It’s up to you to carve out your place, to know when to change course, and to keep yourself engaged and productive during a work life that may span some 50 years. To do those things well, you’ll need to cultivate a deep understanding of yourself—not only what your strengths and weaknesses are but also how you learn, how you work with others, what your values are, and where you can make the greatest contribution. Because only when you operate from strengths can you achieve true excellence. And we will have to stay mentally alert and engaged during a 50-year working life, which means knowing how and when to change the work we do.
Peter Drucker
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be doing expert witness work 10 years in the future I would not have believed you. Read Drucker’s quote above and read it again. Let these words sink in, especially the wisdom about knowing how and when to change the work you do. I’ve changed the work I do multiple times in my life. I’ll probably change again at some point in the future. Don’t fool yourself. Change of this nature is not easy but it will become increasingly necessary for your career.