Deciding for Poland
Decision making is one of the most important skill in life. The quality of your decisions determines many things ahead. Today I write about a single shattering career & personal decision taken which I thought was a risky one but it became one of the best decisions that changed the trajectory of my life. Always remember decisions only become a good one when the outcome is successful.
It was a breezy autumn evening, when I checked the email and there it was. The news I have been waiting for the past months, a news that made my heart stop and breathe fast simultaneously.

I’d thought to myself, it has finally happened. This is it! - “You´ve got what you are looking for”. I closed my laptop momentarily and opened it again, just to be sure that the email was real. It was indeed real!
I finally got a Job offer letter for a dream position and opportunity. Location in Poland!.
The times that preceded this day were comparable to the current Corona times. The financial crisis of 2010 was in full swing even though as a foreigner in Germany, it did not make much sense back then, but unemployment rates soared high.
I had applied and interviewed casually for a German speaking Project Manager role 2 months prior. Trust me, my German skill at that time was in no way close to business proficiency but that it was faith and determination in me taking the wheel.
I really didn’t expect much, perhaps I was in it for the job hunting experience, why will this prestigious Fortune 500 company want to hire me- impostor syndrome crippling my thoughts. Regardless of the self doubts there it was:- a profound news that put me in an utter confusion.
Offer letters give no room for negotiation and I must give a feedback in 2 weeks. This brings me to the main “gist” of my story which is on making decisions, what do you do when you are faced with tough judgement call?
I am an immigrant in Germany, roughly 4 years old in the country at that time with 3 kids under age 6 and here was I considering uprooting my family to an untested waters.
Moving from Germany to Poland, is like jumping from frying pan to fire in a Nigerian popular urban slang.
Where do I start from? Deep within in me, my heart and soul wanted this job because it offered exactly what I sought minus the location.
So what considerations did I apply to decide
- This decision was for me. I was not seeking validations. “In times of interpersonal conflict, choose the path that will leave you most internally calm. Peace of mind is the precursor for happiness”- Jaap Vergote. Decisions made by you and for you will keep you sane in good or bad times.
- No need to figure it all out. Even with the job application, I did not have answers for everything. I only thought about getting started with micro steps and more resolutions will be made to take care of things as they proceed.
- Acknowledge and prepare for the risk. The truth is that you cannot predict the future, even poor decisions can lead to good outcomes but I kept my eye on the risks associated with the move. The biggest concern was my children’s education.
After much discussions, intercessions and with a very supportive husband, I was on my way with my children to a foreign land in less than 8 weeks. My life as a single mum began.
Wroclaw Poland was shockingly cold, it was winter when we arrived and as of 2011 they were still embracing inclusivity and diversity. I was probably the only black female in the entire city and my kids were the first people of colour the other kids had seen both in reality and mainstream media.
Few weeks in, I began to re-evaluate my decision, and thought it was the worst one of my life but my strong feeling of the intended outcome kept me hoping.
Almost half a year in Poland, the kids were picking up Polish words, my daughter was going to start Grade 1 in fall. My husband and I did not have enough funds for an international school and the employer was not sponsoring such but Mercy said No.
Dramatically, remote work opportunity opened up which allowed me move back to Germany and to start a full time Home office, with a quarterly 3 day trip to Poland.
Today the rest is history. I launched my career, built a solid foundation for my current exciting career in IT and a network of amazing life long friends and colleagues.
I brag to my kids, that I’m willing to move to Singapore for an opportunity, who knows! Making this decision again would be based on my considerations above and I strongly believe that experience and outcome will always prevail and be worth it.
Concluding, I love this popular saying, “When there is a will, there is a way”. Think about it, do you remember about a time when you made any decision which became the best in hindsight.