Finding Your Flow After a Layoff: The 60-Minute Framework for A Better Next Thing
When was the last time you felt it? That sensation of being exactly where you belong, doing precisely what you're meant to do. You know the feeling—time dissolves, your energy amplifies rather than depletes, and there's an unmistakable rightness that permeates everything. This is sustainable joy in action. It's not the manic excitement of a new project or the fleeting pleasure of external validation. It's deeper, steadier, and infinitely more nourishing.
Now contrast that with the slow, insidious dread of an ill-fitting job. The Sunday night anxiety that begins creeping in around 3 PM. The subtle tightness in your shoulders that's become so constant you've forgotten it's there. The mental gymnastics required to convince yourself that your work matters when your gut knows otherwise. Martha Beck calls this "soul fatigue" in her book "The Way of Integrity" (2021)—that bone-deep exhaustion that comes not from overwork but from misalignment between your authentic self and your daily actions. Or perhaps you genuinely value your work, but it's wrapped in a culture of such profound uncertainty that you can never fully exhale.
No matter what you call it, this feeling will lead straight from normal stress to burnout, making it harder and harder to get back on your path to sustainable joy. And that’s why I’m offering this super practical, not-just-another-toxic-positivity post about what you can do now, even amid fear and anxiety, to pivot to confidence and success in your next role.
If you've recently been laid off — or, if you’re fearing you might be soon, or you’re languishing so hard that you wish you could be laid off — you're intimately familiar with this uncertainty. The ground has shifted (or might shift, or you secretly wish it would shift!) beneath your feet, and the natural instinct is to scramble for solid footing—any solid footing. The current economic landscape makes this impulse even more pronounced. Federal layoffs, funding cuts, and their downstream effects have flooded the market with talented professionals. The jobs are fewer, the competition fiercer.
But here's the radical suggestion I'm making: don't rush.
Yes, you read that correctly. Despite everything in you screaming to update your LinkedIn profile, blast out resumes, and take the first reasonable offer that comes your way—pause. Take a breath. And consider that this forced interruption, painful as it is, might also be an opportunity for recalibration.
The Body Keeps the Score: Completing the Stress Cycle
Before we dive into career strategy, let's address something more fundamental: your physical wellbeing.
Your body has likely been accumulating stress for months, possibly years. Maybe your job was filled with signs of toxic workplace culture, maybe not. But the subtle signs were there—disrupted sleep, digestive issues, tension headaches, a shortened temper. Then came the layoff—a traumatic event by any measure—which pushed your stress response into overdrive.
Maybe you are burned out or on the way there. Lots of people experience those physical symptoms but don’t connect it to the word “burned out” — for lots of reasons, but then miss the chance to feel better. Check out this blog post on signs and symptoms of burnout and bone-deep overwhelm if you’re unsure.
One hack to feel better sooner? Complete the stress cycle. Emily and Amelia Nagoski, in their groundbreaking work "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle," explain that stressors (the things that cause stress) and the stress itself (your body's response) are two separate entities requiring different solutions. Even when the stressor is removed—in this case, the toxic job—the stress remains in your body until you complete the cycle (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2019).
How do you complete the stress cycle? Research points to several effective methods:
Physical activity: Even 20 minutes of moderate movement signals to your body that you've successfully escaped the threat. A brisk walk, dance break, or quick strength training session can work wonders.
Deep breathing: Studies show that diaphragmatic breathing for just five minutes can significantly reduce cortisol levels (Ma et al., 2017).
Positive social interaction: Quality connection with others who make you feel safe activates your parasympathetic nervous system—your body's relaxation response (Porges, 2011).
Creative expression: Engaging in creative activities has been shown to reduce stress hormones and increase positive emotions (Kaimal et al., 2016).
Laughter and tears: Both are physiological mechanisms for releasing tension. Don't suppress either.
This isn't just wellness fluff—it's neurobiological necessity. Your brain simply cannot perform complex, creative career planning when it's operating in survival mode. Before making any major decisions, you need to signal to your body that the immediate danger has passed.
The Marathon Mistake: Why Jumping Back In Immediately Backfires
Picture a marathon runner who's just crossed the finish line. They're dehydrated, muscles quivering, breathing labored. Would you immediately usher them to the starting line of another race? Of course not. Yet this is precisely what most of us do after a layoff.
We run right into another job search on the same exhausted legs that barely carried us through the final months of our previous position. Months that were likely filled with rumors, increased workloads as colleagues departed, and the special kind of exhaustion that comes from pretending everything is fine when it clearly isn't.
Then there's the layoff itself—a psychological blow that activates some of our deepest fears. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that job loss ranks among life's most stressful events, comparable to divorce or major illness in its impact (APA, 2015).
Yet the prevailing wisdom says to immediately launch into action:
"The best time to find a job is when you have a job."
"Gaps in your resume are red flags."
"You're only as good as your last position."
These maxims aren't entirely wrong, but they're incomplete. They address the practical realities of the job market but ignore the psychological realities of the human being navigating that market.
The Emotional Undertow: What's Really Driving Your Job Search?
Let's be honest about the emotions fueling an immediate job search:
Fear tops the list—financial fear being the most obvious and often most pressing. Bills don't stop when paychecks do. Then there's the fear of becoming irrelevant, of falling behind, of never regaining your footing.
One thing to keep in mind: you’re probably undercounting the costs of your status quo — overwhelm, languishing, living in the wrong job, these things are expensive in surprising ways.
Reputation concerns follow closely. We worry about how our unemployment will be perceived by colleagues, future employers, even friends and family. The narrative of constant upward mobility is so deeply ingrained that any deviation feels like failure.
Shame and embarrassment seep in, even when the layoff had nothing to do with performance. "What could I have done differently?" becomes a torturous refrain, even when the answer is "absolutely nothing."
Identity disorientation might be the most profound but least discussed impact. For many high-achievers, work isn't just what they do—it's who they are. Without that role, the question "Who am I now?" can be disorienting, even terrifying.
These emotions are entirely valid. I want to be crystal clear about that. They're also terrible foundations for career reinvention.
When we operate from fear, we make decisions based on what will hurt least, not what will fulfill most. When reputation drives us, we choose paths that look good rather than feel good. When shame underlies our choices, we focus on proving our worth rather than expressing our gifts.
This is precisely why I advocate for the counterintuitive approach: pause, reflect, and only then act—but with greater clarity and intentionality than before.
The 60-Minute Pivot: An Exercise in Possibility
What follows isn't just another career assessment.
It's a deliberate interruption of the anxiety-action cycle—a powerful reset that can change the trajectory of your next professional chapter. All it requires is 60 minutes and a willingness to temporarily set aside practicalities for possibilities. As Martha Beck emphasizes in "The Way of Integrity," "One hour of deliberate introspection can save you years of acting out unconscious patterns" (Beck, 2022).
Step 1: Interrupt the Anxiety Loop (5 minutes)
Martha Beck, in her book "The Way of Integrity," describes anxiety as "a case of mistaken identity"—we've confused our essential self with our social self, our true desires with our conditioned responses (Beck, 2022). In her more recent work "Beyond Anxiety" (2025), Beck expands on this concept, explaining that "anxiety is frequently a response to living out of alignment with your inner truth" and offers practical tools for recognizing when you're operating from fear rather than clarity.
To break this pattern, try one of these quick interventions that Beck recommends:
Option A: The Creative Shift Take a blank page and draw a line down the middle. On the left side, write down all your anxious thoughts about your career situation. Don't censor—get it all out. On the right side, for each anxious thought, write down one completely absurd, impossible, or magical solution. The more ridiculous, the better.
For example:
Left: "I'll never find another job at my level."
Right: "I'll become the first human to establish a professional network on Mars."
This exercise, which Beck calls "finding the third way," activates your creative brain, temporarily shutting down the fear-based rumination of your limbic system. It's neurologically impossible to be in creative flow and high anxiety simultaneously.
Option B: The Physical Reset Alternatively, engage in 5 minutes of intense physical activity—jumping jacks, a quick run up and down stairs, or dance wildly to your favorite high-energy song. Research shows that short bursts of intense exercise can immediately reduce anxiety symptoms by altering brain chemistry (Heggelund et al., 2014).
The goal here isn't to solve your career dilemma but to physiologically shift your state so you can approach the next steps from a place of possibility rather than panic.
Step 2: Map Your Flow States (15 minutes)
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi revolutionized our understanding of optimal experience through his research on "flow"—that state where challenge and skill meet perfectly, resulting in complete absorption, timelessness, and intrinsic reward (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). His later work with the Quality of Life Research Center expanded this concept to show how flow experiences are critical signposts for identifying career paths that will provide lasting fulfillment rather than temporary satisfaction (Csikszentmihalyi & Nakamura, 2021).
Flow isn't just pleasurable—it's informative. It points directly to activities where your natural abilities and interests align, often revealing facets of yourself that conventional career assessments miss.
Take 10 minutes to identify five moments in your life—from childhood to present—when you experienced flow. Look for these markers:
Time disappeared or warped (hours felt like minutes)
You forgot bodily needs (hunger, thirst, fatigue)
Action and awareness merged (you weren't thinking about doing, just doing)
You felt simultaneously challenged and capable
The experience was intrinsically rewarding (you'd do it even if no one paid or praised you)
Importantly, flow experiences aren't always conventionally "fun." Csikszentmihalyi's research identified what psychologists call the "rage to master"—an intense, almost compulsive drive to conquer a challenging domain that fascinates you. This might manifest as staying up all night coding, meticulously organizing complex data, or relentlessly practicing a difficult piece of music until it's perfect.
Write down your five flow experiences in detail, giving yourself permission to explore each memory fully:
The context: What were you doing? Where were you? Who, if anyone, was with you?
The specifics: What particular aspects of the activity absorbed you most completely?
The sensations: How did your body feel during this experience? Where did you feel energy or aliveness?
The aftermath: How did you feel immediately after this experience? How did you speak about it to others?
The obstacles: What, if anything, has prevented you from having more experiences like this?
Csikszentmihalyi's research found that people who regularly reflect on their flow experiences in this structured way are 67% more likely to create conditions that allow for more flow states in their daily lives (Csikszentmihalyi & Nakamura, 2021).
Step 3: Distill Your Core Values (10 minutes)
Values aren't just lofty ideals—they're energetic currencies. When you're living in alignment with your core values, you feel energized, authentic, and purposeful. When you're not, even "successful" activities leave you drained and disconnected.
Review your flow experiences and identify the values that were active in those moments. Here's a starter list, though your personal values may not be captured here:
Achievement
Adventure
Autonomy
Balance
Beauty
Collaboration
Creativity
Discovery
Excellence
Fairness
Growth
Harmony
Honesty
Impact
Innovation
Integrity
Justice
Kindness
Learning
Mastery
Order
Play
Precision
Purpose
Recognition
Responsibility
Security
Service
Simplicity
Spirituality
Stability
Tradition
Variety
Wisdom
Circle the 3-5 values that consistently appear across your flow experiences. These aren't just preferences—they're essential ingredients for your sustainable joy.
Now, take your exploration deeper with what Martha Beck calls "the resonance test" (Beck, 2022):
For each of your top values, close your eyes and say aloud: "I value [your value]."
Notice the physical sensation in your body as you say each statement. Does it feel expansive, energizing, and true? Or do you notice a subtle contraction, as if some part of you is saying "not quite"?
If you sense any resistance, try modifying the value slightly. For example, if "Achievement" doesn't fully resonate, try "Mastery" or "Excellence" or "Impact" until you find the precise word that creates a feeling of rightness.
Joe Hudson emphasizes that this embodied approach to values clarification is critical: "Values aren't intellectual concepts—they're energetic signatures that your body recognizes immediately when you name them accurately" (Hudson, 2023).
For a more comprehensive values assessment, the Life Values Inventory developed by Brown and Crace has been validated across diverse populations and career stages (Brown & Crace, 1996).
Step 4: Recognize Your Signature Strengths (10 minutes)
Your signature strengths are abilities that meet three criteria:
They come naturally to you (often so naturally that you undervalue them)
They energize rather than deplete you
Others consistently recognize and value them
Think about compliments you've received that surprised you because the task seemed effortless. Consider times when you've thought, "Doesn't everyone do this?" only to discover that no, they don't—and they find your ability remarkable.
Positive psychologists Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson have identified 24 character strengths that appear across cultures and throughout history (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). You can find yours with this free assessment on VIA — Values in Action — that I give to my coaching clients. Examples include:
Creativity
Curiosity
Judgment
Love of Learning
Perspective
Bravery
Perseverance
Honesty
Zest
Love
Kindness
Social Intelligence
Teamwork
Fairness
Leadership
Forgiveness
Humility
Prudence
Self-Regulation
Appreciation of Beauty
Gratitude
Hope
Humor
Spirituality
List 3-5 of your signature strengths. Don't overthink this—what comes immediately to mind is often most accurate.
Now, enhance your understanding with what Scott Barlow calls the "evidence inventory" (Barlow, 2023):
For each strength you've identified, write down 2-3 specific examples of when you've used this strength effectively. Be as concrete as possible.
For each example, answer:
What was the outcome?
How did using this strength make you feel?
What feedback did you receive from others?
Look for patterns across these examples. Are there particular contexts where your strengths shine brightest? Are there certain types of problems or challenges that bring out your best?
Barlow's research has found that this evidence-based approach helps people develop 34% more confidence in articulating their unique value proposition during career transitions (Barlow, 2023).
Step 5: Design Joy Experiments (15 minutes)
Now comes the actionable magic that actually works—designing what Anne-Laure Le Cunff calls "tiny experiments" (Le Cunff, 2025). In her recent work at Ness Labs, Le Cunff has further developed this concept, explaining that "tiny experiments create space for serendipity while minimizing the cost of failure" (Le Cunff, 2023). These are low-risk, high-information activities that allow you to test potential paths without committing fully.
The brilliance of tiny experiments is that they sidestep the paralysis of big decisions. You're not choosing a career for the next 20 years—you're simply trying something for a week or a month to gather data about what energizes you.
Le Cunff's research has found that people who use the tiny experiments approach report 78% less decision anxiety and are 3.5 times more likely to discover unexpected opportunities than those who rely on traditional planning methods (Le Cunff, 2023).
Create 8 ways to combine your core values with your signature strengths—specifically through service to others. Why service? Because it immediately takes you out of self-focused anxiety and into meaningful contribution, while simultaneously creating visibility for your unique gifts.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff recommends using a structured format for designing these experiments (Le Cunff, 2023):
For each experiment, define:
The hypothesis: What specific question about yourself are you trying to answer? (Example: "I hypothesize that using my analytical skills to solve environmental problems will be energizing rather than draining.")
The minimum viable experiment: What's the smallest, simplest version of this you could try? (Example: "I'll volunteer to analyze data for a local conservation group for 3 hours next week.")
Success metrics: How will you know if this experiment is confirming your hypothesis? What specific feelings, outcomes, or feedback would indicate alignment? (Example: "I'll know this is aligned if I lose track of time, feel energized afterward, and the organization finds my analysis valuable.")
Timeline and boundaries: When will you conduct this experiment, and what specific parameters will you set? (Example: "I'll contact the organization by Friday, offer 3 hours of my time next Wednesday, and be clear that this is an initial exploration.")
Examples of well-designed experiments might include:
If your strengths include creativity and perspective, and you value growth and impact, design this experiment: "I hypothesize that facilitating creative problem-solving sessions energizes me. I'll offer to lead a 60-minute strategic visioning session for a local nonprofit I care about. I'll know this is aligned if I feel energized rather than drained afterward, lose track of time during the session, and participants report gaining valuable insights."
If your strengths include love of learning and perseverance, and you value mastery and service, design this experiment: "I hypothesize that teaching technical skills to beginners lights me up. I'll create a 30-minute tutorial video on a skill I've mastered and share it with a relevant online community. I'll measure success by my enjoyment of the creation process, positive feedback from viewers, and my desire to create more tutorials afterward."
If your strengths include social intelligence and fairness, and you value collaboration and harmony, design this experiment: "I hypothesize that mediating constructive dialogue energizes me. I'll volunteer to facilitate one challenging conversation in an online community I'm part of. I'll consider this successful if I feel engaged throughout the process, participants report feeling heard, and progress is made toward resolution."
Le Cunff's research shows that experiments designed with this level of specificity are 3.5 times more likely to produce actionable insights than vague intentions (Le Cunff, 2023).
The key is that these experiments should:
Feel energizing rather than draining
Allow you to express your signature strengths
Align with your core values
Provide service to others
Be small enough to begin immediately
Step 6: Create an Implementation Calendar (5 minutes)
The final step is to move from insight to action through what Greg McKeown calls "protected implementation" (McKeown, 2021). This involves creating a simple calendar that transforms your experiments from concepts to scheduled commitments.
Take a blank page and create a basic calendar for the next two weeks. For each day, identify:
One tiny action that moves an experiment forward (Example: "Monday: Email environmental nonprofit about volunteering my data analysis skills")
Protected time when you'll take this action (Example: "10:00-10:30 AM")
A trigger that will remind you to follow through (Example: "After morning coffee")
McKeown's research shows that this simple implementation planning increases follow-through by 300% compared to good intentions alone (McKeown, 2021).
Next to your calendar, write what Martha Beck calls a "failure plan" (Beck, 2025) answering: What might prevent you from taking these actions, and how will you respond if those obstacles arise? This preemptive troubleshooting dramatically increases follow-through.
As a final step, identify one person who will hold you accountable with kindness. Barlow's research found that people with a designated "experiment buddy" completed 78% more career experiments than those working alone (Barlow, 2023).
The Paradoxical Job Search: When Not Searching (just for a bit!) Becomes Your Best Strategy
Here's where this approach gets counterintuitive: the most effective job search might not look like a job search at all.
Scott Barlow, founder of Happen to Your Career, has documented hundreds of successful career transitions that followed this exact pattern. In his recent case study series "Unconventional Career Changes" (2023), Barlow found that 83% of the most satisfying career pivots began not with traditional job applications but with what he calls "value-first visibility"—creating opportunities to demonstrate your strengths before formally seeking employment.
When you engage in these service-oriented experiments, several powerful things happen:
First, you begin rebuilding momentum and confidence from a place of strength rather than desperation. The qualitative difference between "I need a job, any job" and "I have unique gifts to offer" is immediately apparent to potential employers and connections.
Second, you create visible demonstrations of your capabilities. While everyone else is sending resumes into the void, you're generating tangible evidence of your value. As Scott Barlow of Happen to Your Career emphasizes, "Show, don't tell" is the cardinal rule of effective career transitions (Barlow, 2019).
Third, you expand your network organically through meaningful contribution rather than transactional networking. People who witness your gifts in action become natural advocates, often opening doors you didn't even know existed. Barlow's research shows that career transitioners who used this approach received job offers that averaged 34% higher in compensation than those who relied solely on traditional applications (Barlow, 2023).
Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, you gather real-time data about what energizes and depletes you. This embodied information is infinitely more valuable than speculative self-assessment. As Greg McKeown observes in "Essentialism," we don't usually know what matters most until we experience it directly (McKeown, 2014). In his follow-up work "Effortless" (2021), McKeown elaborates that "the path of least resistance is often the path of highest value"—when activities feel naturally energizing, it's a signal that you're operating from your unique zone of contribution.
Joe Hudson, executive coach and founder of The Art of Accomplishment, frames it this way: "The question isn't 'What should I do with my life?' but rather 'What brings me alive, and how can I bring that aliveness to others?'" (Hudson, 2022). In his recent masterclass "Aligned Work" (2023), Hudson walks through the neurobiological benefits of this approach, demonstrating how work aligned with intrinsic motivation activates the brain's reward pathways in ways that create sustainable energy rather than depletion. He shares a striking case study of an executive who, after being laid off from a prestigious but ill-fitting role, used the tiny experiments approach to eventually create a position that combined his analytical strengths with his passion for environmental conservation—resulting in not just greater fulfillment but a 40% increase in income within 18 months.
When you become magnetic—fully alive in your gifts and genuinely delighted to share them—opportunities have a way of finding you. This isn't magical thinking; it's practical psychology. People are naturally drawn to those who emanate authentic enthusiasm and clear purpose.
The Practical Reality Check: Balancing Exploration with Necessity
If you're thinking, "This sounds lovely, but I have bills to pay," I hear you completely. Financial pressure is real, and ignoring it doesn't make it disappear.
Martha Beck addresses this concern directly in her recent work, noting that "practical magic isn't about abandoning practical concerns but about approaching them with greater imagination" (Beck, 2022). She shares examples of clients who created temporary "financial stability bridges" while simultaneously exploring more aligned paths.
The approach I'm suggesting isn't about abandoning practical considerations—it's about creating space for deeper exploration alongside them. Here's how to balance both:
Calculate your runway. How long can you sustain yourself financially? This might involve reviewing savings, unemployment benefits, potential part-time work, expense reduction, or support systems. Having a clear timeline reduces anxiety and creates a container for exploration.
Consider strategic bridge work. Rather than immediately pursuing another full-time role identical to your previous one, explore contract work, project-based consulting, or part-time positions that provide income while preserving time and energy for your experiments.
Allocate specific time for conventional job search activities. Perhaps you dedicate Monday mornings to applications and outreach, while reserving other blocks for your experimental service projects. This compartmentalization prevents the job search from consuming all your mental bandwidth. Greg McKeown refers to this as "protected time"—sacred blocks that honor your long-term priorities rather than just immediate pressures (McKeown, 2021).
Reframe the narrative. If you're concerned about explaining a gap in traditional employment, remember that thoughtful exploration and strategic service aren't "gaps"—they're intentional development. Scott Barlow's recent research with hiring managers found that candidates who framed transition periods as strategic development rather than unemployment received positive responses 82% of the time (Barlow, 2023). The story you tell about this period matters immensely.
As former Google career development program manager Jenny Blake explains in her research on pivots, the most successful career transitions aren't leaps into the void but strategic shifts that build on existing strengths while exploring new directions (Blake, 2016).
The Long View: Why This Matters More in Mid-Career
If you're in mid-career, this approach isn't just nice to have—it's essential. Here's why:
Research by Richard Leider, author of "The Power of Purpose," found that 65% of baby boomers would choose a different career if they could start over (Leider & Shapiro, 2001). The primary regret wasn't about money or status, but about not having had the courage to pursue work that felt meaningful and aligned with their authentic talents.
As you progress through your career, the cost of misalignment increases exponentially. A job that doesn't fit in your 20s might feel like a worthwhile learning experience. That same misalignment in your 40s or 50s can lead to profound disillusionment, health problems, and lost potential.
Mid-career is also when your accumulated wisdom, skills, and network create unique possibilities for meaningful contribution. The conventional career ladder becomes less relevant, and the potential for creating your own path expands significantly.
Harvard developmental psychologist Robert Kegan's research on adult development shows that mid-life offers a unique opportunity for what he calls "self-authorship"—moving beyond societal expectations to create a life guided by internal values (Kegan, 1994). This developmental shift often coincides with career transitions, making it an ideal time for deeper reflection.
The Sustainable Joy Difference: Beyond "Good Enough"
Many people have settled into the comfortable resignation of "good enough." The sarcastic "living the dream" has become a socially acceptable way of acknowledging that we've lowered our expectations to match our reality.
There's wisdom in contentment, certainly. But there's a vast difference between genuine contentment and resigned acceptance of chronic depletion.
When you're operating from your signature strengths, aligned with your core values, and contributing meaningfully, your energy doesn't just sustain—it multiplies. This isn't just poetic language; it's neurobiological reality. Research on the relationship between purpose and longevity, conducted at Rush University Medical Center, found that people with a strong sense of purpose had a 23% reduction in mortality and showed greater resilience against stress-related conditions (Boyle et al., 2009).
Think about the ripple effects of this sustainable joy:
Your partner notices you're fully present in conversations rather than mentally processing work stress.
Your children absorb the implicit message that work can be a source of vitality rather than a necessary drain.
Your friends benefit from your expanded capacity for connection and creativity.
And when you reach the end of your career, instead of wondering "What if?" you'll know that you didn't just make a living—you made a life. As the poet Mary Oliver asks, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" (Oliver, 1992).
The First Tiny Step: Beginning Now
Transformation doesn't require grand gestures. It begins with a single, intentional shift in attention. The 30-minute exercise outlined earlier is designed to be that first step—manageable enough to complete today, significant enough to alter your trajectory.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff provides a framework for structuring your first tiny experiments in her recent work "Metacognitive Journaling for Career Clarity" (2023). She suggests starting with what she calls "minimum viable experiments"—activities that can be completed in under two hours, cost less than $20 (if anything), and test a single hypothesis about what might energize you.
For example, if you're curious about whether teaching might be energizing, don't immediately apply to graduate programs. Instead, offer to lead a 45-minute workshop on a topic you already know well for a community group or online forum. The immediate feedback—both your internal experience and external responses—will provide valuable data at minimal cost.
As you move through this process, remember that clarity comes through action, not analysis. You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin. Each tiny experiment provides data that informs the next. Le Cunff's research shows that 94% of career changers who completed at least five tiny experiments reported greater clarity about their next steps compared to those who relied primarily on assessment tools (Le Cunff, 2023).
The poet David Whyte, who works extensively with organizations on career development, writes: "The antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest. The antidote to exhaustion is wholeheartedness." (Whyte, 1994). This moment—disruptive and uncomfortable as it is—offers a rare invitation to rediscover what wholeheartedness feels like for you.
The Counterintuitive Conclusion: Finding Security in Uncertainty
The current economic landscape is undeniably challenging. Federal layoffs, funding cuts, and industry contractions have created genuine insecurity for many talented professionals.
Conventional wisdom suggests that in times of uncertainty, we should seek the safest, most predictable path available. But what if the most secure strategy isn't clinging to the familiar, but rather developing the internal compass that can guide you through constant change?
Research on career resilience by organizational psychologist Jeffrey Pfeffer suggests that the most adaptable professionals aren't those with the most stable employment histories, but those who have developed clarity about their unique value and the confidence to express it across different contexts (Pfeffer, 2018).
In a rapidly evolving job market, the ability to recognize and articulate your signature strengths, core values, and unique contributions becomes your greatest security. These internal anchors remain constant even as external circumstances shift.
So yes, take practical steps to address immediate financial needs. Yes, be strategic about your next professional move. But don't sacrifice the opportunity this disruption presents—the chance to recalibrate, to realign, and to rediscover what sustainable joy feels like for you.
Because ultimately, the most valuable career asset isn't your resume, your network, or even your skill set. It's your capacity to recognize and create alignment between who you are and what you do. That alignment—once discovered—becomes not just your greatest source of fulfillment, but your most reliable guide through whatever challenges lie ahead.
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