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I don’t know about you, but it’s crazy how quickly we can get caught up in the rat race. Despite vowing to myself to never fall into the trap of climbing the corporate ladder, it’s amazing how soon you find yourself doing so. I feel like I blinked and 2.5 years had gone by. I’d gotten a promotion and found myself thinking about the next one. How had time flown by so fast? Don’t get me wrong, I work for a great company and although it’s not seemingly what I want to do long term, is a great place right now. In the past 2.5 years, I’ve gotten: a promotion, a wife, a house and a dog. While I’d always pondered leaving my job, I realized that each day I got a little comfier and complacent. What about you in your own life?
How quickly we get sucked in
Oh our college years. We lived off of so little and were so happy. Our ambitions were big and our dreams even larger. We were going to change the world. Then life happened and our perspective changed a little. Suddenly that dream job we always wanted doesn’t seem as attainable. “It’s just not realistic to be a NGO lawyer in Haiti” or “Who even goes to used bookstores anymore?”. We focus on the path of least resistance, often choosing advancement at our current job as we stay the current course. Life hits your hard once your get out in it, and if you’re not actively staying one vs step ahead, you’ll soon be caught up in the backwash of mediocrity.
Trading future dreams for current status-quo
The unknown is scary and the older we get, the more we are aware of both our own frugalness and limited time on this planet. We’re suddenly aware that somethings just aren’t possible and that often the odds of failure will outweigh the odds of success. Our risk tolerance level slowly goes down as our bills and obligations go up. We find ourselves dreaming less and focusing more on marginal improvements, instead of drastic ones. The old adage, ‘fortune favors the bold’ has been replaced with ‘the nail that sticks out gets hammered’. It’s amazing to me how much of a reality this becomes.
One step back to take two steps forward
I think this expression boils down to what ultimately holds many of us back from chasing our dreams. One step back, like quitting your job and going to grad school; more debt, less income, having to move. What we often forget to consider is that ultimately we’ll be taking two steps forward. Sure grad school will involve sacrifices now, but you’ll likely emerge smarter, more qualified and will hopefully land a sweet new gig. It’s human nature to focus more on the negatives rather than the positives. Our ever growing risk adverseness causes us to focus more on that step back, rather than forward.
Just two steps forward
Let’s stop focusing on the step back and just focus on the two steps forward. Our generation is probably the first to have such opportunities in front of us. We can pack up and move anywhere in the world to live. We can get an education in any number of fields and disciplines. Thanks to YouTube and blogging (fingers still crossed for me), you can become an overnight celebrity (thanks Justin Bieber). The world is truly your oyster. Whatever progress you think you’ve made has certainly helped you and won’t be thrown aside. Your future employer in your next field will look on your current experience and see that you were successful. Successful people always find ways to be successful.
Life is short and although providing for yourself and you family is a noble task, do you really want to have to tell your kids that you sold out and followed the easy path? Taking the leap is never easy but it doesn’t have to be a leap! Take steps in your life now to start aligning yourself towards the future you want. Read a book, take an online class, listen to podcasts, grab breakfast, all simple things that can help you get on the path up wish to take!
Live your life with no regrets, spread your wings, seize the day, find something to daily take your breathe away…you get the picture. Just remember, focus on the two steps forward and not the step backwards!
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