Stay the Course
The world has changed drastically in the last couple of decades. We have made vast leaps in technology where our egos have grown and our social skills have shrank. We are more likely to talk to someone online than we are in person. It has been a warp speed shift in thinking with a pandemic thrown in to also flip us on our head.
Decades ago, people would go to school, get a job, and retire. That was it. For many people, school was over after the 12th grade, and there were plenty of opportunities to be had. Jobs were taken and, when you got a good one, that was it. You stayed in that trade or profession for the next 40 years until you walked out an old man ready to retire.
Today, the world has become so complex it’s hard to make sense of it. There is a constant flow of information, new apps, new ways of doing things, new types of jobs. Working from home is something that never would have been dreamed of before and is a reality for many people today.
In an environment that is in flux, it is necessary to truly find your compass. You will not be able to keep up with the pace of change of the world around you, but you can manage your own piece of the world. Focus on the things you can control and do your best at those elements.
It’s also important to realize that so much can be learned. We have the opportunity to educate ourselves on nearly everything just by running a search on an iPhone. But just because it’s all out there, doesn’t mean you have to know everything.
Find the things that are important to you. Educate yourself on the things that will improve your life, professionally, socially, and personally. Learn new ways of doing things and stay cutting edge on the things that matter to you. Find your niche in the array of influencers and social media superstars.
There is nothing you have to do or learn or say. The only thing you have to do is keep going. Stay the course.
So many people get lost in the wheel of possibility. Employees are jumping jobs more than ever before. The idea of starting your own business is everywhere and the tradition of working at the local shop for 40 years has fallen by the wayside.
The internet, technology, and the speed of evolution has significantly increased opportunities and understanding. But it’s important to realize that it’s okay to just be yourself too.
You have a lot to offer without the impact of a million followers. Seeing the world with your own eyes and not through a screen is beautiful, and it’s sadly becoming uncommon.
Keeping your perspective makes you valuable. But there should be a balance between traditional ideology and new wave behavior. You just have to use the tools that build the life you want, nothing more and nothing less.
Keep moving forward. If you fail, fall forward and keep going. Staying the course means not giving up when things get difficult. You will learn more through adversity than you will through complacency and stagnation. Push a little further. Climb a little higher. Be just a bit scrappy. Fight for your place among the doers and decision makers. Give it your all.
Then get up and do it all again tomorrow.
