This morning, on my usual walk, I noticed a runner. Headphones in, water bottle clutched, he zipped past me with impressive speed. I stuck to my own pace, a steady walk. A few minutes later, there he was, walking – at a pace slower than mine – right beside me. He has stopped running.
This little back-and-forth continued for a while. He would sprint ahead, then slow down, and I’d catch back up. It happened at least four times before he finally veered off in another direction.
On reflecting, I was stuck with a learning moment.
We all have our own pace for pursuing what we want.
Some of us, thrive on consistency – the steady, reliable walk. Others prefer a sprint-and-rest approach, pushing hard in bursts and then taking breaks to refuel.
Both methods are valid as long as they get you where you’re going.
Let’s understand this for career trajectories too.
The diagram shows two paths to a desired career destination. There can be infinite possibilities. It is important to know what suits us well and not follow a herd mentality.
The key, in my view, is to enjoy the journey. Reaching a career destination but not enjoying it is the worst kind of failure we face.
Before you brood looking at someone else’s career path, ask yourself:
Do I crave highs and lows? Am I OK with the risks that come with the highs and lows?
Or do I prefer steady and consistent progress? Am I OK with the tradeoffs?
Let's keep this conversation going in the comments below! Share your preferred pace and your reason for it.
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