Let me guess, if you’ve clicked on this blog post, you’re probably wondering if you’re in the right career.
You tell yourself it’s just a phase – that you’re gaining experience and that, eventually, you’ll figure out what’s truly right for you. But then years go by, and without even realizing it, you’ve been stuck in a job that doesn’t excite you anymore, one that feels more like a chore than something you’re meant to do. Maybe you’ve grown into it, maybe you haven’t, but without real clarity, it’s easy to mistake comfort for purpose.
So, you think about leaving. Maybe find a new company or switch entirely to a new career path. But all of these career decisions come with big risks. What if you make the wrong move? What if you leave and regret it? What if you never find something better?
That’s where our client, Travis Ludwig, was. After 20 years as a Creative Director for an agency, he had reached a point where his job no longer felt right. He was burned out, uninspired, and tired of trying to force himself to stay in his job. He knew something needed to change, but fear kept him stuck.
Even joining our coaching program was a fear that he needed to overcome, but eventually, he still managed to push through and everything shifted. Not because he figured it all out overnight, but because he started seeing his career differently. Through small steps, unexpected opportunities, and a complete mindset shift, he found career clarity – and his journey holds lessons for anyone who feels stuck in their job today.
If you’re wondering if it’s time to make a big career move but don’t know where to start, here are 5 lessons that can help you. You can also listen to the full story of Travis’s amazing career clarity journey here.
1. Stop Looking for the “Perfect” Career Move
Clarity comes from action.
This is highly important because when you’re unsure of what to do next, it’s easy to get stuck in the state of analysis paralysis. You think, “I need to figure out my exact next step before I make a move,” so you spend weeks or even months trying to piece together a perfect plan before doing anything at all.
But here’s the hard truth: you’ll never have all the answers before you start. And to be honest, nobody really knows what they’re doing especially when they’re just starting a new career or even a business – so I hope this comforts you.
Travis assumed this too and thought for so long, but his clarity didn’t come from overthinking. It came from doing. Instead of waiting for a lightning-bolt moment, he started taking small steps: reconnecting with people, exploring new opportunities, and allowing himself to try things before committing to a single path.
Stop trying to map out the next 5 years of your career before you take the first step. Instead, focus on the next small action you can take today – because sooner or later, all these small actions will add up.
2. Don’t Let Fear Dictate Your Career Decisions
Fear is sneaky.
It often disguises itself as “logic” or “practicality”, making you believe that staying in a situation that drains you is the safest option.
Travis realized that fear had been running the show for years. He wasn’t staying in his career because he loved it – he was staying because he was afraid of failure, afraid of the unknown, and afraid that if he stepped away, he wouldn’t be good at anything else.
And if we’re honest, that’s a fear many of us share. How often do we stay in jobs, relationships, or routines not because they’re good for us, but because we’re afraid of what will happen if we leave?
Ask yourself: am I staying in my job because I truly want to, or because I’m afraid of leaving? If it’s the latter, it might be time to start exploring other options – because fear should never be the reason you settle.
3. Your Job is Not Your Identity
One of the biggest struggles Travis faced after losing his job was feeling like he had lost his purpose. He had spent so many years tying his identity to his work that when the job disappeared, so did his sense of worth.
I know so many of us could relate to him. We build our lives around our careers, letting them define who we are. And when that career starts to feel shaky, or disappears altogether, we’re left questioning who we even are without it.
Travis found peace by shifting his focus away from his job title and toward who he was outside of work. He started his mornings with prayer walks, focusing on others instead of himself. He reminded himself that his job was just one part of his life – not the thing that gave him value.
Your job is what you do, not who you are. If you feel lost in your career, start reconnecting with yourself outside of work. What do you enjoy? What excites you? Who are you beyond your job title? The more you explore those questions, the less your career will control your sense of self.
4. Say Yes to Unexpected Opportunities
Travis was convinced that he needed to walk away from everything he had done before. He thought that to find clarity, he had to start over completely.
But then, people from his past started reaching out, offering freelance work and new projects that he hadn’t even considered. At first, he resisted. This wasn’t what he had planned. But the more he stayed open to these conversations, the more he realized that maybe clarity wasn’t about forcing a brand-new path – it was about seeing the opportunities that were already in front of him.
And within just a few weeks, his career took an entirely new shape – one that he never would have planned for himself, but one that turned out to be exactly what he needed.
Sometimes, the best opportunities don’t come from searching – they come from staying open. If you’re feeling stuck, stop looking for a perfect new path and start paying attention to the opportunities already around you. What conversations have been coming up? Who has been reaching out? Where is there an open door that you’ve been ignoring?
5. Trust God and His Promise
If you’re feeling lost in your career right now, here’s something you need to hear: You don’t have to have it all figured out today.
Travis spent years believing that he needed to know exactly what was next before making a move. But in reality, clarity came in pieces, through trial and error, unexpected conversations, and small steps of faith.
The same will be true for you.
You don’t need to see the whole path to take the next step. You don’t need to have a perfect plan to move forward. All you need to do is focus on what’s in front of you and trust that the rest will unfold in time.
If you’re waiting for clarity before you take action, flip that mindset—take action, and then clarity will come.
If you’re still having fears… start here.
Like Travis, you can book a free, no-obligation 30-minute career or business strategy call with us this week, and let’s start working toward the clarity you need. Your next opportunity might be closer than you think – you literally have nothing to lose.
Listen to the full episode here.
