I have always been something of a planner. That’s good, right? If you can map out a strategy or set up some steps to achieve a goal, it can’t hurt.
The trouble comes when you’re not so good at follow-through. Or you’re somewhat inflexible and a change in plans throws you into a tailspin instead of helping you advance.
It might be the graduation season that’s bringing up these thoughts as I listen to new graduates describe their plans and career goals. Unlike some who think we’re “doomed,” I have great hopes for our future generations.
As I’ve aged, I’ve worked on anticipating and accepting change. To being more open to making a change when necessary or advisable. It’s rare these days that I’ll just shrug my shoulders and say, “Whatever,” then expect someone else to help me out when push comes to shove.
Sometimes our plans are more like dreams. Dreams are fine to have, I believe. They give us hope and help us formulate visions so we will recognize when a dream holds more than a wish, but opportunities. Many of us (most?) do this when we are young. We make tentative decisions about what we want to “be” when we grow up. Some even take college courses designed to bring a specific career about—then the culture or the marketplace or SOMETHING changes and the dream job may no longer be viable.
That’s when it’s good to have a back-up plan. I remember watching something recently but can’t remember if it was a movie or someone in real life. They declared they had no back-up plan. Their one desire HAD to work because there was no cushion, no alternative. I suppose that, in itself, is a strategy. It might work for some but would require laser focus on the goal. For most of us, we need some idea of an alternative route that could be taken if things don’t work out quite the way we planned. At least that continues to be the case for me.
The truth is life often hands us cards that are different than what we might have expected. This can be on so many fronts, not just careers. For instance, when I was young, I always pictured children and being somebody’s grandmother, living surrounded by some great-grandchildren until time to go home. I always saw my husband navigating the family life with me on top of our chosen careers.
That’s not how things turned out. I couldn’t have planned for this, but I’ve learned to embrace a strategy that helps me live out the single life I’ve been given and at times, to take another step. I consciously choose to continue to engage in life and keep dancing, as the title of my first memoir notes. The strategy is faith. It’s trusting God—whatever the circumstance.
In the jobs area, we either plot it out or fly by the seat of our pants. (Fiction writers are often asked if they are “plotters” or “pantsers.” How we do life is pretty similar.) I prepared and planned for a career in clerical work, which put food on the table for many years. Businesses of all sorts continue to need support staff. But when I look at the trajectory of my work history, I am reminded that we often need to be flexible enough to veer from the expected to 1) remain employed, 2) to accept opportunities we may never have imagined and 3) keep from freaking out when life hands you lemons. Turning these into lemonade can be a survival skill and bring unexpected blessings.
Sometimes changes require re-training. Many a factory worker who has found themselves out of work after companies merge or move understand this route. You do what you need to do to keep working, whether it’s in a similar career path or a decision to make a radical change.
It might not have been all that radical when I launched a second career as a journalist after those clerical/secretarial years, but I realize now that it was by being flexible and open to opportunities and learning new things that opened the door. I know in my heart that God also “apprenticed” me in various work as a means to take those early dreams/plans and put wings on them. It’s about preparation. Readiness. Positioning and willingness to work your plans.
Statistics note the average person today will change careers five to seven times during their working lifetimes. Approximately 30 percent of the total work force will now change jobs every 12 months. The average American has been at their current job just under four years (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
That’s a lot different from before. Few work the same job for a lifetime. I think younger people realize this. Kudos to those choosing dual or triple majors, hedging their bets for the future. To students entering the trades, areas where good workers are truly needed right now, I say, “Good choice!”
And to all our graduates, congratulations. May you have a prosperous and fulfilling life!
(Contact contributor Deb Wuethrich at deborahmarcein@gmail.com)
