Shifting Your Mindset for Career Transformation

“I don't want to be frightened. Nor do I want to be without a plan. Not so much ‘I can't quit’ but like… I'm clear I can't stay. And quitting feels scary.”

One of the biggest challenges folks have in their careers is when they are met with transitions whether it’s forced or from contemplating a shift, feeling stuck, or navigating uncertainty. Often what I find for myself and others is we get stuck in a very understandable scarcity mindset. The fear of "not enough" can creep in:

• I don’t have enough experience to make a change.

• There aren’t enough opportunities in my field.

• If I leave, I won’t find anything better.

But underneath these fears often lies something deeper: career grief.

Career grief is the emotional weight of leaving behind an identity, a community, or a vision of success you once held. It’s the loss of what was or what could have been. It’s why even when you know you need to pivot, you hesitate. You hold on, fearing that stepping into something new means letting go of everything you’ve built.

In my latest round of Creativity Lab - The Abundant Imagination, we explored a fundamental question: How do we cultivate a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance?

Scarcity convinces us that we are alone in this process, that options are limited, and that making a change is too risky. But when we pause, check in with our body, and widen the frame, we see that possibility exists beyond the immediate fear.

What if career transformation is relational, not solitary?
What if my network, past experiences, and skills already contain the seeds of my next move?
What if abundance looks like expanding my definition of success rather than clinging to a narrow path?

If you’re feeling stuck in a career decision, take a moment this week to reflect on your relationship with possibility:

What do I currently believe is possible for my career?
Where am I holding onto scarcity-driven fears? Whose voice is telling me to hang on?
What would an abundant version of my career transition look like?

Career grief is real, but it doesn’t mean you’re stuck. In the post, we’ll dive into Mapping the Edges of Possibility—a tool to help you visualize and expand what’s possible in your next career step.