Extend Your Timeline
I heard a phrase while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, “The Opt Out Life,” recently that really resonated with me. I honestly don’t even remember what the episode was about, but sometimes a few words are all it takes to get the wheels spinning. Dana Robinson, one of the hosts, said the words “Extend your timeline” and somewhere amidst my daydreaming those cut through.
I often find myself following the “What’s next?” rabbit hole. I guess that’s somewhat inevitable in a career that relies on finding the next job, the next client, or having the next lucky break in networking. And in itself that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I believe that planning, ambition and foresight are incredibly important for success. But along with that has to come patience.
And that’s where “extending your timeline” comes into play. You can consider all the cliches: “It’s a marathon not a sprint.” “The long con.” “Lost the battle but not the war.” However you slice it, you have to remember that the thoughts, plans and ambitions you have today may take a while to come to fruition. And if you don’t accept this, it can feel like a real punch in the gut, or rather a series of very slow punches in the gut as your expectations of a quick rise don’t pan out. If you’re thinking on an extended timeline, however, this can open up a whole new world of possibility. You can do it right. You can try all the things you wanted to do and you can invest in those future ideas and ambitions, betting that in the future they will pay off for you.
For me this has begun manifesting in the past couple years. I put in the time, work and strategic networking as I’ve struggled along. And I’ll be the first to admit that when it didn’t pay off (and when things haven’t panned out that I thought should over the years) I was beyond bummed. In many cases I was devastated and went straight into a tailspin. It made me question if what I was working toward was the wrong direction. But when it clicks, when old connections reach out, it feels so fulfilling and renewing, giving me the motivation and energy to charge back into my career. And, ironically, it makes me think of things in even more extended timelines. When I think in the long term and plan to overcome short term disappointments and “failures” I can plant seeds. I can step away from negative experiences that tear me down. All because I know that my life and career is much more than today, tomorrow or the next day.
Am I where I want to be? Of course no! Am I satisfied and completely sure of every move I’m making? No way! I’m restless and largely unsatisfied. The curse of the visual vagabond I guess. But am I on my timeline? Absolutely. And the possibilities are endless. I’m living on my extended timeline.
- GALEN MURRAY -
VISUAL VAGABONDS Owner/DP
