Rules of the Road #1

This summer has been about massive change in my life, and as someone who is risk-averse it has gone surprisingly well. I've encountered a lot of unknown situations and new working experiences that have tested my attitude. My job now mainly consists of transporting our gear from city to city and then running operations for our events on the big day. In case you didn't know, this is the truck I'm driving all summer: 

Yes, that would be 7 parking spaces needed to park this sucker. Let's just say I didn't have a ton of training before we hit the road. Nor was I incredibly excited to leave a "safe" desk job to essentially become a truck driver. As the days go by, however, the truck has grown on me. It's been easier to maneuver and the trips have gotten shorter. There are absolutely bumps and bruises (and flat tires) on the road, but they've been teaching me great life lessons. 

 The first thing I noticed driving on long stretches of two-lane highways is the art of passing. When I first started driving, I hugged the right lane at 65mph out of pure fear. I had no idea what I was doing and didn't dare pass a single vehicle. Clutched the steering wheel until my knuckles were white. And it took FOREVER to get to my destination (thank you to my trusty co-pilot for her patience). 

With time and experience comes a familiarity with the task. Now I can drive faster (still within the speed limit...sorry I'm boring), and I can take one hand off the wheel and hang it out the window. And now I can pass cars and trucks that aren't moving fast enough. With that said, I'll still follow some people in the slower lane until the time is right. Being comfortable and confident doesn't mean you can floor it for your whole journey. 

This is a lesson our generation misses constantly. We're surrounded by 20-something millionaires and BILLIONAIRES who have achieved an incredible level of success at such a young age. By the time we graduate from college we're ready to move out of that slow lane and kick the crap out of life. The only problem is we move too fast initially to conform to society's image of "success" when in reality it would be best for us to slow down and follow for a while. I spent two years at a job that helped lay a great foundation for my professional career, but required some 24/7 effort that really burned me out. All that time I felt that if I took on more work I would have a breakthrough and become truly "successful". I failed to see the value of moving slowly and watching those ahead of me. 

Obviously there are a lot of other factors that matter when determining a career and what makes you successful, but no matter where you're going there's a great value in making patient and calculated moves. Whether you like it or not we won't all be millionaires, but we will all have a chance to move up in our chosen fields. Only you will know when the time is right, but for now recognize the value of preparation and observation. They're valuable skills that will help you navigate the unknown.