What do you want this move to change about your life?
When you tell me you want another job, a promotion, or something of your own, that is where I want us to begin. The answer helps us examine the options in front of you. It gives you something to measure an opportunity against beyond whether somebody is willing to offer it to you.
Maybe you want more money. Say that. Maybe you want your responsibilities and your title to finally match. Maybe you want to finish the workday with enough of yourself left for the people and things you care about.
Those are different needs. A move that answers one may leave another untouched.
You can earn more and still carry every problem home. You can take a bigger role and discover that the responsibility you wanted also comes with a schedule you cannot maintain. You can start a business and give yourself hours you never would have agreed to work for somebody else.
Before you put all your energy into getting the next opportunity, give yourself room to ask what would make it a good opportunity for you.
I know why the practical part matters
I spent 15 years in client success, helping businesses serve their clients, maintain relationships, and move their work forward. I had also been coaching since 2015, alongside my corporate career. When I was laid off, I was already doing work of my own.
That matters to my story. Coaching did not suddenly appear because I lost a job. It was something I had been developing while also showing up inside a company.
And I am a mother. So when we talk about making a change, I understand that responsibilities do not politely step aside while you figure yourself out. There are things that need your attention whether you feel inspired that morning or not.
I can want work that means something to me and still need to secure the bag. Both belong in the conversation.
That is why I do not want to hand you a beautiful idea that has no relationship to your actual life. We need to look at the work you want, what you bring to it, and what you need that work to make possible.
What would more freedom look like on a regular Tuesday?
Freedom sounds good. So does flexibility. But what are we talking about when we say those words?
Would flexibility mean taking your child to an appointment without spending the next two days making up for it? Would freedom mean having an evening that is yours? Would recognition mean being paid for the level of responsibility you already carry?
Getting specific does not make the dream smaller. It gives you something you can look for.
If you want more time with your family, a role with regular evening commitments deserves careful examination, even if the title is impressive. If you want to lead, you need to understand whether a prospective employer is offering real decision-making authority or simply more people whose problems will land on your desk.
If you want to explore your own idea, ask what space you could realistically protect for it. A few reliable hours may tell you more than a complicated plan built around time you do not have.
Try finishing this sentence without using the words success, freedom, or balance: “I want my next move to make it possible for me to…”
Now describe something you could actually notice happening during an ordinary week.
You are interviewing the opportunity, too
When you need a job, it can feel as though the employer holds every question. You prepare your story. You make sure your documents look right. You practice explaining what you can bring.
I want you to prepare questions about what you would be walking into as well.
Ask what success looks like in the role. Ask how priorities are decided when everything seems urgent. Ask what authority comes with the responsibilities. If a schedule arrangement matters to you, ask how it works in practice rather than assuming that a word in the job description answers the question.
You may not get every answer you want. You may also decide that an imperfect role is the right practical move for now. That can still be a considered decision.
The point is to know what you are accepting, what you still need to learn, and what you are hoping will change. Hope and evidence do different jobs. Give yourself access to both.
For exploring unfamiliar occupations, My Next Move lets you look at careers by interests, industry, and keywords. Use that information to develop questions and compare possibilities. A career profile cannot decide whether a particular employer or working arrangement fits your life.
Something of your own can begin as a question
You do not have to decide today that you are leaving corporate work forever.
You can begin by looking at an idea you return to. What do people ask you to explain? What work do you enjoy enough to keep learning about it? What have you learned through your career or life that might be useful to somebody facing a specific problem?
Then the questions become more practical. Who needs that help? What are they doing now? What could you test on a small scale? What would it take to deliver it consistently?
Interest is a starting point. It is not proof of demand or a promise of income. You can respect an idea enough to investigate it without asking it to support your household before you have learned what it can do.
That is part of making room for yourself: taking the possibility seriously enough to examine it.
Put the decision on paper
Take one opportunity you are considering. It can be a job, a promotion, or an idea of your own. Write a short answer to each of these questions:
- What do I want this to change about my ordinary week?
- What do I need to preserve while I explore it?
- What do I already know about this option, and what am I assuming?
- What question or small action would help me learn the most next?
You do not need impressive answers. “I need predictable hours” is useful. “I want responsibility that comes with authority” is useful. “I do not know whether anybody would pay for this idea yet” is useful, too.
Those answers give us somewhere honest to work from.
Your career is part of your life. So are your relationships, your responsibilities, and the things you want to create. You are allowed to consider them together when you decide what comes next.
If you want space to reflect, you can explore The Testing Season Assessment. If you want personal help clarifying your career direction and positioning, read about the Repositioning Session. Choose the support that fits the question you are trying to answer.
