My 3 precious lessons on career change
I left corporate a year ago to pursue my coaching and training business full-time. Time really flies.
I recall the dilemma I had before I quit.
The question that I kept asking was:
“Will I regret my decision?”
Now that I am a year in, I can tell you that although I did not regret my decision, it wasn’t easy.
There were many moments when I doubted my decision.
Changing career paths can feel daunting and I want to share with you what happens after.
Many people talk about how to muster the courage to quit.
Yet, no one really talks about what happens after.
Taking the leap is not easy.
After that, it’s a wave of relief.
After that, it’s a new journey.
For 3 – 6 months, I found myself oscillating between being excited about the new opportunities and wondering if I did the right thing.
When things are well, it’s easy to feel that this is the right decision.
When things are tough, I have moments where I wonder, did I do the right thing?
I have people who say – once you have made a decision, don’t look back. Just keep moving forward.
Gosh, it’s easier said than done.
Especially when I am so used to choosing the “optimal, fastest, most productive, highest ROI” route.
My mind would compare the privilege I used to have and what I am missing out on.
When the outcome isn’t as rosy as I expected it to be, I would think of the “good old days”
Of course, there are days that I am so grateful that I did what I did. Now, even more so 😊
I learned a few things from this past year that you may find helpful if you have just gone through a change in your career or are considering a change in the future:
1. Your mind is unreliable when it thinks about the past.
It will conjure up memories that will support how you feel and distort the actual reality.
For example, when I doubt my current decision, I would recall how nice it was to have the stability and support in my previous company.
I would start having thoughts such as “It wasn’t too bad. Why did I leave?”
My mind would magnify the good and selectively forget the miserable things I faced back then.
When I am objective about it, I can remember it wasn’t as rosy as my mind remembers it to be. It’s like remembering all the good times you had with your ex-boyfriend and forgetting all the times he caused you pain.
2. Anchor on your reasons, not the potential outcome
When things are tough, it’s easy to doubt whether you made the right decision.
This is when you must anchor on your “Why”.
You cannot judge your decision in hindsight based on the outcome as no one can predict the outcome.
Instead, remember the reasons that led you to make the decision. Moments of doubt do not define the “rightness” of your decision.
You can be making a decision that serves you AND still have moments of doubt or even regret.
3. This brings me to this point - there’s no ONE right decision, there’s only making the decision right.
I learned this phrase from one of my clients actually. I find it so beautiful.
I can choose to take 100% responsibility for my decision now or wonder if the past self made the right choice.
Being too fixated on whether it was the right choice is actually a way you try to avoid responsibility now and push the responsibility to the past self.
Instead, acknowledging what’s past is past, and focusing on what’s most important now and moving forward is the key.
If where you are is no longer serving you, you have the power to make a decision again and change.
When you’re making a big decision – always ask yourself “Why”. Write them down.
If you are clear about your reasons, you can make your decision.
Trying to make a decision based on potential outcomes is NOT going to work. It will keep you stuck because you can never predict an outcome accurately.
One of the most common and unhelpful questions that keeps people stuck where they are is -
"What if the new place/role is worse than where I am now?"
This fear paralyzes you and stops you from taking action because you are projecting all kinds of worst-case scenarios.
You then convince yourself to suck it up even though you're dissatisfied.
Instead, focus on your reasons in making your decision.
It may be for your family.
It may be for personal growth.
It may be leaving a toxic environment.
When you face moments of doubt, return to your reasons.
Your mind may try to tell you it’s wrong because uncertainty feels uncomfortable.
It will magnify the rosy past disproportionately and compare the difficult present with it.
Yet, remember your reasons and that you have the power to make this decision the best one for you.
Having walked through the discomfort of a career path change, the dilemma before quitting, the doubt after quitting, and the growing confidence in this journey, I want to tell you that it’s possible.
I did not do this all by myself. I am grateful for the support I have received throughout this journey in the form of coaching and accountability partners.
If you believe a friend or family member can benefit from my support, please share this with them too. I would really appreciate it.
Thank you.
