That seat in which you’re sitting right now? It’s not going to be the same one you’re sitting in the day you retire.

I’m not a betting man, but I feel that’s a pretty safe bet.

You see, jobs aren’t permanent. They haven’t been for a long, long time. And yet, we all get caught up in the idea that they might be.

This might be the job I keep forever. I might love it so much here, that I’ll stay. And stay happy. My kids will work here.

Phooey. Not going to happen.

Somewhere, in the recesses of our brain, we got attached to this idea that a job was a marriage. A til death do us part arrangement. True blue. Forever and ever.

But that’s a mistake. Your career isn’t even a marriage. Your career is a serious relationship, but it’s not a marriage.

And jobs are even less serious. Jobs are like dating.

Now, to keep myself from being completely cynical, there are some cases of true love. Some jobs turn into careers. Some careers turn into a lifelong commitment. But those are happenstance. Luck.

Whoopee. Lucky you.

But, they’re not the standard. They’re the thing of folklore. Something with which to regale the masses.

But you’ve got to break that thought. You’ve got to say it.

I’m not going to retire from here.

Because you’re not.

And if you treat it like a marriage, then guess what? You’re going to be getting a divorce every few years.

Hoo boy. That will be fun.

I’m not going to retire from here.

And that, that little phrase, will give you the vantage to think about your career. Or, more importantly, to think about you. What do you need? What should you be doing? What will help you grow?

Get a little selfish.

You’re not going to retire from there.