The Non-Linear Path: When Seemingly Unrelated Skills Become an Asset

The strange nature of non-linear paths

There is often a quiet assumption that once you choose a path, you should follow it closely. Education systems, career advice, and even well-meaning mentors tend to reinforce the idea that progress is linear: pick a direction, specialise early, and minimise deviation.

For many people, this works. It is safe, legible, and socially understood.

But it is not the only way to build a meaningful or coherent body of work.

When I was in secondary school, I remember being torn between subjects that pointed towards law and those that leaned towards physics. I ultimately chose law, without fully understanding where either path might lead. At that time, I certainly could not have imagined that years later I would be learning game development — including 3D modelling, animation, programming, level design, music composition, and visual effects.

Looking back, I do not regret that decision. Nor do I wish I had followed a more “traditional” route into creative or technical fields.

There is a common belief that paths like these are mutually exclusive — that you are either, for example, a lawyer or a game developer, analytical or creative, structured or imaginative. In practice, this is rarely true. Skills compound in ways that are not always immediately obvious. Legal training sharpens structure and argument. Research builds patience and precision. Music develops intuition and pattern recognition. Creative technologies demand systems thinking, discipline, and problem-solving.

What may appear unusual or unfocused from the outside often becomes an advantage once those skills are brought together under the right conditions. Information is asymmetrical across time: we make decisions based on what we know in the moment, not on what only becomes clear years later.

An outsider - or a CV reviewer - may view a non-linear path as unfocused, but it may be that each decision was the right one given the information available at the time. I did not know I wanted to pursue a PhD until that opportunity appeared, almost like a fog light revealing the road just ahead. It was the right decision at that time, just as it was the right decision to step away from academia afterwards (even if temporarily).

The challenge is that non-linear paths are harder to explain — to others, and sometimes to ourselves. They do not fit neatly into standard narratives. But that does not make them wrong. The ability to approach problems from multiple perspectives is not a weakness; it is a form of resilience. Many of the most adaptable and effective thinkers are those who have learned to translate skills across domains.

This does not mean ignoring practical realities. Life imposes constraints, responsibilities, and trade-offs. Not every passion can become a full-time pursuit. But even within those constraints, there are often small, deliberate ways to explore, learn, and build one project, one skill, one experiment at a time.

What initially looks like a detour can, over time, reveal itself as an underused path.

Rather than fixating on what may be replaced, it is worth asking a quieter, more practical question: what can I do today to be one step closer to the work I want to do? Consistency and dedication naturally lead to progress — and progress rarely arrives without failure along the way. As you take incremental steps you will reveal a path or end up craving your own new one.

Underused path: psychological discomfort

Following the underused path does not shy away from risks. Even with a clear goal, non-linear paths are mentally demanding. The next step is often always unclear, guidance is limited, and progress is difficult to measure. You must understand that you will need to become resilient and confident in yourself and face limited or no external validation – you may even receive critical opinions. Keep your goal and motivation in mind if you feel this is what you need to attempt; break milestones into smaller and smaller tasks, that allow you to achieve something small each day. That alone will be your driving force in those days of solitude.

I must admit, I should try to use social media more for my own business endeavours, partially it can be fear of opinions, fear of no one caring, it could be laziness; a small objective, such as “write one blog post” or “write one piece of social media content” feels like a mini-achievement. You must do the same with your own endeavour. On the other hand, when I was pursuing my PhD, I would have clear tasks and goals for the day and if I felt mentally exhausted one day, I would still make a “softer task”, such as researching and finding articles and books that I should read for the next day or week.

Don’t think about the journey, think about the next few steps each day; sometimes you may do 20 and other times you just need to take a breather and get your bearings. Just keep focused and always keep the momentum up, a small step is still forward.

Institutional linear bias

The reason that many individuals and companies may think in linear paths, is that we have been instilled linear paths throughout our education and that learning must be done in specific ways. It is concerning to see so many entrepreneurs explain that they have often failed dozens of times, or hundreds, but in school and university you are essentially confined to succeeding on your first go.

Consider schools, sometimes students that are naturally gifted in certain subjects may (sometimes) be allowed into more advanced class but usually, all children will need to learn the same things, and it is assumed to be at the same rate. If a child is ahead then they have to wait, if a child is behind, they need to catch up. Although this standardised approach makes for an easier and more manageable environment, it fails to consider the dynamics of learning and the idiosyncrasies of children (and adults for that matter). Some students may learn better through more creative and visual cues and tools, and others with more structured learning. One is not necessarily better than the other, because if the outcome is that the children learn, then both are valid.

With the general premise that you need to succeed on your first time in school and university, it is no surprise that people will choose the safer and well-trodden path to their endeavours in life. Alas, this structure of learning fails to teach and instil the ability to be truly adaptive and resilient. This is why when it comes to tutoring, or coaching my students, I ensure to develop their ability to be critical and reflective in all aspects of their work, particularly, how they approach a problem. Learning how to dissect a problem or challenge is the long-term skill that leads to full independence in the pursuit of the unknown. Whilst reviewing model answers can help convey what is expected to receive a particular grade, this technique does not enhance one’s ability to be inquisitive. Unfortunately, from what I have witnessed and experienced, critical thinking is being taught less, I ensure it is a fundamental part of my teaching and coaching.  

We live in a world where information is at your fingertips; you can learn anything you want at minimal or no cost. Everyone can now use AI applications to further enhance and streamline learning– although, they are not always correct (for now). Thus, you need to be critical of the information you obtain from AI and the internet, learn to verify data, test assumptions and be critical. The fact that information is arguably on overload, it is now more important than ever in history to develop your ability to be critical, since there is also a lot of irrelevant (or questionable) information on the internet, and not everything is created and posted with intellectual integrity in mind.

Relevant now, relevant later – always useful

Embarking on a non-linear path is one that is certainly appealing to those who are quite adventurous and willing to explore. Throughout your life you will undoubtedly learn new things in life, new facts, new stories, which may not seem to provide any tangible benefit to you in the moment (and possibly never for your lifetime), but it is important to at least consciously acknowledge that all knowledge has its uses but its utility may be confined to specific circumstances. For example, if you read about arbitration as an alternative method of resolving disputes but you work in a completely different industry, you may feel this has very little relevance to your own work but perhaps, later on, you decide to run your own company - this may become a critically important piece of information that helps you consider the legal structure of your business and whether arbitration may be useful to you in the event of a dispute.

My experience in law, academia, audit may initially appear to have no relevance to my endeavours in game development but that could not be further away from the truth. The ability to think, structure unknown and novel complex projects is particularly important for setting a compelling philosophical and metaphysical lore system in a fantasy setting and for designing game mechanics that mirror an understanding of institutional corruption and “human” behaviour.

No right or wrong path – just your own path

Keep an open mind, listen to everyone, understand their perspectives, advice and consul but fundamentally, you make the decision if you are persuaded. A loud voice is not necessarily right, and many times it is the opposite. Learn to be critical and evaluate, reflect, think through each piece of information. Play devil’s advocate with yourself. Whilst the rest of the world may know more about any one field more than you, no one knows you better than yourself. If despite everything you have heard from people you are still determined to try your path, such as trying to embark on a career or work in a completely different industry where everything may be covered by a fog or varying degrees of mist thickness, then consider how you will learn to navigate that environment.

If you can play the long game, it gives you the time to really embark on something exceptional because chances are there are very few, if any, that will have your experience and knowledge and you may be the exceptional person that may really provide true value but you have to get through the thick fog first. Take that first step into the fog of knowledge and discover your path.