Yours Sincerely, Signed 26

26 was the year I found myself, not the person I was before or the one I lost, but a better version of all the mes I had been. I realized my life is mine to make or break, and the only person who will always be with Pomy is Pomy. My psychology degree might’ve helped because I became my own therapist, and I think I did a pretty good job.

This year, I made a bucket list of everything I wanted to do before 30, because, somehow, everything I had done since I was 20 felt meaningless. It didn’t feel like enough, and I thought I had to achieve more to make up for the years I felt I ‘wasted.’ Now, writing about those years, it’s funny to see that everything I thought was pointless wasn’t pointless at all. Anyway, I wasted no time checking things off. I rediscovered how much peace writing brings me, and that year, I wrote more than I ever had before.

Another bucket list item? Advance my career. Which came true through joining WaterAid. The job description required over 10 years of experience and a master’s degree in communications. At the time, I had a psychology degree and just four years of experience in content development. By the usual standards, I shouldn’t have applied. I had seen requirements like that and scrolled past them so many times before.?

But this time, something clicked. I realized I didn’t need to meet every requirement on a job description to try. Job descriptions, I had come to understand, are wish lists for the “perfect” candidate, not hard rules for the only person who can do the job. And if there’s one lesson 26 taught me, it was take your chances.

Years later, I had a conversation with my manager that confirmed the way I look at opportunities. He told me that one of the reasons we see fewer women in leadership roles is because men often apply for jobs they’re only halfway qualified for, assuming they can learn on the job. Women, on the other hand, tend to hesitate unless they meet every single requirement. That stuck with me. How many of us are stopping ourselves from even trying because we’re waiting to feel “ready”?

So anyway, I applied at WaterAid. I knew I could handle the role, even if my CV didn’t tick all their boxes. I told myself, “The worst thing they can say is no.” And, I went for it.

After an exam and an interview, I got the job. It was a dream come true and proof that I was capable of more than I sometimes gave myself credit for. But of course, right after joining, I was freaking out because there was so much I had to learn. I remember telling my mom, ‘If I manage to do this job well, I can do anything.’

And I did my best. I taught myself so many things, graphic design, hosting events, leading campaigns, working with the government, interviewing, producing, managing bids, media, web design, and even photography. (This reminds me of the time I was handed a professional camera to take pictures and had to ask Adane Firde how to turn it on!) But a few years later, I managed to get an honorable mention in a worldwide photography competition for USAID-funded WASH programs. So, I would say all skills are learnable.

That job gave me perspective. It took me across Ethiopia to corners of the country I had never seen before. And then there was a trip to Kigali, the calmest city I have ever been to. I remember thinking, If I were a city, I’d want to be Kigali. It was the kind of peace I had been chasing internally, and I carried a piece of it home with me.

26 was also the year I set boundaries for myself, real ones. For the first time, I started treating myself with the same kindness I so freely gave to others. That sounds simple, but it wasn’t. I had to learn to say no, to prioritize my needs, and to forgive myself for not always meeting impossible expectations. Slowly, I let go of what no longer served me. I started redirecting my energy inward, realizing that the only expectations I needed to meet were my own.?

If there’s one thing I hope people take from my 26, it’s this, don’t self-reject. Whether it’s a job, a dream, or a goal that feels out of reach, don’t let fear or doubt make the decision for you. Take your chances, even if it feels like the odds aren’t in your favor. You never know where that “yes” might take you.?

26 wasn’t perfect and I didn’t get everything right. But I have learned to believe in myself, putting myself out there, and realizing that trying, even when it’s so scary is often the biggest win of all.