Nadie podrá entenderte, solo uno mismo podremos entendernos, las respuestas están dentro de uno mismo, no están en el exterior. Sin limitarnos podremos alcanzar cada reto que se nos interponga. Esto, es vida.
"I want to switch careers, but I’ve invested 5 years in the path that I am on and I fear that if I switch now I am going to have to start over. How would you think about this?"
Most people idealize careers as clean linear trajectories. They are not. They are windy, messy and filled with ups and downs.
This is not uncommon. What is common is every person thinking *they are different.*
Why is that important? Well when you think you’re different in this situation, you get stuck:
You don’t want to go backwards and are crippled by some combination of FIRE (fear, insecurity, resistance and ego):
- Fear: “I feel like I am going to fail. I don’t know what I’m doing”
- Insecurity: “I’m not where I am supposed to be at a certain age”
- Resistance: “Am I going to fit in this new environment? Maybe it’s not meant to be”
- Ego: “I know too much and am too good to start over”
But if you internalize this as a common pathway - that careers have peaks, valleys and all sorts of elevation in between - you understand that it is normal to go down to go up. It’s a really freeing insight. Understanding this at its core removes artificial constraints and barriers from your thinking.
More importantly, it focuses you on the right variables to consider in this situation.
If I were making the switch I’d ask four questions:
- Peak: How high can I go?
If I make the switch, what is the potential upside of this new direction? How does it compare to the current direction I am headed for?
- Velocity: How fast can I get there?
If I make the switch, am I set for a slow and long grind or is it a curve that will require deep learning and familiarity, but once I am up to speed I will be able to accelerate on?
Another consideration when you’re thinking about velocity, is consider compounding. At five years into your path, you’re likely just getting to a stage where the benefits really compound. Year 6-8 is not going to be a linear ascent; it could be exponential - so make sure if you’re switching you understand this.
- Endurance: How sustainably can I get there?
Will you personally endure the path for a long period of time? Building on the point about compounding, real gains come when you’re 5-10-15 years into a journey.
Now whenever I think of my involvement in anything - I try to think about if it’s a journey I can see myself lasting on. It turns out you are sometimes your biggest competition.
- Personal Fit: If I get there, how do I feel?
Envision you’ve climbed the mountain top! High fives all around, you’re the man! (or woman!). Do you feel great or do you feel empty?
This is something people spend too little time on in my opinion. The worst thing in life is playing the wrong game. Make sure you give some thought to how you might feel if what you set out to accomplish came true.
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