Slow down.

It is so important to pump the breaks, practice patience, and actually give yourself the time it takes to develop new skills and start a career. Just like the uncertainty of choosing a college between 16 and 18 years old, how are we supposed to know what we want to do for the rest of our life when we graduate college? I didn’t know what I wanted to do at 22. I still don’t have all the answers. In 2017, I was so thankful that I had been accepted into graduate school – I was interested in studying education, but it also bought me another year. It gave me time to focus, to find clarity, and to explore options.

By developing new skills and interests before we decide on starting a career path, we give ourselves more time to consider what we want to do. And I am talking about when we “start” a career, not when we choose one. Every job or business we accept as our own presents constant challenges and growth. At times it feels like the same job we have had for years is changing, as if we are starting something new. So what does developing new skills look like? Is starting a career only for people who just finished high school or college? I think people constantly feel like they have to keep up with change whether they are 19 or 59.

Some people experience success early. Gymnasts peak in their teens and early twenties. NFL players play an average of 3 seasons depending on their position. Even the “long” careers of Roger Federer and Serena Williams that we have been so fortunate to watch, ended this year with both athletes at 41 years of age. Assuming Federer and Williams planned accordingly, they probably won’t have to worry about finances ever again. But they still have to transition from their busy training and competition schedules to life after professional tennis. Life expectancy is moving up into the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Retiring at 41, or even in your 60’s, leaves plenty of time for pursuing other interests and paths. And even if we don’t accomplish all that Federer and Williams did, transition is difficult and happens to everyone.

I need to take my own advice on this. I always want to create something new, save and invest more money, and become the best father, husband, employee, business owner, athlete, friend, son, person, etc. that I can be. That’s a long list. Some people have sent me questions about why I cover so many different topics at Practice Optimism, and question my ability to be an expert in so many fields. I do not claim to be an expert and I wouldn’t even say it’s one of my goals. I simply want to offer a positive message about life since it requires us to juggle a lot of tasks and commitments, regardless of our expertise. Whether it is your workout routine, diet, career, family, or anything in between, stick to working hard at the basics and see how far it takes you.

You Have Time: Slow Down, or Speed Up?

I have been watching Netflix’s series, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, while I run on the treadmill in the morning. It’s nice to zone out during cardio exercises and it is fascinating to me as it is a sport unlike any other. There are several forms of racing, even similar driving styles that require drivers to navigate turns and straightaways at high speeds. But Formula 1 is different. The capabilities of the drivers and their cars are unmatched. The unquestioned obsession from the athletes, the crew, and the ownership teams is remarkable and backed by more funding than most people can imagine.

Now, I just started this article with a very simple idea: slow down. However, sometimes it is helpful to explore opposites to gain additional perspectives. In Formula 1, drivers have to maintain a level of performance so high during races and preparation, the rest of their life seems to move at half speed. Slowing down requires patience, creativity, and repetitive practice. Outside the lines of the track, drivers are not living at top speed. But speeding up, or going as fast as possible also requires patience, creativity, and practice. Not every turn or maneuver happens at 200mph, there are brief stops for tire changes, refueling, and breaking around turns. Contradictions often present similarities and when contextualized, the priorities can align. As I consider both ideas, I think about how going slow or going fast need each other. One can’t exist without the other. So whether you are driving for Formula 1 or figuring out your career, going fast and slow are inevitable.

Consider another contradiction. Throughout the show, drivers, owners, fans, and journalists say things like, “These races are not the final stage of practice, young drivers need to win. Getting to this level is one thing, staying here is another.” There is pride in reaching this level of competition. The money, fame, and constant adrenaline highs lead to a very exciting lifestyle. The show also presents questions like, “What are the expectations for the promising rookie drivers this season?” which get answers like, “We expect them to push down on the right pedal more than the other drivers.” So is meticulous engineering and training necessary to win? Or just the simple idea of pressing the gas more than other racers? A sense of simplistic humor is a great way to allude to how much work actually goes into pressing your foot down on the gas pedal.

Understanding Time: Jost Capito

Jost Capito is the current CEO of the Williams Racing Formula One Team. In his long career as a racer and motorsport manager, Capito has led top tier engineering teams to develop the best racing engines possible at companies like Porsche, BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen. Capito’s team is included in Netflix’s series, and he is known for his contributions in management more than his racing. But in his 30-year career, he has been part of motorcycle racing, rally car racing, and basically anything that is not Formula 1. He has worked with some of the top car companies in the world and still does today. A deeper dive into his career shows that the process of career exploration does not always go quickly, smoothly, or according to plan, especially on the road to success.

In September 2016, Capito joined McLaren’s Formula 1 team and by December, 2016, just 4 short months later, they parted ways. His career was moving quickly, but not in the direction he thought. We will never know every detail of what happened, but from the news coverage, it sounds like Capito and McLaren’s leadership team disagreed on what needed to happen to make a winning team. Did they question Capito’s knowledge of the Formula 1 landscape? What I want to know is how he got the position in the first place. Consider starting a business, or the responsibilities of a hand surgeon, for example. All of someone’s hard work and time leads to experience. The finished product for a business owner is eventually selling products or services to customers. The finished product after med school and residency is performing the hand surgeries. Starting and running a profitable restaurant does not mean someone can open a car dealership with the same success. A hand surgeon typically operates on hands, not spines or faces, and they probably don’t deliver babies. Capito had decades of experience in engineering and racing but not necessarily in Formula 1. It is not to discredit his accomplishments, but to understand the significance of his transferable skills in understanding why Capito, and people in general, are hired for positions where they have little direct experience.

If you struggle with the race of starting and maintaining your career, consider stories like Jost Capito’s and others with decades of experience. Trying something for 5 years, gaining experience, and then deciding what’s next still leaves you with 25 more years of options. Most people work for more than 40 years. That means you could have two, 20-year careers. It takes time. Be patient. Learn as much as possible from contradictions and always remember that you have more time than you think. Enjoy speeding up on the straightaways, but remember that races are won on the slow corners and with the support of a great pit crew.