Changing Lanes

I have a habit when I am driving.

If I know I need to make a turn a few miles ahead, I start worrying about getting into the correct lane immediately. Even when the turn is nowhere close.

Once I'm in that lane, I feel relieved. But sometimes that means sitting in slower traffic or refusing to move into an open lane because I'm worried no one will let me back in later.

Most of the time, when I simply drive in the lane that makes sense and move over closer to the turn, it works out just fine.

I think we approach our careers the same way.

We take a job because we believe it is the right lane for the job we want three moves from now (you've probably heard: just suffer in it for a few years and it will open doors for you later down the road).

We pass up interesting opportunities because they don't appear to follow the most direct route.

We try to position ourselves years in advance for a turn we may not even want by the time we reach it.

I have taken opportunities I did not enjoy because I was certain of where they led, and watched people arrive at the same place using other roads.

Of course, planning matters. Some turns really do require getting into the right lane early, like if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, you do need an MD or JD. There is no merging your way into that at the last minute.

But many careers aren't like that.

Not every decision needs to be optimized around a future we cannot predict. There are usually multiple lanes, and sometimes entirely different roads, that reach the same destination.

Maybe we do not always need to know the right lane several miles before the turn.

Sometimes we just need to keep moving, pay attention, and trust ourselves to change lanes when the turn gets closer.

So if you are sitting in a lane you chose years ago for a turn you are no longer sure you want, you are allowed to look around and see what else is open.

You don't have to choose every lane miles in advance.