Shoot for the #stars, in #business I try to set ambitious #goals and work towards them. Captured this “shot at the stars” in #Rotterdam. The Zalmhuis is reopening and to celebrate they’ve also put on a light show at night. This blog is about setting goals, working towards them with dedication and my families connection to water.

We were at my parents home a couple of weeks ago on a visit. As usual our talks covered different topics but also touched on some family history. Recently I thought back at our talk and decided to write a little about it. My paternal grandpa had decided in the 1940’s to purchase a sizable plot of rural land outside of Paramaribo, Surinam. It was situated on a at that time uninhabited part of the Saramacca river bank. In previous times the plot of land had been owned by Dutch plantation owners but had been abandoned do to the harsh local living conditions. Nonetheless my grandparents succeeded in cultivating the land and turning it into a farm. The produce from it also was diverse enough to be fully self sufficient. Ultimately they lived there for decades, had children and sold their harvests at market in the capital Paramaribo.

I have admiration for the way they were able to successfully survive in such surroundings, mind you poisonous snakes, jaguars and caimans were no exception! After starting the farm my grandpa over the years specialized in the cultivation of bananas. Because of his dedication in improving crop yield and quality he won several official prizes from the Dutch queen and ministry of agriculture. Apart from setting goals to continuously improve on crop quality he also had to keep the farm running. To do this he’d frequently travel to the capital by means of his own boat while also carrying up to 10t of fresh harvest. These were then sold at market. As soon as my dad was old enough he also started to help, together with his siblings, to farm the lands. This was when they were off from school. Since they lived across the river, and do to distance to the nearest school, my dad was picked up every morning by the school ferry to go to school some miles away. All members of the family very much enjoyed their lives at the farm, although it was hard work. Their daily lives at the same time were intimately linked to living on the riverside and using the river as a resource for farming and a means of transportation.

As I reflected on this part of family history, it’s funny to see how much it of became part of our DNA. Many of my grandparents descendants came to work in logistics, management, or became entrepreneurs. When I look at where I’m at in my career, it’s also closely related to working (and living) near the river. I’m allowed to work on incredible, but demanding shipbuilding projects with many dedicated colleagues. I don’t have a natural fear for the unknown and am always ready to explore. The current state of our industry is harsh, which demands to continuously improve, set goals and stay on top of your game. I have to thank my ancestors for playing such an important role in my own personal development and being awesome role models. It undoubtedly helped to form me and enabled me to Shoot for the stars!

Please see some of the other blogs I wrote on business like “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and “Having fun, an outline of shipbuilding”.

Thanks for reading!