Welcome back to THE AUDACITY, a weekly newsletter to help you put your bold career ideas into action. Subscribe, share, and join the conversation! Making your own audacious moves? Tell me about it on Instagram or LinkedIn!
I recently got back into my weekly therapy practice after taking some time off earlier this year.
I actually reached out to my former therapist whom I worked with in my late teens and early twenties before I left New York. Our first session back together was so special, albeit jam-packed with details about all that’s happened in the past five years since we saw each other last.
When we got to the topic of work and career, I was initially really pumped to fill her in on my coaching business and how I’ve been able to help so many folks take ownership of their own careers. I’ve felt so energized by my path over the past few years, and I knew my therapist would be excited to hear about it, too. After all, I did a lot of work to clarify my career direction, and I know it makes sense and feels totally aligned for me.
But a funny thing happened when I actually started talking about my work.
I unintentionally verbalized a slew of small doubts and worries that were apparently lodged in my brain. My update actually sounded dubious and timid. I finally paused to let my therapist in on the convo I was having with myself:
“It sounds like, on some level, you’re afraid of success.”
“Um… no…?” I thought. “I absolutely want to be successful! I want nothing more than for my work to be a smashing success and to make a lasting impact on the people I help! WTF is she on about?!”
But we dug into it. And it turns out that a fear of success is actually a bunch of smaller fears around change. The change that comes with evolving and fulfilling our potential. So many what-if’s that threaten the safe status quo:
What if I succeed once but can’t replicate that success again?
What if the people I love resent my success and that changes our relationship?
What if I can’t handle the workload and it all comes crashing down?
After my therapy session, I thought about something else.
Any fear of success needs to be smaller than the fear of staying the same.
And for me, at least, it is.
The status quo is safe and comfy (in all of its discomfort, if that makes sense?).
But the thought of waking up in five, ten, twenty years and realizing I never gave myself a shot is terrifying.
And then, success- and alllll of the effort and change that comes with it- seems like a hell of an alternative.
Weird, right? ;)
Have you ever felt afraid of succeeding, or the changes that might come with success?
If you, too, are ready to shake the status quo and finally figure out your path to career fulfillment, I’m excited to tell you that Pivot With Purpose is starting up again soon! Enrollment opens again next month, and folks on the First Dibs List get special pricing! Click here to get on the List.
Keep Going
🎧 Why We Fear Change, with Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine. Brit Morin’s pod “Teach Me Something New” is a gem, and this episode digs even deeper into the fascinating topic of sabotaging our own success.
❌ I agree with Indeed’s practical list of “11 Reasons You’re Not Getting Hired (and What to Do About It).” Often when we hit a wall in our career change or job search process, it’s easy to make over-generalizations like, “I’m just not cut out for this,” or “This won’t work for me.” In reality, the issue is probably much simpler and easier to fix.
🎥 I’m sharing a Reels series breaking down exactly how to network with different goals in mind. First up: connecting with someone at a company you want to work for in hopes of getting hired there. Make sure you’re following along for the next installment: how to get someone you admire to notice you!
💡 My brilliant former coworker Kass and her business partner Alicia are on a pretty bad-ass mission: “To help brilliant women navigate the common internal barriers (self-criticism, comparison, self-doubt etc.) that hold us back from our potential.” Their company Tend is conducting research into the ways these barriers limit women, and they could use your input! Fill out this anonymous survey to help out. Go team!
Title: People Coordinator
Company: ThirdLove
Location: San Francisco, CA
Description: ThirdLove is looking for a People Coordinator to champion our hybrid office environment and teammate experience! The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, efficient, adaptive, and excited to create a seamless and on-brand first impression for our candidates. As a member of the People team, you will help cultivate and contribute to our forward-thinking, inclusive, and vibrant company culture.
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