What if your next move isn’t up but outward?
We talked about the linear career pathway last week. This is a common Western default model because we are a society built on the myth of constant upward growth. It makes sense if the linear practice from last week came with ease, and today’s practice feels like a little more of a stretch.
We start by loosening the grip of our linear thinking which has often followed a straight-ish path even if you’ve hopped around or made some pivots or side trips. Generally, the linear path is shaped for us, by external entities–institutions, educational degrees, career ladders, grants, publication schedules, our families expectations, etc.
The spiral practice starts by honoring the linear path you’ve likely crafted or that’s been designed for you and shifting perspectives to a spiral path.
Shifting to a Regenerative Spiral Approach
Draw out a spiral where your core values or purpose are centered. As you place points on the spiral arms, consider points that represent the way you have enacted those values through your life and work. As you expand outward - mark the points on the spiral that indicate those.
Now, add in these layers of reflection:
What’s different about those key points on the spiral compared to the linear path?
What are the metrics for determining success? What does success mean in this pattern?
How can this pattern honor all the mini cycles and seasons in your own body, Nature’s, and in the body of your work (aka your impact)?
Who are you outside of any job title, grant, work, task, etc.? What are the elements of your service, community work, life, relationships, Nature connection, self-care practices and all the other goodness that gets represented in this spiral pathway that is uniquely yours?
What I love about spirals over linear thinking is that when we identify the core pieces, the spiral stays connected to them, it's just growing its impact out. The core of who you are–the roots of you–is so much more than any title or external identity. Your titles and external identity were only the obvious way you impacted the world with who you are.
The shift from linear to spiral thinking allows more long-term, value-driven impact rather than these external metrics of who or what you do. Rather than the movement of up and away from what matters, the spiral pathway ensures that each iteration of your work deepens or expands that connection to your purpose.
The way we visualize our career and impact shapes how we move through change. If the linear path feels limiting or brittle, the spiral invites expansion, adaptability, and a deeper connection to purpose. When disruptions hit, a spiral pathway doesn’t break—it evolves, circling back to what truly matters.
Take a moment to sit with your spiral map. What patterns emerge? What possibilities open up when you release the pressure of constant upward movement?
As my client found through this exercise, the spiral pathway encompassed far more than her career points. It reflected back how her career had been serving her greater purpose, just as her life does when she views it holistically.
During the Career Pivot Toolkit workshop, I'll share additional tools you can use to regain some clarity and agency in the face of career shocks so you can make informed, empowered decisions about what’s next. Join us!