Today's workplace is unpredictable. Career changes brought by downsizing, business mergers, technological advances, deregulation and less restrictions on international trade regulation have become part of our lives. To survive and thrive in the present turbulent workplace, one has to prepare with foresight rather than hindsight. I learned the importance of honing skills, knowledge and abilities in my youth. In Kangundo, Kenya, there are two seasons, rainy and dry.
Farmers plow and plant corn during the dry season when the soil is loose and easy to turn.
With the corn seeds in the ground, farmers know their crop will germinate when rain falls. Planting in the dry season also ensures that the corn seeds are not unearthed by squirrels because it impossible for them to tell which spots have seeds and which do not when the soil is dry. When we do things because we are forced to, it is like planting after the rain falls. Anxiety, panic or illness may set in and curtail our success. It is easier to learn the skills you need for your next position while you are at ease with your current one.