Reading time: 2 minutes

Okay, can we talk about something for a second?

When people are unhappy in their job or standing at a career crossroads, what they often don’t realize is that it’s rarely about the job itself.

It’s about who they’re still making decisions for.

When making a career decision, we often think about past degrees, a job we took at 24, and the identity we built over years. It makes sense why we do it. That version of you feels safe and familiar and you know their story. But the person you used to be has nothing to do with the person you’re becoming. And still, many career decisions are based on exactly that: the past self.

Don’t make your career decisions for the person you used to be.

Staying loyal to an old version of yourself is not consistency. It’s a cage, especially every time you ask: “But what would make sense given everything I’ve done so far?”

You don’t need to worry about what decision would have made sense for the person you used to be, or which job they would have chosen. You don’t need to keep explaining your choices to who you used to be. And you don’t need to stay loyal to decisions that were made under completely different circumstances, with a different level of awareness, a different mindset, and a different understanding of yourself.

The question that actually matters is this: Which decision would the person I’ll be tomorrow make?

The person you are growing into right now: What would they choose, without letting fear or the need for approval get in the way?

Suddenly, the question is not “Can I justify this?” but “Does this move me forward?” And not “Does this match my resume?” but “Does this match who I’m becoming?”

So the next time you feel stuck, don’t look backwards for the answer. Trust the one you’re becoming. They know more than you think!