A Visit to Adelaide and a Lesson on Life's Fragility

Thank you for reading my latest article A Visit to Adelaide and a Lesson on Life's Fragility.

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Recently, I travelled to Adelaide to meet a client I’ve partnered with for the past three years. I didn’t need to make this trip; we could have continued working remotely as we’ve done all along. But I wanted to meet them in person and, truth be told, I’ve always wanted to see Adelaide for myself.

As I prepared for the journey, I found myself thinking about a colleague and friend I used to work with in the UK, John. John was one of those rare, great guys who lit up a room. After getting married, he decided to take the plunge and move to Australia, just like I did. I remember in the months leading up to his move, John meticulously created a spreadsheet with metrics like average house price, precipitation, hours of daylight, and temperature to decide which city in Australia to call home. The spreadsheet results pointed to Adelaide.

So that’s where he went, starting a new chapter of his life in the sunshine. He would send photos of his weekends in the Barossa Valley, sipping local wines, enjoying the best of what Australia has to offer. He seemed to be having the time of his life. But then, just a few months later, tragedy struck. John passed away suddenly at the age of 40. 

None of us saw it coming, and I’m sure John didn’t either. His passing is a constant reminder to me of life’s unpredictability. We make plans, we envision a future, but we never really know how much time we have. John's story reminds me to embrace opportunities, to connect with people face to face when possible, and to appreciate every moment, because life is short.

The Key Takeaway

You never know what’s around the corner. Life is fragile, and often, it’s shorter than we expect. While we can plan and prepare, we must also live fully in the present. Take that trip, meet that person, seize the opportunity. The best time to make meaningful connections and live fully is now.

What’s something you’ve been putting off, waiting for the “right” moment? Maybe that moment is today.

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About Adam Morton

Adam Morton is an experienced data leader and author in the field of data and analytics with a passion for delivering tangible business value. Over the past two decades Adam has accumulated a wealth of valuable, real-world experiences designing and implementing enterprise-wide data strategies, advanced data and analytics solutions as well as building high-performing data teams across the UK, Europe, and Australia. 

Adam’s continued commitment to the data and analytics community has seen him formally recognised as an international leader in his field when he was awarded a Global Talent Visa by the Australian Government in 2019.

Today, Adam is dedicated to helping his clients to overcome challenges with data while extracting the most value from their data and analytics implementations. You can find out more information by visiting his website here.

He has also developed a signature training program that includes an intensive online curriculum, weekly live consulting Q&A calls with Adam, and an exclusive mastermind of supportive data and analytics professionals helping you to become an expert in Snowflake. If you’re interested in finding out more, check out the latest Mastering Snowflake details.