Navigating the In-Between

We all find ourselves in “limbos” of sorts when we go from one major phase to the next, especially when it comes to our careers, and even more so if we identify as multi-passionate beings. These in-betweens can make us feel lost, out of control, and even panicked as we don’t know what the next step is. Fear and overthinking also tend to set in: “What if I make the wrong move?” “Will I even like this?”

The truth is, while these phases can awaken anxieties and panic within us, they are also such beautiful seasons to get to know ourselves better and to embrace the unknown. It’s a chance to reevaluate our life and choose a new path forward, one that is more aligned with the person we want to be. In this article I will focus more on the in-between’s of professional life, however, a lot of these lessons and tips can be applied to personal life as well.

Now that I’ve found myself three distinct “in-between” phases over the course of my professional life, I’ve began to recognize different stages of my personal navigation process:

Stage 1 - The Realization

Coming to terms that a change needs to be made.

Stage 2 - Panic

Fear and panic set-in as you feel lost and out of control; not knowing what comes next.

Stage 3 - Acceptance

You finally come to accept the situation and embrace it for the best.

Stage 4 - Rest, Reflection, & Practice

The time to unwind, let go of control, and lean into flow.

Stage 5 - Exploration & Aligned Action

Now that you’ve prioritized your well-being, you can move into a mode of exploration and taking aligned action.

These stages might look differently for everyone, but in a broad sense, I’ve found these stages to be pretty universal between all of my in-between phases. The only difference is, in my first two in-betweens, I didn’t reach Stages 3-5. Instead, I panicked then made unaligned choices from a state of panic. I will say, although I can look back and see the “panic pivots” I made as unaligned, they were also meant to be. By taking action, I was able to continue exploring different paths and learn what I liked and what I didn’t like. The only things I wish I would’ve done differently were take some time to test and explore before fully diving in to new ventures, and also taking more time to rest, reflect, and work on myself before making any major decision.

In addition to recognizing the stages of these in-between phases, I want to share some lessons I’ve learned along the way. I hope in sharing these short lessons, they may help in navigating your in-betweens with a bit more ease and a bit less fear:

Lesson 1: Let Go of Timelines & Pressure

While I was deep in panic mode, I dove into endless amount of research trying to solve my way (quickly) through all of the unknowns. I remember thinking “well how long until I know what I want to do next?” Putting timelines on ourselves adds unnecessary pressure to an already uncomfortable situation. There is no “standard” amount of time you will be in this phase. For me, I’m going on 6 months in this current in-between. I haven’t figured out my “next big move” but I am taking baby steps that will hopefully lead me to it in the right time.

Lesson 2: Forget Forever

Speaking of letting go of pressure, release the idea of “forever.” This goes for careers, finding a new home, etc. Whatever decision you make does not have to be the perfect, forever solution. Once you embrace that things can be impermanent and that you can find value, joy and “success” in something without it being “forever” it becomes significantly easier to take action without becoming paralyzed by overthinking.

Lesson 3: Lean Into Personal Growth & Develop Practices:

During these past 6 months I’ve made my personal growth and well-being my #1 priority. I will say that being pregnant and feeling pretty crappy on a regular basis made it a bit easier to prioritize. When we find ourselves in these phases of unknowns and feel out of control, we need to lean into the things we can control. For me that’s looked like developing practices that I can turn to everyday, such as my meditation and writing practice. Practices will look different for everyone depending on your personal preferences, but look at what you naturally do on a daily basis and what brings you joy/stability. You can also use this as a time to prioritize your health. It’s hard to show up as our best selves and create work if we mentally, physically or emotionally aren’t in a good place.

Lesson 4: Embrace Exploration AND Action:

Explore, experiment, and test things out. As someone who loves to research, strategize, and create endless Notion/Google docs, I’ve had to remind myself to both explore and actually take action. For months I tried to sit at my desk and think my way through solutions. But in order to make in progress in navigating this pivot, you have to take the action (and don’t forget point #2; take action without feeling the pressure of “forever.”)

Lesson 5: Create Space

Whether you need to carve out time to prioritize your well-being, or to explore new possibilities, you have to create space for yourself. Don’t get discouraged thinking you need hours everyday to work on yourself or explore new ideas, but take advantage of whatever free time you can spare. Without creating space, it’s hard to truly reflect, grow, and explore.

Lesson 6: Consider the Seasons

Continuing on the point above, there are aspects of our personal lives that inherently affect our professional lives. If there’s something major happening in your personal life, such as having little kids or dealing with health issues, be sure to add this into your thought process as you explore new possibilities. Double check your priorities, and ask yourself how much time and energy you realistically can (and want) to dedicate during this life season. Remember to give yourself grace and let go of the need to do it all, and do it all now.

Lesson 7: Leverage Your Support System

Luckily for me, I have a partner who is both patient and supportive of all of my pivots and uncertainties. For you, this may look like a friend, family member, or professional support system, like a counselor or coach. During these in-between phases, I double down on support. From going to therapy, to having coaching calls, I find that having a reliable support system helps me to move through these phases with more ease and less pressure.

If you find yourself in an in-between phase, I hope these lessons have resonated with you in some way. And if any questions arise on the topic of career pivots, I’d love to hear from you!