I’m going to make a prediction about you: You didn’t plan this. Whatever you’re doing right now, wherever you’re sitting, whatever title is on your business card – I’m willing to bet it wasn’t in the original plan. Oh, you had a plan. We all did. Beautiful plans. Detailed plans. Plans that made perfect sense. Life looked at those plans and said, “Cute. Now watch this.”
West Virginia Forever (Or Not)
Here’s what my plan looked like when I graduated from Purdue Veterinary School in 2001: I was going to be a mixed animal veterinarian in West Virginia for my entire life. Done. Simple. I love West Virginia – my home, mountains everywhere, knew the people. I’d treat some dogs, deliver some calves, maybe buy into a practice. Stay put. That was literally the whole plan.
Fast forward to today: I’m in Iowa. IOWA. Running hospital operations at Iowa State’s teaching hospital. West Virginia is 800 miles away, and I haven’t practiced clinical medicine in years. So, you know, minor deviation from the plan.
In between? I started a veterinary practice in my garage (my GARAGE), ran an eBay business on the side because apparently one career wasn’t enough chaos, accidentally became a teacher, built an accredited vet tech program from scratch, ended up directing nursing programs at Purdue, and now I’m here in the corn fields managing a teaching hospital. None of that – and I mean NONE of it – was in any plan I ever made.
Your Turn to Laugh
Which brings me to you. Think back to when you graduated. What was the plan? Where did you think you’d be today? Are you laughing yet? I’m guessing the answer is somewhere between “well, sort of close” and “not even in the same universe.” And if you’re honest, where you ended up is probably way more interesting than what you planned.
Here’s what’s funny about career planning: We treat it like following a recipe. Do Step A, then Step B, and you’ll end up at Success. But careers are less “follow the recipe” and more “throw stuff in a pot and hope it doesn’t explode.” Well… Sometimes it explodes. And sometimes that’s the best thing that could happen.
When Disasters Turn Into Wins
Remember that job you didn’t get? The one where you were PERFECT for it, and they picked someone else, and you went home and questioned everything? Where would you be right now if you’d gotten it? I’ll tell you something that sounds insane but I believe it’s true: Some of your career’s best moments showed up disguised as failures. That layoff forced you to try something new. That crashed project taught you what you’re actually good at. That terrible boss motivated you to finally leave. That rejection saved you from something worse.
We spend so much time avoiding “mistakes,” but honestly? Those are usually the good parts of the story. Think about it: If everything had gone exactly according to your plan, you’d still be doing exactly what 22-year-old you thought was a good idea. And let’s be honest – 22-year-old you was kind of an idiot. I say this with love. We all were.
The Network You Didn’t Know You Were Building
Here’s another funny thing: How did you actually get your current job? Was it your flawless resume and strategic career planning? Or was it more like… someone remembered you from a random conference. A former colleague mentioned your name. You helped someone three years ago and they thought of you. All those years you were just trying to do good work and not embarrass yourself? You were building something more valuable than a resume. A network of people who know you deliver, who trust you, who think of you when something opens up. And the hilarious part? You probably weren’t even trying to do that strategically. You were just being decent. Showing up. Doing the work. Turns out that’s the actual strategy.
Maybe Someone’s Steering
When you look back at your career – all the unexpected turns, the slammed doors, the random opportunities – does it feel totally random? Or does it kind of feel like maybe something was steering? Like someone had a better plan than the one you made in your college dorm? I’ve noticed something weird: When we look backward, all those “random” events don’t seem so random. That job loss led directly to your best opportunity. That unwanted move introduced you to your mentor. That project you got stuck with became your specialty.
Call it God. Call it the universe. Call it luck or karma or cosmic comedy. Whatever you want. But maybe our plans aren’t the final word. Maybe there’s a better script we can’t see yet. And maybe the universe has a better sense of humor than we do.
How to Roll With It
So here’s what I’ve figured out after planning to spend my entire life in West Virginia and somehow ending up in Iowa: Make your plans. Have your goals. Dream your dreams. Just don’t marry them. Because the best stuff probably won’t look anything like what you planned.
A few things that actually help: Look back at your “disasters” – list three career moments that felt like failures. I bet they’re wins now. Stop keeping score with people. Just help folks. Be decent. Do good work. The “networking strategy” is just being someone people want to work with. Say yes to weird opportunities. The stuff that doesn’t fit your plan is usually the good stuff. My garage veterinary practice didn’t fit the plan. Here we are. And when things go sideways, get curious. Instead of “Why is this happening TO me?” try “Where is this taking me?”
Now Tell Me Yours
So here’s what I really want to know: What’s YOUR story? What “disaster” turned out to be the best thing that happened to you? What door closed and forced you through a better one? Drop it in the comments below.
And if you’re reading this right now staring at a closed door, wondering if this is where it all falls apart? It’s not. This is probably just the universe saying “Hold on, I’ve got something better in mind.” You’re going to laugh about this later. Trust me on that one.