How to Stop Putting Off a Career or Life Change
Updated: Oct 2
If you keep putting off a career or life change, start by making the decision smaller. Name what you want to change, identify what you still need to learn, and choose one action you can take without committing to the whole journey.
You may want a different job, a difficult conversation, or more room for something that matters to you. Knowing that and doing something about it are different steps. The gap between them is worth exploring with curiosity.
What are you actually putting off?
“Change my career” is a large assignment. “Write down what I want from my next role” is something you can do today. Ask yourself: Am I avoiding a task, a decision, uncertainty, or the possibility of disappointing someone?
There may also be practical constraints: income, time, family responsibilities, or missing information. Those deserve a plan. Treating every delay as a failure of motivation can hide the problem you need to solve.
Separate preparing from postponing
Preparation answers a specific question. Postponing can look busy while leaving the same question unanswered. Before another hour of research, write down what information you need and how it will affect your next decision.
Tim Urban’s TED talk, Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator, offers a humorous way to think about avoidance and deadlines. Use it as a prompt for reflection, rather than a diagnosis of why you personally feel stuck.
Try this: choose one manageable step
1. Name the change. Complete this sentence: “I want to explore ___ because ___.”
2. Name the uncertainty. What do you need to learn before deciding? What are you assuming?
3. Choose a small action. Review one job description, update one résumé section, or ask someone about their experience in a role that interests you.
4. Give it a place in your calendar. Choose a realistic time and define what finished looks like.
5. Review what you learned. Did the action make your next decision clearer? If it did not happen, examine the obstacle and adjust the plan.
Where coaching can help
A coaching conversation gives you space to examine your thinking, choose actions that fit your circumstances, and return to what you agreed to try. You remain responsible for the decision. My role is to listen, ask useful questions, and help you connect reflection with action.
You do not need to know your entire next chapter before you begin. What is one useful step you are willing to take?
Start a conversation
If you would like to explore a life, career, or leadership question together, send me a message through the contact form. We can discuss what you need, how I may help, and whether working together feels right.
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