You don’t buy an umbrella when it starts raining.
You get one on a sunny day, not because you expect a storm, but because you know storms come. And yet, when it comes to our careers, our well-being, and our personal growth, too many of us move through life as if clear skies are permanent.
We know, because we see it every day, that the people responsible for our professional and emotional well-being don’t always show up when we need them. We know that organizations, often driven by shifting priorities, leadership changes, and market forces, can’t be counted on to make decisions in our best interest. And we know that loyalty, commitment, and long-term contributions, while noble and valuable, do not always guarantee stability.
But this isn’t an argument for job-hopping or for always having one foot out the door.
Quite the opposite. The best careers are built on deep, meaningful work – on loyalty to a craft, a team, an organization. They are built by those who commit fully to their work, not by those who spend their days hedging bets. The goal isn’t to be in a constant job search. The goal is to have options.
And options don’t just mean alternative jobs. They mean cultivating skills, building relationships, maintaining financial stability, and strengthening emotional and spiritual resilience. They mean investing in yourself when things are good so that if circumstances change, you are not scrambling – you are ready.
A strong professional network, for example, isn’t something you build in a panic after a layoff. It’s something you nurture over years through genuine relationships. Financial security isn’t something you think about only when faced with job loss; it’s built through habits long before you need it. Personal growth, whether through reading, learning, or exploring new ideas, doesn’t happen when you suddenly feel stuck; it’s a lifelong investment that ensures you never are.
There is nothing disloyal about preparing for the unexpected. There is nothing cynical about making yourself stronger. In fact, the opposite is true – by investing in yourself, you bring more to your team, your organization, and your craft. When you have options, you are not working out of fear. You are working with clarity, with purpose, with confidence. You are in a position to choose rather than to react.
The world is unpredictable.
Organizations change. People make decisions that may not always consider your best interests. That’s reality. But the antidote isn’t paranoia; it’s preparation. And the best preparation is not a frantic search for alternatives when things go wrong – it’s a quiet, steady commitment to your own growth long before you need it.