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Most of us grow up with a very clear idea of what a career is supposed to look like: You work hard, you move up, you collect titles, and at some point things are meant to click into place. And if they don’t, the usual advice is to try harder, stay positive, or set better goals.

What rarely gets mentioned is that many careers are not actively chosen at all and before you know it, your career is kind of running on autopilot.

Your subconscious mind is that autopilot working behind the scenes, driving everything you think and do.

However, it doesn’t care about your career goals at all!

Why You Keep Hitting Roadblocks

The subconscious mind isn’t focused on what you want to happen. It’s focused on what it expects to happen. And if your past has been filled with failure, rejection, or struggle, your subconscious expects more of the same, no matter how much you wish for something better.

If you have spent years believing you are “not the kind of person who gets ahead,” your brain treats that belief as a rule, not an opinion. If you have learned to play it safe, avoid risk, or stay invisible, your subconscious will keep reinforcing that pattern.

It is wired for proof, not possibility. If you’ve always struggled in your career, your brain expects that struggle to continue. It doesn’t believe success is possible for you, even if there’s an opportunity right in front of you.

How do you know if your subconscious is sabotaging your career? Here are some common signs:

• Procrastination: You put things off not because you’re lazy, but because you don’t believe the new version of you is real.
• Resistance and Burnout: Moving forward feels like an uphill battle. It’s draining because your subconscious beliefs are pulling you back.
• Self-Sabotage: As soon as you get close to “success”, it starts to sabotage you. It pulls you back into your comfort zone, the one that feels “safe” even if it’s keeping you stuck. Your subconscious mind is trying to protect you from change.
• Imposter Syndrome: Even when you achieve success, you feel like a fraud, as if you’re not really deserving of what you’ve achieved.

Taking Control of Your Career

So, what can you do to break free from autopilot and take control of your career?

The biggest change happens when the way you see yourself changes. When you begin to believe that success is possible for you, your mind stops pushing back and starts supporting this new version of you.

This is why affirmations often don’t work. If your subconscious identity doesn’t align with what you’re saying, it will reject those affirmations. For example, you may want to be confident in your career, but if your subconscious believes you’re awkward or unworthy, you’ll experience hesitation, avoidance, and even social anxiety when opportunities come your way.
So rather than relying on affirmations that feel fake, visualize yourself already in the career you want. Picture yourself thriving in a role, succeeding in every project, and feeling fulfilled.