Summertime is different from the rest of the year. It’s hotter, of course, but there are many other ways that summer is different: Kids are out of school, days are longer, we wear different clothes and shoes. Work schedules usually change in the summer - depending on the type of work you do, it may be busier or slower than normal. Most people take vacations in summertime, so we travel more, visit family, see new places, try out new things. Leisure activities change too, as concerts move outdoors, grills get fired up, we spend more time biking, swimming, gardening, and mowing the yard.

Despite these changes to our routine, most of us have no trouble adjusting to summer. We see it coming months in advance, we make preparations and plans, we even look forward to it. Perhaps this is because it is cyclical. We have been through the changes many times before in our lives, and we know what to expect. But even so, every summer is different. There are unexpected or infrequent events, like hurricanes, or the summer Olympics. There are things that happen in different stages of our lives, like weddings, or sending the kids away to camp.

Adjusting to change is a life skill that we all need to exercise. In today’s world, change is always accelerating. There is even a theory that the rate of change is increasing so fast that it will go “off the charts” in about the year 2045, leading to a “technological singularity” (www.singularity.org).

In our lifetimes we have seen entire industries come and go. My grandfather ran a livery stable in the early 1900’s - does anyone even remember what a livery stable is these days? Phone booths and typewriters have all but disappeared; newspapers and gasoline-powered cars are next. Travel agents, free-lance musicians, and telephone operators are being replaced by automated systems. In the meantime, we’ve watched cell phones and computers take off, and we’re just now witnessing the birth of the iPad. What’s next - valet robots, synthetic replacement body parts, computer implants?

Apart from technology, we’ve seen huge social and economic changes. Wealth and consumerism have blossomed, but at the same time we have the economic crisis, unemployment, social inequity, and shifts in the global geo-political situation, along with ever-growing population and ever-declining natural resources. In addition, we all undergo huge life changes as time passes: in employment, marital status, children, finances, health, aging, and hopefully wisdom.

Why can’t we apply the lessons of seasonal change to all areas of life? We prepare and look forward to Summer, because we know it is coming. The same goes for Winter. But if we can come to understand and accept that all kinds of other changes will happen, as sure as Spring, throughout our lives, then we can be ready. We can prepare for them also, and even learn to anticipate and enjoy.

Today, education never stops. We must always be learning new technologies. In our work lives, we must be ready to switch gears and take on different tasks, as our employers’ needs change. We should even be thinking ahead to changing occupations, as society evolves and industries fade. Think of your career, not in terms of developing expertise in a particular field or skill, but as mastering Change Management. Learn to handle not only life’s ups and downs, but also its reversals and detours - then you’ll be ready for the inevitable future. And remember, as you put the sunscreen on this summer, that you already have plenty of practice!