Pack Your Parachute Before You Jump

Some phrases hit deep and make us reflect. “Pack your parachute before you jump” is one of those. 

The first time I read it, it hit me—like a WOW moment sinking into my chair. Every time I hear it, I feel a powerful truth: before any leap—professional, personal, or emotional—I need to be prepared.

My parachute is my preparation
Every big decision comes with a sense of vertigo. 

A new training, a career change, a move, a transition to a new role in education… all are moments where leaping into the unknown can feel destabilizing. 

Jumping is a risk. But it’s also an opportunity.

What helps me move forward with confidence is what I’ve packed into my parachute:
✅My skills, refined through experience—even my mistakes, where I learned something valuable
✅ My learning, which gives me solid ground—books, self-training, podcasts
✅ My network, those people I turn to for encouragement and inspiration—my personal “speed dial” when I’m stuck
✅ My strategies, tools I’ve sharpened to navigate change—like giving myself permission not to be perfect from the start

Each element I add to my parachute softens the landing—and helps me better handle uncertainty.

What can I rely on?
When I face a major leap, fear shows up. It reminds me I’m leaving something familiar, something safe. 

But what keeps me moving is remembering everything I’ve prepared.

I lean on my learning, my journey, and the tools I’ve carefully gathered in my backpack. My parachute is there—I just need to trust it and deploy it.

What’s in your pack? That leap you’re facing? You don’t have to go in empty-handed. The question isn’t should you jump, but how prepared you are. And you? What have you packed with your parachute?