I recently came across a word I wish I’d known 30 years ago (thanks Rand Stagen):
Coddiwomple — to travel in a purposeful manner toward a vague destination.
In other words, my entire career.
We’re taught to have a plan. A five-year vision. A clear destination with bullet points and a backup plan. But if I’m honest, most of the meaningful chapters of my life didn’t start with clarity—they started with curiosity.
A hunch.
A nudge.
A slightly irrational “yes.”
Looking back, what seemed like detours were actually directions. What felt vague at the time was just life refusing to give me the full map.
And thank God for that.
Because if I’d known exactly where I was going, I might never have taken the risk. Or worse—I might have optimized my way into a smaller life.
Coddiwompling isn’t about being lost.
It’s about being open while moving.
There’s intention—you’re not drifting aimlessly. But there’s also humility: you don’t pretend to know exactly how it all turns out.
Which, if we’re being honest, none of us do anyway.
So if you’re in a phase where the destination feels fuzzy but something inside you says “keep going,” you’re not off track.
You’re coddiwompling.
And sometimes, that’s the most honest way to travel.
If this resonates with you, you might appreciate my recent Midlife Chrysalis podcast episode with our cowboy guru Lee Johnson who quotes African tracker Boyd Varty, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I know how to get there.” You also might appreciate Lee’s workshop (with his beloved Melanie) that starts this Thursday for the weekend: “Inner Tracking: You Are the Path.”