Funny thing about life…the only constants are death, taxes, and CHANGE!
I’m not going to talk about death or taxes. I am going to talk about change. My wife says that change to me is “Pain followed by agony followed by torture!” I have to admit, she is mostly right on this one. I really don’t like change that much. But, when you are in the military, or a first responder, or even an elite athlete, you will have to face the facts that you will likely have a change in careers at some point.
Think about it:
Military – only a small percentage of those in the military stay in long enough to “retire” at 20 years. And of those that retire, the vast majority find themselves looking for a new career field. There are some careers that translate pretty closely to careers outside the military, but often, military members find themselves having to rethink their long term career goals. The bottom line here is that everyone leaves the military. The problem I faced was that being in the military was all I really ever wanted to do. Facing the huge change of not being in the military any more was overwhelming!
First Responders – You all work just as hard or harder as those in the military. The dangers you face are often as great. The possibility of something happening to you either in training or on the job that could end your career as a first responder is high. You too should have the Plan B, or what do I want to do if something happens that keeps from doing First Responder work. The toll on your families is also hard. The hours and expectations have wrecked havoc on many families.
Athletes: I watch young people who only want to grow up and be an Olympian or professional athlete all the time. For those that make it, their careers are usually not that long. Even for those who make it into the elite where compensation is extremely good will need to have another plan when their body forces them to change from competing to finding something else to fill their time.
Something you find in common with everyone above is that many are Type-A personalities. They are driven to success and you don’t generally find they have the need to be actively engaged in something. So here is the point. You should expect that at some point in your life, you are going to have to face the change of not doing what you love to do. You need to be open to finding that next “love” and preparing for it in advance. You need to learn how to drive change and not let change drive you!
Your changes in life will come, like it or not. Will you be ready for them?
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