I haven’t written in over a month. It has been a whirlwind for me. Between holidays (Mother’s Day, Memorial Day), leaving an old job and getting a new job that was short-lived, and taking my thrift and vintage sales to live auctions, it has been a blur of a month.
There’s something both terrifying and liberating about starting over in your career. Whether you’ve been contemplating a job change for months or, like me, found yourself thrust into uncertainty when plans fell apart, the journey of career transition teaches you things about yourself you never expected to learn.
The Quiet Pull Away From Comfort
I’ve always been someone who values stability. For four years, I had a rhythm at the bakery—clock in, slice bread, bake cookies, box orders, clock out. There’s undeniable comfort in knowing exactly what each day will bring and being genuinely good at what you do.
But somewhere between my third and fourth year, a restless feeling began growing. It wasn’t dissatisfaction exactly, but more like an internal whisper asking, Is this it? Is this all there is? I found myself daydreaming about different possibilities, different versions of my life.
The thought of baking cookies for the next twenty years made something inside me feel claustrophobic. I didn’t want to be someone who stayed in one place simply because it was secure. As a teenager, I wrote an essay about having three different jobs, and when my teacher said that wasn’t possible, I remember thinking she was wrong. That teenager knew something about possibility that my adult self had temporarily forgotten.
When Career Pivots Go Sideways
So when a new opportunity presented itself—something promising career growth and skill development—I decided to take the leap. This was going to be my moment of professional transformation, my success story about taking calculated risks.
Three days. That’s how long my carefully planned career pivot lasted.
The training environment was hostile from day one. The woman assigned to train me yelled at me repeatedly, criticized my pace, and made me feel incompetent before I’d even had a real chance to learn. I know I’m not the fastest person when learning something new, but I also know I’m dedicated and trainable.
I felt like a complete failure. Here I was, someone who had been reliable and skilled for four years, and I couldn’t even survive a week in a new role. The internal critic was relentless. What were you thinking? You threw away security for this embarrassment?
The Wisdom Hidden in Professional Disasters
But here’s what I’ve discovered about career setbacks—sometimes they’re not obstacles but redirections toward where you’re actually supposed to be heading.
That three-day disaster became one of the most valuable professional experiences I’ve had. It reminded me that I deserve to be treated with respect, especially when I’m learning. It showed me that toxic work environments aren’t worth enduring, regardless of the potential benefits. Most importantly, it shattered my attachment to traditional employment paths entirely.
Instead of feeling defeated, I started feeling curious. What if that teenager who believed in multiple income streams was onto something?
Building a Portfolio Career in the Digital Age
Rather than rushing back to the familiar safety of my old position, I’m choosing to lean into the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. I’m focusing on growing my reselling business—taking my thrift and vintage finds from online sales to live auctions. I’m developing my skills in social media marketing, both for my own ventures and potentially as a service for other small businesses. I’m recommitting to consistent blogging and content creation.
This isn’t just about diversifying income streams; it’s about creating a professional life that aligns with who I actually am rather than squeezing myself into someone else’s definition of career success.
The beauty of building multiple revenue sources is the freedom it provides. When one area experiences a downturn, others can sustain you. When you’re passionate about several different things, you don’t have to choose just one.
Making Space for Self-Care in Career Transitions
One of the most important lessons from this experience has been prioritizing my own well-being during periods of professional uncertainty. I’m making a commitment to morning self-care routines—not as indulgence, but as a foundation. When you’re building something new, you need sustainable energy and clear thinking.
I want more control over my schedule, more energy for creativity, and more alignment between my work and my values. I want to wake up excited about my day rather than just getting through it.
The Ongoing Leap of Faith
Career changes don’t always look like one dramatic, brave decision. Sometimes they look like a series of small steps into uncertainty, trusting that each apparent setback is actually redirecting you toward something better suited for who you’re becoming.
I’m not against returning to traditional employment—there’s wisdom in keeping options open. But right now, I want to explore what else might be possible. I want to honor that internal voice that’s been whispering about “more” for longer than I initially wanted to acknowledge.
The three-day job failure taught me something crucial: sometimes the universe has different plans than the ones we make, and sometimes those plans are exactly what we need, even when we can’t see it immediately.
What Career Pivots Really Teach Us
Taking professional risks isn’t just about changing jobs or starting businesses—it’s about trusting yourself enough to pursue alignment over security. It’s about believing that you deserve work that energizes rather than drains you. It’s about remembering that the teenager who dreamed big about multiple possibilities wasn’t naive; they were visionary.
I don’t know exactly what comes next in my career journey, but for the first time in years, that uncertainty feels like potential rather than anxiety.
And that teenager who believed you could build a multi-faceted professional life? She’s definitely cheering me on.
Are you feeling the pull toward a career change? Sometimes the most important professional development happens when we’re brave enough to start over.
