Are You Overthinking Your Career Change?
I just impulse-bought a Reiki training class.
I know, I know. Who impulse-buys energy healing? This girl.
Call it intuitive, impulsive, ill-informed. I'm good with all of those. Because my biggest and BEST career moves have been guided by, er, not a lot of thinking.
By this, I mean stopping myself from overthinking.
You all know I'm a planner/analyzer/strategizer to my core. My contingencies have contingencies. I have a framework and a spreadsheet for everything.
But sometimes you have to leap before you look.
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My first step in leaving corporate began with impulse-buying the first coach training program I found online.
This "rash" decision changed my life and put me on the path to finally leave.
The plan came together after I jumped.
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Now before you stomp into your boss's office and tell her what you really think of her, leaping before you look doesn't need to be some all-or-nothing dramatic gesture.
It's as simple as pursuing your ideas to see where they lead.
So many people don't do this.
As soon as they get an idea, they default into figure-it-out-now mode. When they can't immediately see 80 steps ahead, they talk themselves out of it (or allow someone else to) before they even test it out.
This is unfortunate because so much of the magic happens in the gap between the initial leap and where you land.
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I don't know if Reiki will ever be part of my business. I don't know if I'll become more or less a believer.
My thought process was, "I need to get out of my apartment. I want to make some new friends. Reiki is Japanese and has to do with energy. I like things that have to do with Japan and energy."
I had an inkling that this was worth trying, so I signed up.
That's it. There's no grand plan except to experiment.
Rather than trying to figure it all out, I'm luxuriating in the possibilities...What if I really like it? What if my interest leads me to visit Japan? What if I move to Japan?
It's important for you to do the same in your career. It's also fun!
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Leading with curiosity and enthusiasm has cracked the career puzzle for so many people.
Rather than thinking 80 steps ahead, focus on the one right in front of you, "Does this interest me enough to learn more?"
When we overplan and overthink, we rob ourselves of this curiosity. Curiosity is the catalyst for discovery.
That, my friend, is how career changes are made.
One step does not a sustainable career make. But it gives you the opportunity to step into a new world and see if you even like it. Maybe nothing will come of it. Maybe it will turn into a side hustle. Maybe it will be the doorway into something bigger.
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And for all you generalists/polymaths/multipotentialites/jack-and-jills-of-all-trades: leaping before you look is a great way to try out many things at once. See what sticks and what doesn't. Figure out ways to combine. Connect the dots and watch the plan materialize.
It's a simple yet effective formula: This looks interesting —> This is kinda fun —> Hey, I'm pretty good at this! —> How can I get paid to do this?
Stop overanalyzing and over-researching and talking yourself out of it because the whole plan hasn't yet materialized.
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You can't know all the answers. You can't plan for every outcome.
Allow your interest to pull you towards something that feels right.
Take. The. Leap.
Then look behind you to see how far you've come.
I help my clients take giant leaps every day. We do this through a blend of strategy, step-by-step approaches, and experimentation that reminds them of the magic that happens when they trust their intuition.
If you’re still in the looking phase, sign up for my free guide The 4 Steps to Take Back Your Life and Design a Career with Purpose. It lays out how to get clear on what you really want, identify the inner blocks that are holding you back, and create the critical components of a career roadmap to help you go after it. Get the free guide here.
If you're ready to leap, let's talk. Sign up for a free strategy session, where we'll come up with the right plan for you.
Author Bio:
Before becoming a coach, Caroline worked in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go.
She’s also a tennis fanatic, aspiring Minimalist, FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early) enthusiast, and Aloha Spirit seeker 🤙. She loves to share stories from her unconventional life and career focused on freedom, creativity, fun, health, family, and community. If she can do it, you can, too.
The life and career you want is possible once you have the roadmap. Take the first step by downloading your free guide: 4 Steps To Take Back Your Life and Design a Career With Purpose.
