Featured image credit: Kamil Pietrzak on Unsplash

I’ve been reading What color is your parachute? by Richard N. Bolles, to better understand what I want to prioritize in my work. This isn’t about a job title but instead figuring out what I value. Written out like this, it doesn’t look like much; this is the distillation of quite a lot of work.

Here’s what the diagram could look like — but I prefer text and the space to fill things in for myself.

1. Preferred people to work with

My Holland Code: RIS (realistic, investigative, social)

• Curious and analytical thinkers
• Innovative and open-minded explorers
• Supportive and kind collaborators
• Self-sufficient, independent and reliant team members who follow through

2. Preferred working conditions

Here’s how I prefer to work:

• My own space: A workspace that I can set up exactly how my brain needs it at that time
• Spacial flexibility: Some days I need to concentrate, some days I do well in a coffee shop. Some days I want loud music or the ability to move.
• Schedule freedom: I have agency on when meetings happen and how I structure my time
• Good light: Natural lighting whenever possible, and comfortable, practical lighting options
• Close the door to end the day: At the end of the day, I need enough space to be able to walk away from my work, be that in an office or an extra room.

Yes, most of that does indeed work very well in a remote set-up.

3. Transferrable skills

I’m a systems level thinker rather than a generalist or deep specialist:

1. System architecture (crafting frameworks that make complex things manageable)
2. Pattern recognition (seeing connections others miss, connecting the dots)
3. Information synthesis (transforming overwhelming data into actionable insights)
4. Adaptive problem-solving (finding unconventional solutions that create results)
5. Self-directed iteration (continuously evolving approaches based on results)

With the following traits:

• Curious (my intellectual hunger drives everything)
• Quick (cognitive agility that processes rapidly)
• Adventurous (willingness to explore uncharted territory)
• Enthusiastic (bringing genuine energy to ideas)
• Practical (grounding possibilities in what actually works)

4. Fields of interest

My true interest is in underlying patterns and potential for reconfiguration. I want to talk about how to make things work better, whether it’s an AI implementation or a knitting pattern.

• Systems Architecture (how components fit together to create functional wholes)
• Applied AI & Automation (putting intelligent systems to practical use)
• Adaptive System Modification (my cross-domain hacker/modification mentality)
• Information Design & Organization (creating navigable structures for complex data)
• Continuous Knowledge Acquisition (meta-learning)

5. Salary

I’d rather not put numbers here – the internet never forgets. However, I’d like to share the benefits that are important to me:

• Fully remote
• Space to learn
• Help others
• Exercise leadership
• Intellectual stimulation

6. Geographical location

I want to live in Sweden, though I’m not sure on which city yet.

The following are important to me:

• Seasons
• Alt. cultures
• Sense of community
• Learning culture
• Mountains

7. Purpose

Oh gosh. I’ve been trying to figure this out for years and a few pages in a self-help book is going to help me? Much to my surprise, it did – with a little help from AI for clearer formulation.

I illuminate pathways to wisdom by building intellectual bridges where knowledge flows freely and minds grow consistently. I create cognitive frameworks that help others navigate complexity with clarity, offering tools for wiser decisions and more meaningful lives. I champion freedom of information, informed choice, compassion, and our responsibility to improve what we touch. Whether through teaching or system-building, I’m a waymaker, helping others find their path.

I’d like to add this further context. There’s a profound difference between being a wayfinder and a waymaker. Wayfinders navigate their own path through complexity, but waymakers build bridges and create infrastructure that allows others to navigate that same complexity for themselves.

I do feel like this text is ambitious. Who am I to say that I illuminate pathways to wisdom? This is what I aspire to achieve.