When Career Clarity Feels Impossible: Start Here!

It’s not just a tough week. It is more than just needing a vacation. This is burnout, the kind that seeps into your soul. The kind that makes you unsure of how to climb out of the spiral. The kind that makes you feel alone on an island.

This  burnout has pushed you into a career pivot, or it might be the career pivot that has caused the burnout !

You want to find your next dream job, but with all of the things weighing on you, how can you make that happen? There are real-life responsibilities to juggle...the bills don’t stop, health insurance is non-negotiable, and for many, there’s a desire to contribute to your family in a new way, especially after a long stretch of caregiving. Maybe you’ve suddenly become the sole income earner. When it all falls on you, every decision feels heavier.

Here’s what I want you to know. Reinvention doesn’t mean you are starting completely over. It means starting from where you are, with everything you’ve already built. Repackaging, not replacing.
I work with people in the midst of major career shifts, people who are walking away from roles that no longer fit, rediscovering their identity post-caregiving, or building something brand new after being underemployed or overlooked.

So where do you even begin?

When you’re burnt out, lost, or simply craving something new, the idea of reinventing your career can feel impossible. You already have a rich collection of experiences, skills, and strengths. Let’s build on the foundation of what you already know, love, and do well, and build a bridge to what is next. 
Inventory Your AssetsStart with your Spark Zone, the sweet spot between what you’re great at and what lights you up.

One way to do that? Download my 5 Steps to Monetize Your Brilliance workbook and use the Spark Worksheet. It’s designed to help you identify the intersection of your superpowers (the skills that pay the bills) and your passions (the things that energize you and give you purpose).
Next, revisit your kudos file. This might live in your inbox, your LinkedIn recommendations, old performance reviews, or even that sticky note you saved from a client or colleague. These pieces of positive feedback are gold, they reveal how others experience you at your best.

Ask yourself:
What compliments have stuck with me?
What kinds of things do people thank me for?
What do I consistently get pulled into because “you’re so good at this”?

Have you considered reaching out to your community for a fresh perspective? People around us often see us in a very different way than we see ourselves. Reach out to former colleagues, managers, friends, or clients and ask:
What do you see as my greatest strengths?
What kind of problems do I help solve?
What’s something I do exceptionally well that I might not even notice?
What kind of role or environment could you see me thriving in?

Reflect on Your Lived Experience
Now, zoom out. Think about the moments that have shaped your career and your life.
What were you doing when you felt most energized and alive?
What challenges do you find yourself solving over and over again?
What parts of your previous roles brought you joy or made you feel like your fullest self?

Those moments hold clues about what you want more of, and what you’re ready to leave behind.
Consider Your Network. Your next opportunity may come from the most unexpected corner of your world. It might be someone in your book club, a fellow volunteer, a parent you met on the sidelines of a soccer game, or a neighbor who knows someone hiring.

Take inventory of the people in your world:
Who opens doors for others?
Who’s always doing interesting things that catch your eye?
Who’s a few steps ahead of you in the kind of career you’re dreaming about?
Who’s a super-connector that seems to know everyone?
Who was there with you, or benefited, when you were in your zone of genius?

Reach out. Reconnect. Have real conversations.
Because conversations lead to clarity.
They spark new visions.
And they help you start writing a new narrative for your future.

Let’s Be Honest. This Is Brutally Hard. You’re not going to figure this out in one day. And that’s not because you’re doing it wrong, it’s because reinvention is messy, emotional, and deeply personal. Burnout, identity shifts, financial pressure, uncertainty on top of everything else that mid-life throws at ya…it is a lot! You just need the right tools…and the right support.

Download the 5 Steps to Monetize Your Brilliance Workbook to start turning your lived experience into a career vision that aligns with who you are now so that you can use that newly discovered spark to illuminate the path as you redefine what work is to you. And if you want someone to help you process it in real time, book a complementary Career Exploration Call with me. We’ll talk through what’s next and start shaping a path that feels possible.
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