120. Making the trade | How to know when it’s time to change careers

Have you ever found yourself deep in “The Pit” where the mere thought of going back to work triggers an existential crisis? You wonder if your current job is the right choice. Sometimes, all it takes are a few adjustments to the current job and you’ll feel fully refreshed and stoked to tackle that next shift. It may also, however, be time for The Trade.

In this episode, we delve into the critical juncture many professionals, particularly physicians, find themselves in when their once-aspired career paths no longer bring fulfillment. We tackle:

• Whether to deepen commitments to your current role or brave the uncertainty of switching careers
• What it means to tolerate another yesterday
• The silent tax paid by grinding it out
• The emotional and practical implications of making significant life changes
• How a well-cultivated professional identity can become an albatross
• A step-by-step guide on how to transition towards a more satisfying career

So, whether you’re a physician on the brink, a professional in a pickle, or just someone who enjoys a good existential quandary with their morning coffee, tune in. Let’s laugh in the face of the status quo and ponder if the grass is greener, or if it’s just astroturf.

Guest bio: Lon Stroschein is purveyor of the Normal 40 podcast and author of The Trade. In past career interactions, he was an aide to a US senator and brokered billion dollar deals in the aerospace industry. He now guides professionals in finding their second half stories. 

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We Discuss: 

Do I double down on what I’m doing right now or consider making a change in career?

• Professionals often grapple with the feeling that their current career path, despite previous aspirations and achievements, might not be fulfilling, leading them to question whether to deepen their commitment or to seek a new direction.
• It is crucial to introspect and evaluate these feelings to understand their root causes. Ignore them at your peril
• Many reach the pinnacle of their careers only to discover a lack of fulfillment, despite having attained all the external markers of success such as high-status roles, financial wealth, and societal recognition.
• This sense of unfulfillment can lead to a profound internal conflict, where outward success masks an underlying dissatisfaction with one’s professional and personal life trajectory.
• Faced with this dilemma, we have two primary choices: to maintain the status quo and endure the discontent, or to take proactive steps to reassess and potentially alter their career path for greater personal satisfaction.

Tolerating another yesterday

• The “Sunday pit” is the dread for the upcoming workweek and a sense of impending loss of freedom and control.
• This feeling symbolizes the broader issue of tolerating dissatisfaction in one’s life, particularly in the context of one’s professional environment.
• The root cause is often a feeling of being trapped in a cycle of repetitive, unfulfilling days.
• Acknowledging and confronting the fact of tolerating an undesirable situation is the first step toward change, requiring an assessment  what we dislike and what we’re willing to do about it.
• Making a change to escape the cycle of “tolerating another yesterday” may involve difficult conversations and decisions, especially for those who have achieved significant external success, but it is necessary for personal growth and fulfillment.

The Pit: A Signal for Change

• The “pit” is described as a deep, unsettling feeling often experienced before facing a challenging or stressful work environment. It serves as a physical manifestation of dread or anxiety about their professional circumstances.
• For many,, especially those in high-stress fields like medicine, this sensation is a common precursor to workdays, signaling an underlying dissatisfaction or misalignment with their current roles.
• Making a change in response to the pit can lead to finding a more fulfilling and suitable professional path that aligns better with one’s skills, preferences, and needs for a balanced life.

The Pit: Recognizing and Overcoming the Tax of Discontent

• The “pit” is an emotional tax.
• It’s also an optional tax. While it may seem unavoidable, there are choices and changes one can make to alleviate or eliminate this burden. The decision not to pay this tax involves making trades or changes in one’s professional life.
• When the pit doesn’t dissipate on its own, it requires active confrontation and action to address the underlying issues causing this emotional distress.
• Common feelings associated with this state include a sense of being on autopilot, frustration, a lack of control, uncertainty, feeling lost within one’s profession, stress, annoyance both at work and home, and a pervasive sense of isolation and entrapment.
• These emotions can lead to a negative impact on personal life and relationships, contributing to a sense of being stuck or caged in an unsatisfying situation, further compounding feelings of shame and guilt for not appreciating what one has.
• If you feel the pit, you are not alone. There’s a shared experience among many professionals.

Working yourself into The Box | We strive for years to get into it, but then it can feel like a trap. 

• The concept of “The Box” refers to the desirable position or status one works hard to achieve, only to feel confined by its boundaries later, including job security, reputation, compensation, and societal image, which can hinder personal happiness and fulfillment.
• Recognizing the need for change involves acknowledging the necessity to trade certain aspects of the current situation, such as income or professional image, for personal well-being, time with family, and overall life satisfaction, despite the challenges and uncertainties of making such a transition.

The two things that keep high-level professionals stuck in a career or position

• Money acts as a significant anchor for professionals contemplating career changes, with many weighing how much of a pay cut they could tolerate
• Image concerns, defined by external symbols of success such as titles and possessions, pose a formidable barrier to taking the first step towards change.
• The struggle between maintaining one’s professional image and the desire for a more fulfilling career can lead to a state of inertia, despite financial flexibility.
• The process of detaching from a carefully crafted image, accumulated over the years, can be as challenging as the financial implications of a career shift.
• Navigating the complexities of financial security and personal image is crucial for professionals seeking to break free from unsatisfying roles.

Work identity takes a long time to build. It gives amazing opportunities but also takes some away

• Building a work identity takes significant time and effort, impacting the opportunities available to individuals and sometimes limiting other potential paths.
• Self-examination of professional identity becomes crucial, especially when considering significant career changes, prompting reflection on the value and constraints of one’s current identity.
• The identity associated with professional roles, like that of a physician, encompasses both pride and prestige, but can also become a subconscious anchor, limiting flexibility and personal growth.
• The process of moving away from a long-established professional identity can be both challenging and liberating, as it involves redefining oneself beyond previous titles and societal expectations.
• The transition from a defined professional role to a more ambiguous or less traditionally prestigious role can initially feel diminishing but may ultimately lead to a sense of freedom and authenticity.

The Trade: Step by Step

• Permission and Acknowledgment: The initial step is to permit yourself to acknowledge that something isn’t right with your current situation. 
• Explore: Exploration involves dreaming and considering what else you might want to do. This step is about rediscovering what you love and what lights you up, which might have been buried under years of routine and responsibilities.
• Learn and Invest: Once you have an idea of what you might want to do, the next step is to take some action toward it. This could involve learning new skills, investing time and possibly money into training, or volunteering in a new field. This step is about leaning into your courage to try something new and start making tangible steps towards a possible new career.
• Test and Share: This phase involves testing out your new interest in a more public way, such as taking on side projects, sharing your new pursuit with others, and possibly starting to earn money from it. This step is crucial for building confidence and gaining practical experience in your new field.
• Make the Trade: The final decision point is whether to fully commit to the new path by potentially leaving your current job and fully embracing the new direction. This involves weighing the risks and benefits and asking yourself if you would regret not making the change.

The mindset to thwart inertia #JFDS

• Embracing the JFDS (Just Fucking Do Something) mindset can shift perspectives towards believing that the best is yet to come, regardless of current hardships.
• Each day presents itself as the youngest, most educated, wealthiest, and most prepared you will ever be.
• Viewing the present as the best time encourages making bold personal bets and embracing growth opportunities.

Has this job given me all it has to give and have I gotten all I have to get?

• Has your career provided all its value and have you extracted all possible benefits?
• Evaluating the current job’s potential involves assessing internal improvements and exploring external opportunities simultaneously.
• Recognizing the point at which nothing more can be learned or contributed in a role indicates a transition from engagement to tolerance.
• The decision to leave a familiar job, despite its challenges, can pave the way for rediscovering personal authenticity and joy in professional endeavors.
• The concept of life’s brevity, juxtaposed with its significant experiences, underscores the importance of making meaningful career decisions.

A lifetime is a long time, but it doesn’t take long to live it

• The perception of a lifetime’s length changes with age, becoming more poignant as one grows older and reflects on the passage of time.
• Life, whether it spans a decade or a century, is ultimately a finite journey that can seem brief in retrospect, emphasizing the importance of living meaningfully.
• The choice to endure dissatisfaction for perceived future benefits is scrutinized as a flawed calculation, urging a reevaluation of how one spends their time.
• The real trade-off in life decisions isn’t just about immediate changes but encompasses the entire scope of one’s past experiences and future potential.
• Engaging in daily personal reflections, like writing morning pages, can be a valuable practice for staying connected to one’s thoughts and feelings, contributing to a sense of purpose and direction.