Climb the Ladder. Just Not That One. — by Dan Lynn

By Dan Lynn

We spend our whole lives climbing the ladder. That's the deal we're handed early: work hard, reach the next rung, then the next — more responsibility, more income, more security. And for most of your working life, climbing is exactly the right move.

But I met a man who taught me there's one ladder you shouldn't climb.

I was at a diner one morning, sitting at the counter, and got to talking with the guy next to me. He'd just retired — decades of climbing behind him, the finish line finally crossed. Then he told me what happened. One afternoon he leaned a ladder against a tree and climbed up with a chainsaw to cut down a branch. The saw hit the branch, kicked back, and he went off the ladder. When he came to, he was flat on the ground with the chainsaw still running next to his ear. He wrecked his shoulder, badly. He looked at me and said the saddest thing: "I ruined my retirement." Then he gave me the only advice he had: "Don't climb ladders when you retire."

Think about the trade he made. The upside: a trimmed branch, a couple hundred bucks saved. The downside: everything he'd spent his whole life climbing toward.

So climb the ladder. Climb it hard, your whole life. But once you've reached the top, hire the kid with the truck and watch from the porch. Some ladders just aren't worth climbing anymore.