So this question from TED Conferences appears pretty simple on the surface… but it’s actually a deep one!
It’s of course going to be different for everyone.
From a psychodynamic lens, one clue is when a role stops reflecting your sense of self.
What might that feel like? From my personal experience, the following come to mind:
- Restlessness
- Frustration
- Irritability
- Resentment
- Anxiety
All of these were signals that my deeper needs for belonging and meaning just weren’t being met.
It was nothing to do with my salary or the people I worked with – I had an amazing group of people in my teams, and no complaints about money. What happened is that my corporate executive role just no longer offered real meaning.
I wanted something more: I wanted to feel like the work I did was giving real, meaningful value – that I was making a real difference. That what I did actually mattered to people, on a personal level.
That emotional nudge resulted in my:
- Starting training to become a psychodynamic psychotherapist… and four years later, I’m now taking clients! Learn More. (On track to graduate in 2027)
- Becoming a certified executive coach and starting my own firm… and three years in, I’ve built the world’s first ICF-accredited “Certified Psychodynamic Leadership Coach” program.
- Becoming an adjunct professor… and two years in, I teach a variety of courses at two accredited universities.
It is really hard to make a career change, and sometimes it hasn’t worked out for me the way I wanted it to.
But stumbling and then getting back up is part of life’s journey.
In my personal experience, every leap I took – and I’ve taken some ginormous ones – ultimately resulted in something that better suited my growth journey and desire to have more meaning.
In the end, that’s what “career” is all about for me.
What do you think – is any of this resonating?
#leadership #psychodynamiccoaching #leadership #workplace
