Yet...

My oldest monkey just started middle school, so we had back-to- school night. Kind of like an open house, but more-so the teachers introducing themselves to the parents, and covering the topics they’ll be teaching. Like the students, we’d go from class to class in order until the very abridged 10-minute bell went off. 

One of his teachers, (science) had decorated his office with cool sciencey things, even a really nice Jackson acoustic guitar, but one thing that stuck out was a plain piece of paper, with the word “yet” written in thick black marker. 

Granted, growing up, very few teachers couldn’t command my full ADD attention, (and this pretty cool teacher dude didn’t either). BUT, his sign got me. His philosophy. I completely blanked out, staring at this word, realizing its simplicity was absolutely one of the biggest lessons in this class. 

This school. 

This life. 

It’s the ellipses that produces grit and success, while acknowledging an acceptance of failure to be a mere facet of iteration. 

It’s the catalyst of  “hang on, what if I…”

When we’re super young, like toddlers to around five, parents use “yet” as a limiter. 

“Ice cream?”

“It’s 512am, not yet.”

“Go to Disney?”

“It’s 512am and not yet! But soon!”

And the classic..

“Are we there YET?”

As parents, we need to re-map that word and stop weaponizing it. Make it a driver, not a hinder. Make it yell hope.

Simply, the word “yet” can mean something that can transform how we see challenges. It turns “I can’t do this” into “I can’t do this YET,” opening up a world of possibilities and encouraging us to keep going, keep learning, and keep growing. 

It doesn’t stop there as kids. Look at us old, dusty folks. 

As adults navigating our jobs/careers/relationships, we get in our own way, we don’t think about the”yet”. We might find ourselves thinking, “I can’t make pivot tables,” “I’m not ready for that promotion,” or “I can’t switch from SaaS to some crazy weed company.” But what if we added a “yet” to those thoughts?

• “I can’t make pivot tables yet.”

• “I’m not ready for that promotion yet.”

• “I can’t switch from SaaS to this crazy weed company yet.”

I mean, I’m going through it right now. Between a magical thing I left and the next magical thing I start. For me, my “yet” means finding the right fit, the right timing around when I’m done devoting 100% of my life/life balance crushing LEGO with my kids and living in a bathing suit. 

I’m on day 92 of my four-day weekend. My “yet” is coming soon. I’m open and accepting of yet. 

When we accept the power of “yet,” we allow ourselves to see our careers as really cool journeys, like a video game with bosses and challenges we need to destroy or navigate, rather than a prescribed fixed A to B path.. 

The coolest thing, is that it reminds us that we are constantly evolving, learning, and growing—and that our potential is always expanding.

So, the next time you feel stuck or unsure about your career path life choices, or even personal passion endeavors, ink this into your soul - it’s not that you can’t do it, it’s just that you can’t do it yet.