled in the truth that turning 30 is just another inch on the ruler of life. Nevertheless, it does provide an excellent moment to reevaluate and recalibrate. It is a meaningful “when” if you’re a fan of Daniel Pink. If Chip and Dan Heath are more your style, it is, by definition, a “powerful moment.

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Jake Daghe

Creative Engineer writing working hypotheses | I write what I wish I could have read when I was younger | Join my newsletter ‘I/Q Crew’ on Substack.