Pitfalls to Avoid When Changing Careers

 

Making a career pivot can be scary, and it’s easy to get stuck in the status quo. In order to imagine and explore a different future for yourself, you need to overcome four common traps. Overthinking. Personal and professional reinvention is best served by doing rather than thinking. While it’s good to think things through before taking action, it’s easy to overdo it and get stuck in inaction. So, start small. Commit to learning new skills or making minor changes in your routine, and focus your thinking on the future, not the past or present. Procrastinating. If you tend to delay making big life decisions, ask yourself why. Be honest with yourself about what’s underlying your avoidance. Once you unpack your procrastination, it’ll be easier to take the first step. Self-sufficiency. If you tend to be reluctant to ask for help—or to accept it when offered—you may be falling into the self-sufficiency trap. To combat it, find someone you trust and let them know that you would like to bounce ideas off of them. A conversation partner can help you unlock new potential paths forward. Searching for the “right” answer. If you view decision making as either right or wrong, you’ll avoid experimentation that could lead to learning, growth, and fulfillment. Challenge this binary thinking and view mistakes as a necessary part of moving forward.

This tip is adapted from “What’s Stopping You from Reinventing Your Career?,” by Heather Cairns-Lee and Bill Fischer