Have you ever heard a song on the radio and felt like its words were what you needed to hear at that moment?
Recently, I heard Cody Johnson’s “’Til You Can’t” on my way to work. The song stayed with me for the rest of the morning. It made me think about the chances we delay, the conversations we put off and the goals we keep waiting to pursue until life gets less busy.
I wondered if someone might read this post and need a little encouragement to take a step they’ve been postponing.
What are we waiting to do until the timing feels perfect?
That question hits home in college sports, where the calendar is almost always full. Seasons overlap. Deadlines keep coming. There’s always another event, another responsibility or another reason to say, “I’ll think about that later.”
I’ve made a career move when the timing wasn’t ideal.
In December 2010, I left Texas A&M University-Commerce, now East Texas A&M, for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. December is a difficult time to change jobs in college sports. The season is underway, the work keeps coming, and a move means stepping into a new place while leaving familiar people and routines behind.
I went into the transition thinking about the job and the department. I came away learning more about myself.
The change showed me that I could enter an unfamiliar setting, listen, adjust and keep learning. It also made me think about what I wanted from my work beyond a title or a school name: a chance to contribute, room to grow and people I could learn from.
The job taught me about the department. The transition taught me about the kind of professional I wanted to become.
That doesn’t mean every opportunity is the right one or that you should make a major decision on impulse. Timing matters. So do your responsibilities, your goals and the people affected by your choices. But waiting for a perfect moment can become a way to avoid making any move at all.
If you’re trying to build a career in sports, your next step doesn’t have to be dramatic. You don’t need to have your whole career mapped out. You need to identify one useful action and take it.
Maybe that means applying for a job where you meet the main qualifications, even if you don’t meet every item on the list. Maybe it means asking someone in the field for a short conversation, creating a work sample, updating your resume or thanking a person who helped you get this far.
A small step can give you information. You may learn that a role is a better fit than you expected—or that you need to prepare in a different way. Either result helps you move forward with more clarity.
A few steps you can take this week
Name the step you’ve been putting off. Be specific. “Work on my career” is too broad. “Ask an athletic communications professional how they built their portfolio” is something you can do.
Put a date on it. Choose a day in the next seven days and block out 20 minutes. A step with no date can stay on your list forever.
Reach out to one person. Send a short, thoughtful message. Introduce yourself, explain what you’re exploring and ask one clear question.
Create one piece of proof. Write a game recap, build a sample social campaign, prepare a mock event plan or organize work you’ve already done. Give people something concrete that shows how you think and what you can do.
Reflect after you act. What did you learn about the role, your interests or your readiness? Use the answer to choose your next step.
If you’re working toward a career in sports and aren’t sure what your next step should be, I’d welcome a conversation. Send me a message and tell me what kind of work you’re pursuing, what you’ve tried so far and what feels difficult right now. You don’t need to have it all figured out before we talk.
What’s one step you’ve been putting off—and what could you do this week to begin?
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