The Career you"ll look back on: A Summer invitation to rethink

Summer slows everything down and in that slowness, something profound happens.

We reflect, we step back and we might ask bigger questions.

One question I keep hearing is this: "When I look back on my career, will I be proud of what I chose to give my time and attention to"?

Many people say they want a career that feels fulfilling, one that leaves a legacy of purpose, connection and impact. They want to be seen, heard and remembered as someone who led, contributed and grew. Yet too often, we stay stuck in careers that don't align with any of that.

Why do many of us stay in jobs that drain us, in roles that no longer fit or in careers we've outgrown?

This is exactly one of the great paradoxes of modern work life. Many people, when they reflect on what they truly want from their career, they talk about meaning, connection, impact and legacy. They want to feel like:

• they made a difference

• their work mattered

• they were respected and valued

• they were part of something bigger than themselves

• they grew, inspired or helped others

Yet, despite this clarity at a reflective level, many get stuck in unfulfilling roles, uninspiring environments or in careers that no longer align with who they are or want to become.

There ar several common reasons:

1. Fear of the unknown - leaving a secure, known path or something uncertain can feel risky

2. Comfort in discomfort - over time, dissatisfaction becomes the norm. It's familiar that comfort can be deceptively strong

3. Financial pressure or lifestyle entrapment - Mortgages, kids, status or lifestyle expectations can make change feel impossible

4. Cultural or social expectations - many internalize messages like "don't be a quitter", or " a good job is one you stick with"

5. Lack of clarity - they know they don't like where they are, but aren't sure where else to go or how to get there

6. Burnout or emotional fatigue - being in the wrong role or culture for too long can drain the energy needed to make a change

7. Incremental comprimises - small sacrifices erode the initial clarity and passion associated with a vision. Like a frog in boiling water, they don't notice the temperature rising

The truth is, fulfilling careers aren't stumbled into, they are actively shaped. And that often means confronting discomfort, reclaiming agency and realigning with what actually matters

If you are thinking and feeling along these lines, some reflective prompts might help you clarify your next step:

Start listing your career options. Think broadly: include staying where you are (with changes), moving to a new company, shifting industries, freelancing or even starting something of your own. The best career decisions are rarely just analytical, they are also deeply emotional and intuitive. Try to integrate following parts and questions:

• HEAD: Logic, data, practical considerations, what makes sense - it is practical and aligned with your skills and lifestyle?

• HEART: Values, meaning, what you care about? - does it align with your values and purpose?

• GUT: Energy, motion, intuition - does it feel alive, exciting and intuitively right?

Rather than choosing based on logic only or fear, this approach helps you reflect from a more wholehearted place.

When doing this exercise, observe your patterns and let you guide by these questions:

• Which option feels most alive in your body? Even if it's scary?

• Where does your logic and your values align?

• Which path feels like a betrayal of yourself if you don't at least try it?

• What's your body saying that your brain is trying to overrule?

• If you trusted yourself fully, what would you choose?

Let this summer be more than rest. Let it be a return to yourself

This Summer, I am inviting you to pause and ask yourself:

• What would a career worth looking back on, actually look like for me?

• Where am I comprimising out of fear, not alignment?

• What would I choose if I believed more in myself?

• What's one small step, internal or external, I can already make?

Summer gives us the space to come back to ourselves. Don't wait until the end of your career to ask the big questions. Ask it now! And design a life and work you'll be fulfilled and proud of.

If this sparked something in you; a question, a tension, a quiet knowing? You don’t have to figure it out alone. I help professionals navigate career transitions, reconnect with purpose, and design work that feels aligned and energizing.

👉 Curious how I can support you? Explore my services here