In my late 20s, I discovered a passion for running — and running far.
At the time, I lived in Manhattan, and Central Park became my evening oasis after work. I loved circling the six-mile loop late at night, when the park was quiet and distractions were few, chasing the runner’s high that erased the stress of the day.
That passion led me from 5Ks, to 10Ks, to half marathons, and eventually multiple full marathons.
With marathons, the key is pacing yourself. Like many things in life, success is often less about who is fastest at the halfway mark and more about who can hang on the longest. I’ve tried to carry this concept of patience into my life and career - whether it was waiting for the right partner to come along or the right moment to go for a promotion.
But this article isn’t just about patience - which is, quote-unquote, a virtue. It’s also about why patience and perseverance are only part of the puzzle.
One of the races I signed up for was the Chicago Marathon, famous for its flat course and personal-best potential. The year prior, I had run New York in just over four hours. In Chicago, I was determined to break four.
But I made a big mistake before the race even started.
I downed an extra-large iced coffee, hoping it would give me the right buzz. Big mistake. Coffee is a diuretic, and within minutes of the marathon beginning, I had to pee. I tried to tough it out and held on for ten miles before finally pulling over.
That stop tightened up my muscles, and by mile 13 I developed a cramp. I fought it for the rest of the race and ended up taking about a ten-minute break around mile 20. My family, waiting patiently at the finish line, had no idea if I was going to make it.
I did finish - but it wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t enjoyable.
I share this because your starts do matter.
At the beginning of your career, it’s important to start on the right track. That doesn’t mean your first job out of college needs to be your dream job. But it does mean you should begin learning what you actually enjoy and what you’re good at as early as possible.
Why? Because the more tenured you become, the harder it is to pivot. Over time, you naturally become more pigeonholed into a discipline or sector. Career switches later in life are absolutely possible - but they often come with more friction.
I regularly hear from college students asking how to land their dream job right out of school. The truth is: that’s not the most important thing. What matters most is getting into the right discipline - or at least moving in the direction of one.
And if you don’t yet know what that is, that’s exactly why early-career job hopping can be valuable.
It is simply easier to switch roles and disciplines earlier in your career, when your salary is lower and companies are more willing to take a chance on potential over experience. As compensation rises, the risk tolerance from employers tends to fall.
That’s why, if you’re early in your career and something doesn’t feel right, it’s often better to make the move sooner rather than later.
One important caveat: if your current company offers roles aligned with your interests, an internal move is often the highest-leverage path. When you switch companies, you must learn both a new role and a new organizational system. Switching internally allows you to focus your energy more so on mastering the new role rather than relearning how an entire company operates.
To be continued..