Episode Summary
This episode is about the weight of sunk cost, and what happens when the time, effort or identity tied to a past decision starts influencing what we choose next.
I reflect on my own experience of leaving law after years of study and training, and the difficulty of recognising that something can still have been valuable without needing to remain the right path forever.
The shift is simple: to notice whether you are choosing something because it still fits, or because you have already invested so much in it.
By the end, you’ll have one question to sit with over your tea:
If you arrived at this point today, knowing what you know now, would you choose it again?
Today’s episode is brought to you by: Jasmine Chun Hao, a light, delicate and floral tea, with a freshness that suits this episode well. For me, it brings a sense of lightness and fresh perspective, which makes it a good tea to sit with when you are looking at something again with clearer eyes.
In this pause for tea, you’ll discover:
00:52 Why past investment can make a decision feel heavier than it really is
03:41 Using the cup in your hands to come back to the present moment
05:04 My experience of spending years training and working as a lawyer before questioning the path
06:30 Why changing direction can feel like calling the original decision into question
07:03 The moment I realised I had to answer the question in front of me, rather than the one I had already invested in
07:49 What may have changed since you made your original choice
08:10 The question to ask when sunk cost is keeping you stuck
09:50 Why a fresh-start moment can help you look ahead without automatically repeating what came before
The time you have already invested does not have to decide what you choose next.
Resources and Links
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Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.
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Erica x
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