I recently listened to Abbi Jacobson’s memoir “I Might Regret This.” (As a side note, I did not regret it.) 

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Throughout the (audio) book, she tells the story of her post-break-up, heartbreak-inspired cross-country journey from New York to LA, where her journey is as much about distraction and running from your problems as it is a cautionary tale of running directly into them.

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As the ever-so-wise Mike Brady of Brady Bunch fame once said, “Wherever you go, there you are.” It was very that.

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Abbi’s words never rang more true than 36 minutes into chapter 13 when she paraphrased American playwright David Mamet. She says, “If you have a plan B, you’ll inevitably fall back on it.”

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“If you have a plan B, you’ll inevitably fall back on it.” Wow. I sat with that.

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As the type of person whose plans have plans, this was seismic news. 

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I immediately thought of my own journey into UX. After over ten years in graphic design and eighteen years of all types of work in the hospitality industry, I’ve begun to pursue UX Design. I love it. It’s become the perfect cross-section of my graphic design experience and my love of creating experiences through empathy for users (customers. clients.) of all types. 

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Despite this love, my mind has been nagging at me with “what ifs.” What if you don’t find your way in such a saturated field? What if it’s not what you thought it was? What if you aren’t who you thought you were? The list goes on and on. And on.

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But as I heard Abbi speak truth to her own power, fully leaning into her own creativity and belief in her art, something lifted in me. 

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The what ifs became what if I don’t do it? What if I give up on myself? These options seemed unbearable. 

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What if Abbi would have created a plan b and the world went without Broad City or A League of Their Own or even this book?

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What if I’m more than I understand myself to be right now? I have the opportunity to be a contributing part of a collaborative team and a voice to users who cannot speak for themselves en masse.

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I realized going head first into a new life, a new career, and a new version of myself is the only way to be.

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No plan B. Only plan T from here on out. (note: plan T(aylor) if you missed it.)

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