I had a client once who was an incredibly hardworking and highly intelligent Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She had spent several years using her strengths and educational background in a fast-paced environment where she played a significant role in the financial decisions of numerous high-powered companies. Her boss would contact her at all hours with emergency needs to buy or sell stocks and run complex reports. Because of her strong sense of integrity and personal responsibility, she never wanted to let anyone down, so she pushed herself to keep up with the pace he set. By the time I saw her, the stress of the role was starting to cause her body to shut down. After a particularly intense week, she had to reschedule one of our sessions because she woke up so dizzy one morning that she couldn’t walk or see out of one eye.
Needless to say, it was time for a change.
We began to explore some options. Since she had spent years obtaining her degrees and certifications, continuing her career as an accountant was the best decision. Not to mention, she was a talented CPA. So, the most reasonable and necessary change became her working environment.
From our sessions, she identified her optimal workplace and discovered a wonderful accounting position at an elite local university. Her standards were able to remain high, yet the atmosphere and community of the job created an ideal setting for her to effectively put her skills, experiences, and strengths to work.
The need for change
This story is one of many where the need for change is obvious.
I often see clients struggle with questions such as: “Is it too late to make a change? I’ve already been in this field for (however many) years – does it even make sense to do something different? Or should I just gut it out until retirement?”
Everyone’s situation is different and there are many elements to consider in the execution of a transition. A father with young school-aged children primarily supporting his family’s financial needs is in a different place than the single young adult who has been in his/her first job for 2-3 years. However, I’ve witnessed many times when people found opportunities that allowed them to take care of their financial responsibilities, remain aligned with their values and priorities, and do something they truly enjoyed.
No matter the circumstance, especially for the clients who are further established in their careers, I tell them: It’s never too late to make a change.
Life is too short
After meeting with so many people over the years, you start to notice themes. One of the most common things I hear from professional clients is, “I wish I had done this so much sooner – it would’ve saved me a lot of time and headache.” It’s also not uncommon for me to hear similar messages from parents of my student clients as well. They often say, “If only something like this had been around when I was going through school!”
The bottomline is, life is too short not to do what you love.
If you’re miserable in what you do everyday and it’s negatively affecting you and those around you, let’s find a way to pivot. Pivoting doesn’t have to mean “starting over” and going back to an entry-level position after you’ve had years of solid career experience. You may not even need to change career fields entirely. It could simply be making a shift to a different company or even repositioning within your existing organization. Whether it’s big or small, the goal is to make some kind of movement.
If you’ve been unhappy for a while, and you know deep down that you don’t want to be in the same position several years from now, start taking steps to shift. They can be slow, methodical and gradual. But just start somewhere.
There’s no time like the moment we have right now to move towards change.
We strive to equip clients with the knowledge, support, and customized tools needed to gain forward momentum. 
