Or You Can Do This – and Love It Again.
Most professionals don’t walk away from their careers because they’re lazy.
They don’t walk away because they’re lost either.
They walk away because they’ve quietly been trying to solve the wrong career problem for too long. And eventually, the cost of continuing outweighs the fear of stopping.
It’s not a breakdown.
And it certainly isn’t a failure.
It’s a signal.
That something important is off.
And when you’re used to making things work – to doing what needs to be done, to being the one others rely on, it can take a long time to hear that signal through all the noise.
You’ve achieved more than you ever thought possible – but you still question your impact every day.
You’re successful, yes.
But also strangely disconnected from what got you here in the first place.
One client of mine was told she was being promoted.
To prepare the case for promotion, her boss had pulled together a PowerPoint slide outlining her (considerable) impact.
When he showed it to her – a kind of highlight reel of everything she’d led, achieved, influenced – she froze.
Not because she wasn’t proud.
But because she genuinely couldn’t see herself in the narrative he’d built.
She didn’t recognise her career story.
Not the way he was telling it. Or perceived her.
Because it was so far from the way she’d been experiencing it.
What he saw were strategic wins and measurable impact.
What she thought about were near-misses, compromises – the moments she could’ve done more or presented as well as her colleague had.
That misalignment was a transformative wake-up call.
Because it’s not just the day-to-day that becomes draining – it’s the gap between how we’re perceived to be thriving, and how we’re actually experiencing ourselves inside the work.
And left unchecked, that gap widens. Until something cracks.
It doesn’t happen all at once.
More often, it’s a slow slide:
– You have a growing sense that something feels off
– You tell yourself to push through
– You reach for external markers (a promotion, a new role, recognition)
It works … temporarily
Then the misaligned feeling returns…louder
You start wondering whether the problem might just be… you
It isn’t.
But that’s the spiral so many high-achievers get caught in.
– Because what’s really happening isn’t professional.
– It’s deeply personal and rooted in the psychological.
It’s often the quiet erosion of purpose.
And the loss of resonance between your identity and your career narrative.
This is the work I do with my high-achieving, well-intentioned, mindfully ambitious clients.
Not firefighting in work they hate.
Not chasing a quick pivot.
But helping people find their way back to a career story they recognise.
One that’s still evolving.
One they actually want to reauthor and live in.
That starts by asking better questions.
Not:
“Should I stay or go?”
But:
“Where am I most misaligned – and what might a better fit look like now?”
Not:
“Why am I not more grateful?”
But:
“What does meaningful work actually mean to me – for the next chapter in my career?”
Not:
“Is this burnout or boredom?”
But:
“Where have I felt most energised recently – and has that changed?”
You never need to blow everything up.
But you do need to start designing what’s next … very much on purpose.
Because if your career doesn’t quite feel like it’s yours anymore,
If you’ve outgrown the version of success you once worked so hard to establish,
If you’re performing instead of participating in your own career story…
Then something needs to shift.
That shift isn’t always seismic.
Sometimes it starts with a single tear.
An emotive moment of crystal clear career clarity – where you finally admit something just isn’t working.
And you’re ready to stop pretending it is.
Your career doesn’t need to be perfect.
But it does need to feel aligned.
Not with who you were five years ago. Or “should” be by now.
But with who you are actually becoming.
And that requires more than hope.
It requires intention. And support.
And smart, strategic action.
That builds momentum towards work that feels like it fits again.
That feels like it matters.
To you.
Want to take this deeper?
These questions will help you start moving from that inner ache to outer clarity:
– What’s the real career question you’ve been circling – but ignoring?
– Where do you feel most out of sync – your role, your environment, your energy and interest?
– If your career could tell a story right now, what would the plot be?
– What would it look like to write the next chapter differently?
If you’re circling your own career crossroads as you read this – please know, this isn’t where your story ends.
It’s where you rewrite a more aligned one. Let’s just make sure you don’t stay stuck at the start.
How to keep going.
You’re invited to join my 21-Day Career Transformation Challenge.
It’s designed for busy professionals who are tired of thinking about what’s wrong in their career – and ready to start moving forward with clarity, purpose and a practical plan.
No fluff. No overwhelming modules.
Just one insight a day. That you act on.
🧭 You’ll get access to the full Career Compass framework behind this blog.
It’s usually reserved for my private clients – but inside this high-impact Challenge, it’s yours.
Designed to help you stop circling and start designing what’s next.
And the best part?
That starts as soon as you join. No waiting. No pressure. Just meaningful momentum – on your terms.
🔗 Join the 21-Day Challenge
🔗 Or if you’re ready for a more personal approach, book a 1:1 Career Design Call
Because clarity changes how you show up.
And how you show up changes everything.
