The Compass Blog

It’s Never Too Late

Kathi Noaker

During my long ocean swim this morning, I was pondering this thought: It really is never too late. Living somewhere I could take daily early morning ocean swims has always been on my bucket list. And being in my sixth decade on the planet, bucket list items tend to take on a sense of heightened immediacy. But at the same time, it also can be easier to settle. And maybe that’s how it is for so many of us, no matter what age we are. It’s just the path of least resistance to stay put instead of taking a leap into the unknown. But, I have the heart of a seasonal.

When I was 18, I left my hometown in Pennsylvania, drove to the Wasatch Mountains in Utah where my older brother provided a soft landing. My first seasonal gig was in the winter of 1978, working nights for a janitorial service cleaning office buildings and the Park City Ski Resort’s main lodge. And I continued to work seasonally, and then put myself through college working seasonally, until 1997 when I joined my friend and CoolWorks founder Bill to help him grow CoolWorks. So, turns out, I’m a big “leaper”. And I’ve always been blessed by the net appearing, sometimes just in the nick of time. 

In the last two years – and during a pandemic – I fell head over heels in love, moved to another country where English is not the native tongue, and built a little house. ALL of those required a leap and a net. And I am SO happy that I did not settle because now I’m taking those early morning ocean swims. Check off that bucket list item.

This summer season, as vaccination rates increased and Covid restrictions decreased, we’ve received lots of emails and posts to our CoolWorks Community from folks that said some version of – “I’m new, I’m ready for a change, and I want to give seasonal work a try.” And this from people of all ages – from those in their 20’s to mid-70s. I venture to guess that for many, the pandemic led to some reevaluation. We certainly all got a lesson on how precious life is and how fleeting it can be.

You may be perfectly happy where you are in your life right now, and if that’s the case, bravo! Since you’re here with us on CoolWorks, you may just be adventure-seeking, bucket list-making, pondering leaps of faith. So if you’re feeling unsettled and ready for a change but there’s a myriad of thoughts telling you why you can’t or shouldn’t make the leap to a change, well, I’m here to tell you, there really is no better time than the present to be present with your hopes and dreams. And if your thoughts are telling you, things are ‘good enough’ or it’s too late, listen to that deeper inner voice. Because it’s there. Trust me.