Digging through my old treasure trove of unpublished blog stories, I found this one on making a career change during a pandemic. While the pandemic has thankfully ended, the relevance of this article still stands.
Why? Because the question of is this the right time to change career has always been a burning one. Actually, this generally applies to any decision we are making, especially when it is unfamiliar and new to us.
So, my answer.
Now just might be the right time!
Many naysayers and well-wishers alike will tell you that the situation out there (Covid-19) is volatile, you should be grateful to have a job, it’s foolish to throw away what you’ve built for a shot in the dark, or you could wait till you’re more “stable.”
While it may seem the case, we sometimes have this burning ache, this unquestionable certainty or as I’d like to believe, the voice of your inner guide, that tells you that this is the move you have to make. You’re torn, uncertain and worse of all, undecided. I know, because I’ve been there not too long ago, moving from a full time to a part time role with an 80% pay cut. It was NOT an easy decision.
After much soul-searching, here’s why acting on this feeling is essential, and I am so grateful I took a plunge in the dark.
Are you doing what makes your heart sing?
When was the last time your heart leapt, sang and overflowed with joy? For me, it had been awhile. I found myself moving through my job and sadly, my lifelike an overworked buffalo ploughing rice on a padi field, trudging through the mud of my own boredom and carrying the weight of my ‘what-ifs.’ The internet has many terms for it, and one such term is languishing.
But what I’ve come to realise is that this happens when there is misalignment between our current day job and our higher purpose.
Take the time to go within, ask the questions you seek so desperately answers for. Give yourself time and space to figure out what makes you joyful, excited and full of purpose. You might not have all the answers, I know I did not, but a feeling is enough, because our feelings are our greatest guides. The lightness and joy will tell us if something is for us or not.
Is there a right time?
One common advice we hear is, now’s not the right time, you should wait for the right time. You may ask, when is the right time. I’ll ask, is there a right time? My response: yes, there is a right time, and the right time is now.
If you’re seeking and exploring options, it means you have received the calling and you’re at the start of the journey, whether you realise it or not. So undoubtedly, this is the right time to take that step in the direction of you.
Do you need a permission slip from anyone else?
One of the things I grappled with most is the need to get everyone’s approval. What does my mother think? My dad? My sister? Will they approve of my decision? Will they accept me still? What will my friends say? Will they think I’m being foolish, throwing it all away? What about society? Do I fit into the linear narrative — job, marriage, house, kids? Bottomline is, will others accept this decision and give me the greenlight?
But guess what, you don’t need a permission slip from anyone to do those things that make you happy. And knowing this is the most liberating thing ever.
Oh and one more thing, talk to new people. Our family, friends and community would surely have our best interests at heart, but it could end up becoming an echo chamber of all the beliefs keeping us stuck.
So if you’re feeling the urge to step out of the unknown and seek the unfamiliar, don’t hold yourself back. Trust your intuition and take that leap of faith to walk on your journey.
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