Why Career Change Isn’t Fickle
Image by Siora Photography via Unsplash
It was the Fall of 2019 and I was seated at an impressive wooden table in a high-rise building in Manhattan…
Around me were other people who had travelled from various corners of the globe to sit at that same table and make important plans. We were working on a 5-year business strategy. It was a big deal.
And yet I couldn’t shake the voice in my head… “I don’t care.”
I wasn’t inspired or invested anymore. It was time.
Not long after that meeting, I handed in my notice.
Six months later I was running my own business, having completely transformed my career and radically changed how I worked and lived. I’d worked at my previous company for just shy of 8 years and for 6 of those years, I’d absolutely loved it. At a certain point I’d even dreamed about making partner one day.
But I changed my mind.
Career Change Isn’t Fickle
People who have multiple careers are often labelled as fickle. It isn’t a compliment. It implies you flit around, you're led by the crowd, you under-commit and outsource your decision-making to the whims of others.
I have changed my career (and life) many times over and these changes are never fickle. Each one was carefully-considered, well-planned, intentional and driven by me.
I work with a lot of professionals (mostly women) who are figuring out how to make their careers work and considering a change too.
They are not fickle. In fact they’re investing money with a coach (me) to help them think through their options carefully so they can move in the direction that best aligns with how they want their lives to be.
Quitting your job, pivoting your business or exploring a different career path can look like changing your mind and people assume that if you change your mind, you must have got it wrong.
But what if you didn’t get it wrong? What if you have simply grown and what once worked fine just doesn’t work anymore? You’re ready to learn something new and make new mistakes. What was right for then isn’t always right for now.
The Joy of Making New Mistakes
It was my friend and old writing mentor Jim who first spoke to me about the joy of making new mistakes.
He described a time as a young writer when he was on a prestigious literary programme in Paris. It was something he had worked very hard to get. And then one day as he was taking it all in – the art, the culture, the city – the voice in his head said: “Lovely. Okay, we’re done here.”
And he promptly moved back to New York.
It wasn’t a failure or self-sabotage, he was simply done. He wanted something else. He was ready to make some new mistakes.
The Fully-Engaged Life
Rethinking your plans and rewriting your story is is all a part of what it means to live a fully engaged life.
Making mistakes and changing your mind doesn’t mean you’re getting it wrong; it means you’re getting it right – you’re daring enough to try.
If you’re in a job that’s making you unhappy, maybe it’s a rough patch that will pass or maybe it’s time to call time.
Maybe you too are ready to make some new mistakes. Ask yourself and listen closely for the answer.
You’ll know.
Monique Shaw is an Executive Career & Leadership Coach and Brand Story Specialist helping passionate, frustrated and ambitious professionals create values-aligned careers, teams and businesses. Book a consult or get in touch to explore how she can support you.
