As I was returning to Miami on a long flight from Boston, I found myself ruminating on my professional trajectory so far. I realized that a career, any career, is like a plane ride. You get on the plane at one place, take off and fly over a time to another place, rise to a maximum altitude during flight, make connections, then approach your destination for a safe landing. But the most difficult and perhaps even perilous portions of a flight are taking off and landing, especially the landing. Take off requires reaching a critical speed to allow lift. A successful landing, however, is more complicated because it requires a keen sense of timing.
While you are busy flying you may experience turbulence, sudden air pockets — downdrafts and updrafts. On occasion there are headwinds that hinder your forward progress and tail winds that ease it. We are always grateful for the tailwinds, those are the helpers along the way. When approaching your destination you begin a gradual descent and a final approach into the airport, hoping for an uneventful landing.
There are other perils in-flight. There is a sudden loss of pressure or a mechanical mishap or human error, you may not reach your maximum altitude due to unexpected weather, or worse, you may run out of fuel before reaching your destination, requiring an emergency landing, which should be set in advance.
On final approach to your desired destination communicate with the Tower to be mindful of airport traffic to avoid a collision — you must secure the runway at the precise altitude, velocity and location, touching down gently and on time while dealing with weather and wind conditions.
How do you execute a safe and timely landing? First, you must know when you are approaching the end of the journey, preferably according to a preconceived flight plan. You must check the fuel gauge often to know how much time you have left before running out of fuel, for when you are suddenly diverted to another airport and need to continue flying? Timing is everything.
Finally, you will know when its time to hit the hangar for good. But its important to listen to that inner voice. Remember, the end of one journey can be the beginning of another, one you may never have imagined.
Sometimes our careers get in the way of what we are really meant to do in this life. But we can’t know that for sure until we land.