It's Not all About Winning
Tags: datascience, career
Published: 2019-12-15 16:51:06

This is a cross post from my personal blog on 02-02-2019 [https://waylonwalker.com/blog/journey/](https://waylonwalker.com/blog/journey/)



_This is my story into data science._

# The Journey Begins

I am addicted to the process of learning and improving my skills nearly to a fault. The reason I say nearly is because my addiction is fueled with results.  I crave the output of my work enhance the work of others.  I jump with joy as I see users gain insights they could have never imagined before.  My mouth starts watering as I see their boring repetitive data mining activites be completed in a matter of seconds, opening up their mind to focus on their expertise.  The day I stop learning will be the day that I start looking for another career path. 

> It's not all about winning.

_~Mom_

This happened to me in 2014.  I have a mechanical engineering degree and had a really good position at the time.  I owned full engineering control of a small subset of engine components.  The problem was that Everything is so proprietary and hardly documented the process of learning did not click with me.  I felt like I had learned a lot about the product early on, and was stuck without anymore resources to learn more.  On the side I had started learning python and data science techniques to enhance my job.


![mountains in the fog](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1575058752200-a9d6c0f41945?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=500&q=60)
> Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash



> Everytime the I feel like I have reached the peak of any one topic the fog clears and I can now see a whole new mountain range that I did not know existed.

I was addicted.  I felt like there is so much knowledge easily obtained online in my free time, and I was able to take it back to my job and achieve results.  Everytime the I feel like I have reached the peak of any one topic the fog clears and I can now see a whole new mountain range that I did not know existed.


# Love the Journey

By 2017 I was really good at gaining results for our business, and decided to make the jump to the data science team.  I have achieved great results, and have been recognized as a high contributor to our business.  Still I do not feel like I have won.  My goals are always moving and will always be 3-6 months ahead of me.  I truly enjoy the process of learning, and providing value so much that I will never let myself sit back and think that I have won and its time to reap the rewards of my hard work.  I will say that I am winning.  Not because of any results, awards or recognition, but because I am happy.  I have found a career path that I really enjoy the journey and I am not just trying to get on the fast track to a destination.

![exploring](https://images.unsplash.com/uploads/1411949218166d2b71460/5f516109?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1650&q=80)
> Photo by Michelle Spencer on Unsplash

> Life is too short to stay on a path you do not enjoy. 

Enjoy the journey, explore new paths, and do what brings you joy.  Life is too short to stay on a path you do not enjoy. Focus on the process not the Destination.