Put your Inner Critic in the backseat to drive towards your dream career

Her heart’s secret dream is to be a developmental book editor.

(What a cool dream, right?)

She wants the honor of being the idea doula that helps authors birth their big, bold, intellectual works into the world.

Her story sound like many of my clients: in her 30s, working in a big city, has marched right up the corporate ladder and hit a comfortable salary and title..and yet, there’s something inside of her itching and yearning for more. More soul, more challenge, more life on her own terms.

In a coaching session where we discover a big dream like this, I’m thrilled for her and want to do everything in my power to support her….so I have to let her (and you) in on a secret that’s a bit of a downer:

During a coaching session, everything is often rainbows and puppy dogs. We’re both drunk on a possibility high. You’ll believe you are capable and ready to start taking action to explore this new career path — because you are!

The next morning, however, you might wake up with a dream hangover.

You’ll know you have a dream hangover if you wake up swirling with feelings of dread, regret, discomfort and anxiety.

This will happen because the Inner Critic voice that’s so great at keeping you safe and sound (and probably also stuck) realized you had a lot of fun without asking for its input yesterday.

That voice will pipe up and say, “That was a fun fantasy, wasn’t it?”

“But, let’s talk about your real life. You could never make a change like that. You couldn’t afford it, you’re too old (or too young), and you’re completely inexperienced.”

The arguments sound compelling. If you believe that voice, you’ll certainly stay safely where you are. But your heart, soul, and mind might never forgive you for neglecting their longing for challenge and expansion.

What that inner voice forgets is: every book editor started out as inexperienced at first. Each of them started out too young (or too old) and methodically worked their way into the career.

And while most editors may not be on their way to being a millionaire (although they might!), thousands of them find ways to financially support themselves with this work every day across the world. They might not enjoy every second of every waking minute on the job, but they get to do work that feels great to them and help authors change the world.

There’s no need to let your Inner Critic drive your decision-making and have you resign yourself to being part of the 53% of Americans that are actively unhappy in their work, according to the most recent study by The Conference Board. You can have a job that aligns with your values, allows you to pay the bills, and that is FUN for you. (I often refer to Fun as the “other F-word” when it comes to careers, because it feels just as taboo.)

So let’s tango with your Inner Critic for a moment…:

If even just 1% of your heart believed that becoming a developmental book editor (or whatever your dream is!) was truly possible for you, what tiny actions could you take today to prove yourself right and inch that up to 2% belief? Reading an article about a book editor? Identifying your favorite publishing genres?

What if 10% of you believed this change was possible for you? What actions could you take to nudge that up to 11% of your heart and soul believing with all their might that you can do this? Taking a class on editing? Reaching out to a famous editor to research their path in the industry?

And for all the marbles…what if 49% of you believed it was possible? What would you need to do to tip the scales in your favor and start a true momentum snowball? Helping a writer friend by offering up your services?

Your Inner Critic voice has a lot of helpful properties in specific situations — it’s great at keeping you safe from potential dangerous risks. But when you’re feeling comfort and complacency crowding out joy, growth and adventure, it’s time to ask your Inner Critic to take a backseat and let your heart drive.

What kind of career — and life(!) — would you create if your heart was fully in the driver’s seat?

— — — —

Lisa Lewis is a career change coach who helps unfulfilled individuals create lucrative, soulful, and joyful new career paths. Don’t love your job? We should talk. Learn more at GetCareerClarity.com or check out The Career Clarity Show podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play.