Editor’s Note: While it was not unemployment that pushed Vinod Balan to change careers, I felt the key ideas of how and why he changed careers could help anyone looking for a job.  Here is his story.

The Misconception

I had worked in software development for about five years. The first few years were good.  But, after a certain point in time, I realized that this is not what I want to do in my life. I was always passionate about sports and wanted to be associated with that field. But I didn’t attempt to change my career to that field because it was difficult to get out of my comfort zone, and I had some very narrow-minded thinking.

I used to focus on the risks involved in making the switch.  It would mean rebuilding my career from scratch. I thought only about the problems involved in being part of an unconventional field.

I always thought that the best way of living a happy life is by making sure that no issues or problems ever crop up. I was living under a misconception, as I’d later realize.

A Simple Game of Kicking and Passing

One day, I and some of my college friends decided to meet up in a nearby ground and play football. After playing football for more than an hour, we decided to rest under a tree and chat. Two high school students came up and asked for the ball as they wanted to play, and they didn’t have one. We gave it to them, and they started playing by just kicking and passing the ball to each other.

A New Challenge

They were enjoying just kicking and passing. After watching them for a while, I decided to make it a little challenging for them. I went and stood between the two of them and said they had to pass the ball to each other by making sure that I don’t get hold of it. They found it a little difficult as I kept stopping the ball whenever they tried to pass it to each other. But, along with the difficulty level, their concentration level also increased. When I charged towards one of them from the left, he moved to his right and passed the ball to the other kid. When I charged from the right, he moved to his left and passed the ball. He was analyzing the situation and playing accordingly.

An Additional Challenge

I decided to make it more challenging and called one of my friends. Now, two of us were standing at the centre and the kids had to pass the ball to each other by making sure that I and my friend didn’t get hold of the ball. The situation got tougher, but they decided to bring the best out of them. They knew that simple passing wouldn’t work now. So, they decided to utilize their skills. They started dribbling the ball and flicked it over our heads. They were surprised as they themselves had no idea about this talent that they had.

The Important Learning from the Game

We all left after some time. Even after reaching home, I kept thinking about that game. In fact, I kept thinking about it the whole night without being able to sleep. If the game hadn’t got tougher, if my friend and I hadn’t stood at the center, the kids would have never realized their potential, as they would have just kept passing the ball to each other. I tried to associate the game with our lives. When everything is going well in our lives without any problem, life seems to be very smooth, and we have a positive outlook. But when a problem occurs, then all hell breaks loose.

We find it very difficult to remain calm and composed because we are not prepared to face the problem. We are not prepared because we keep praying every day that problems should never occur in our lives. But in reality, “Problems are part of life.” When a problem occurs, we are getting the opportunity to discover our strength and potential, which we would have never realized if we hadn’t faced it.

During the game, the kids kept analyzing whenever the situation got tougher and found a solution to it. Similarly, when a problem occurs in life, we need to analyze what went wrong. If we find out what went wrong, then we can easily find a solution and make sure we avoid the same mistake next time.

An Open Mind

This simple game changed my perspective. It gave me the courage to come out of my comfort zone. I was now ready to take risk, and also to face its consequences boldly. Next, I had to do something about my narrow-minded thinking. To be happy, we have to be associated with a career field that we like. I wanted to be associated with the sports field but didn’t know how. I thought being a player is the only option.

I decided to open up my mind and look at sports in a broader sense. I was able to see multiple options. I could start a business on sports goods, conduct sports events in my area, provide coaching to little kids, start a sports-based NGO, etc. I realized that it is essential that we all love the work. We may feel that there is just one option in a specific field, but if we love the work, we will see wider opportunities.

Don’t Blindly Jump into Anything

My friend and I decided to open a small indoor game center in a nearby area. We also started a sports-based NGO (Non-Profit Organization) as we strongly felt that sports can be used as an effective tool to improve the lives of the underprivileged. However, we did not jump into this blindly. We had to make sure that we had done all the right research and preparation to start our new venture. We studied the area where we wanted to open the game center.  We discussed it with the right people. We purchased the required materials at a nominal rate without compromising the quality, and we promoted our business well.

More importantly, I waited for some time before I quit my regular job. I had to make sure that I am financially stable before I switched to my new venture. And above all, I had a backup, which is very important before starting a new venture. I decided to utilize my writing skills and became a freelance writer. I did my writing job parallelly whenever I got time. So, even if the sports venture fails, I will have my writing job to support me until I rebuild the failed venture.

The Real Failure

That simple game of kicking and passing changed my life and made me a whole new person. It taught me to become resilient and look at problems and risks from a different perspective. It made me realize what real failure is. When the outcome falls below expectations, that should not be viewed as a failure. Not utilizing our talent should be considered as a true failure. Missing out on opportunities because of the fear of taking a risk is a failure.

The Fear of Uncertainty

There is a saying, “If you are not growing, then you are dying”. We show growth in our lives only when we take risk. Taking a risk means exploring unknown territories. And, sometimes you need to explore unknown territories to achieve a goal. Taking a risk requires courage to face the fear of uncertainty.

Not taking Risk can be the Biggest Risk

While most of us only think about the consequence of taking a risk, we don’t think about the consequences of not taking a risk. One of the major reasons why youngsters suffer from depression is because they stop chasing their dreams, and they keep thinking about it all the time. They keep wondering if things would have been different had they shown some courage.

Fear of Failure Shouldn’t Stop You

What is the worst thing that could happen if you take a risk? You may fail. Would that be so awful?. Always remember, failure teaches you more than success. If you don’t take a risk, then you will never know the outcome and you will forever think about what might have been.

Other Thoughts On Making a Career Change

If you would like additional inspiration to help you make a career change, read 9 Career Change Quotes to Motivate and Inspire.

Also coming soon, a follow-up to this article, info from Vinod on how they found funding for the non-profit. 

About the Author: From Vinod – I am a freelance writer. I had worked in the software field for about 5 years. I was always interested in sports and wanted to be associated with it, but initially I didn’t know how to proceed. Currently, I am running a Sports-Based Non-Profit Organization named Play2Discover along with some of my friends. I have written a few blog posts and articles on sports life skill sessions and on some general issues as well. I have given some motivational speeches through our Non-Profit Organization to some schools and colleges. Through our Organization, we have been trying to improve the lives of the underprivileged.  For more information you can read my book Play2Discover: Improving Lives through Sports.