How do you approach the ifs in life?

Life is full of choices; that’s why it’s spelled l-if-e. IF is the operative word in life. Think back to the choices you made — and those you didn’t. Both got you where you are today. You chose your path. IF you had made the other choices, your today would be different.

I remember the choice of a 64-year-old guy with no pension who decided he couldn’t live off social security. All he had was a fried chicken recipe. He figured he would give his recipe away to restaurants in return for a percentage of sales from the chicken dinners they sold. He’d trust their honesty on the count. All the restaurants had to do was buy the “fixin” ingredients from him — a risk-free deal for the restaurants. He called on 904 restaurants before

Jim Pawlak one said yes. What IF Colonel Sanders had given up after calling on the 904th restaurant?

Then there’s the IF facing one of my readers. Instead of plunging into a career after college and marriage, she chose to stay home to raise her family. When she finally entered the workforce, she chose a job as an administrative assistant. Why? She liked the work. In her mid50s, she chose to leave the workforce to take care of her sick mother.

After her mother’s death, and now in her early 60s, she’s trying to reenter the workforce. It’s not skills that are keeping her unemployed. Those are current. It’s five years out of the workforce and age that’s against her. She’s done some temp work, but no long-term assignments. She’s discouraged and has every right to feel that way. But, IF she quits trying, then she’s quit on herself. IF she does that, she’ll be playing Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda for years to come. No one wins that game.

Now for the IFs in my story: I didn’t start out as a journalist. With a bachelor’s degree in management and an MBA in finance, my career started in Ford Motor Company’s college graduate training program in 1971. IF I had turned down a lateral assignment to a position within Ford Credit in 1982, I wouldn’t be writing this column.

That assignment ultimately led to a VP’s job in sales and marketing in 1985. My Ford career was going great until early 1992; I was offered a promotional “opportunity” in another subsidiary. IF I accepted, I would report to a micromanaging jerk. IF I turned it down, Ford and I would part ways. IF I was confident in myself, I could find another opportunity. I took a leap of faith in myself.

It was a tough job market in 1992 — national unemployment was nearly 10 percent. I wrote to my hometown newspaper and asked IF I could write about my job search. The business editor figured I’d write some columns, generate some self-publicity and an employer would pluck me from the unemployment line. I thought so, too.

Then I began getting lots of mail from readers and I began changing the column’s focus from me to them. The business editor noticed and said, “Go for it.” I named the column “Career Moves” and adopted a tagline for responses to readers: Make Moves, Not EXCUSES. Never Quit.

I made $7,217 in 1992. That wouldn’t work for the long term, so I wondered IF other newspapers would buy the column. I began sending samples and still do. Over time, a good number have signed on.

The IF in l-if-e should be looked at long-term because you have to live with your choices for decades. Shaping your tomorrow requires committing to your IF. Just remember that what got you to point A rarely gets you to point B. Why not? Things change. For example, look at work today: You need computer skills in many jobs. Highly paid workers are knowledge-based. Most heavy lifting is done by robots programmed by those workers.

The IF in l-if-e should be looked at long-term because you have to live with your choices for decades. Shaping your tomorrow requires committing to your IF.