Both accompany us on our journeys. Both help us transport what we need and what matters most. In this sense, they’re equally useful and necessary.
But in the negative, baggage tends to describe emotional weight: old obligations, difficult experiences, unhelpful traits, or unresolved trauma.
Luggage, by contrast, evokes freedom, movement, confidence, and readiness for what’s next.
Regardless of how you interpret them, we all accumulate “stories” throughout our careers — experiences we inevitably carry with us.
Leaders we admired. Organisations where we never quite fit. Teams where everything just worked. Roles that felt misaligned. These stories become part of our professional identity.
Some of what we carry serves us well. Some of it holds us back.
If you notice recurring patterns in your working life — inertia, frustration, ambivalence, rumination — or if you sense that changing certain behaviours could help you build better relationships, find clarity, and enjoy your work more, partnering with a coach can be an invaluable starting point.
There are always many factors at play within any workplace system. But taking ownership of what is yours to change is often the most powerful first step — one that can transform how you show up in every environment.
If this resonates, or if you are beginning to think about a career shift in 2026, then as someone once said in the 13th century:
“Out beyond ideas of right and wrong there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
If you’d like to explore what that field might look like for you, feel free to contact me at rupert@strongerhumans.com for a free 30-minute exploratory conversation.
