Sometimes it’s been clear in your mind for a long time that things can’t go on this way. And yet you still can’t bring yourself to take action.
Many women experience a career change in exactly this way. They know that it’s okay for things to change, yet they remain stuck inside. A career change is often less a matter of knowledge than of inner confidence.
I'm very familiar with this issue.
Why Career Changes Are Often Difficult
Back then, as it became clearer to me that my career path at the bank no longer really suited me, thinking wasn’t the real problem. I could clearly identify what wasn’t working anymore. I felt that I didn’t want to continue that way. And yet, the next clear step wasn’t immediately obvious.
Because along with that inner clarity, there was something else: fear.
The fear of giving up something I had built up over the years. My studies. My career. Everything that had given me a sense of security. And that very existential question: What if I give it all up and it doesn't work out in the end?
From the outside, a career change often seems like a matter of choice. Stay or go. Make a plan, weigh the pros and cons carefully, and take the plunge.
It's often not that simple.
Because what seems logical in your head doesn’t automatically feel safe deep down. Especially if you’ve shouldered a lot of responsibility, are performance-oriented, and don’t want to give up on everything lightly, another part of you often speaks up very clearly. A part that says: You’d better stay where you are. Wait a little longer. Don’t risk too much.
That is exactly why a career change is so rarely just a matter of making a decision with your head.
It was a process for me, too. At first, I didn't even know what was going to happen next. I didn't have a set plan. I just knew that I didn't want to just keep going the way I had been.
At some point, I went traveling and fulfilled two dreams: I went to Buenos Aires, learned Spanish, and danced the tango. That wasn’t a ready-made solution for my career. But it gave me space, some distance, and renewed access to what was alive inside me.
At the time, this process was also supported by coaching. That helped me sort through my thoughts and, step by step, take myself seriously. Today, I sometimes think: If I’d been more familiar with the possibilities of hypnosis back then, some things would have been easier and more straightforward.
Why Using Your Head Alone Is Often Not Enough
Because that’s exactly what I experience time and again in my work today: The mind often already understands a great deal. It can analyze, evaluate options, and formulate sensible next steps. But as soon as things get more concrete, something else often speaks up inside me.
Then doubts creep in. A desire for security. Old patterns. The worry that you’re asking too much of yourself. Or that quiet feeling that you haven’t quite allowed yourself to go your own way yet.
From the outside, this can quickly come across as a lack of clarity. In reality, it’s often more of an internal conflict regarding security.
Internal security is the key
That’s why, when it comes to a career change, it’s often not enough to just keep thinking about it. It takes more than just thoughts—it also takes inner confidence. Not just a plan, but also the feeling that I can take this step seriously. I don’t have to know everything yet. But I can get started.
If you recognize yourself in these lines and feel that you’d like to make a change in your career, I’d be happy to guide you on this journey. Here you can learn more about my 12-week program, “Be Your True Self in Your Career,” designed for women seeking a career change.
