How This Type A Alumni Went From Analysis Paralysis to Career Peace
Imagine: spending so much of your career as a high achiever who makes the “right” decision, that suddenly you’re terrified to make any decision in fear of being wrong. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, your drive and ambition can be a double-edged sword. You’re definitely not alone, though! Let me introduce you to Jayme, an alum who was once in that exact whirlwind. She was able to go from an overthinking Type A queen to finally feeling at peace in her career, so let me tell you how she did it.
When Jayme came to me, she was caught in the classic high-achiever vortex: second-guessing herself and doubting every career decision. She had recently taken a new job out of fear, with layoffs looming at her previous company. To her dismay, though, the new job was nothing like she expected and frustration and disappointment set in. Jayme began to doubt her decision-making ability.
The Pressure to Impress
Like many high achievers, Jayme was no stranger to making choices that impressed others. But let me tell you a secret: the more you chase perfection, the harder future decisions become. That's precisely what happened to Jayme. The pressure she put on herself to maintain that high bar was suffocating and kept her stuck in a loop of indecision.
For Jayme, the missing puzzle piece was self-trust. She was always seeking answers outside of herself, leading her away from what she really wanted. So, she decided it was time to seek guidance and start her journey of self-discovery.
Peeling Back the Layers
On our coaching calls, Jayme expressed that she wasn't seeking more shiny new jobs - she wanted something deeper and more meaningful. She craved a knowledge of what would genuinely make her happy and the tools to navigate her career accordingly. Essentially, she wanted to reconnect with her true self and create a career that fit her life, not the other way around. It was time to dismantle the "shoulds" and people-pleasing tendencies that had clouded her decision-making for far too long. It was time to unlock her North Star.
Jayme's journey wasn't a straight line, but it was beautifully transformative. She eventually went back to her old job, using it as a stepping stone opportunity to decrease the pressure and think more strategically long-term.
Enter: PCS Coaching
Throughout our time together in PCS, Jayme was able to uncover her career north star and begin the path to more thoughtful career decisions. It provided her with tools to shift her mindset, hold herself accountable, and adopt a long-term perspective. We focused on unlearning the conventional notion of "dream jobs" and adopting a more balanced approach. We delved into black-and-white thinking, fear of judgment, and the paralysis of overthinking. It was in these moments that Jayme experienced profound growth, realizing that true empowerment comes from embracing thoughtful decision-making without being paralyzed by fear.
Throughout the process, Jayme rebuilt her self-trust piece by piece, and started embracing the idea that career decisions could evolve over time.
Coming from a whirlwind of a year in my career - changing jobs twice to go back to the job in the middle while trying to build this "picture perfect" career and realizing I was doing anything but - (yes it was exactly as chaotic as it sounds) I knew I needed to adjust. PCS helped me adjust in ways I did not expect, without overcorrection of just giving up. PCS helped my mentality, while simultaneously building accountability for checking in on myself and a long term mindset that allows me to continue growing. PCS has taught me how to let go of building the career I felt like I "should" be building and embrace the career that I want to build for me. After PCS, I am happily settling into my role and my day to day responsibilities knowing I can change my mind and decide again when I am ready. This is not something I would have ever been able to do while constantly chasing that next raise, promotion, and accolade. I am able to embrace my free time well spent with family, friends and dogs - lots of them without feeling guilty about the email I left in my inbox to deal with the next day. My quality of life is exponentially higher and I feel so at peace for someone who is beyond Type A :)
Type As Can Do it Too
What's remarkable to me is how Jayme transformed from a hardcore Type A to someone who radiated peace. She finally felt like she knew herself and what she wanted, and it had been what she needed for years. She never thought she would get to that place, and I get it, as a former Type A person myself. ;)
I hope Jayme’s story feels like a ray of hope for those stuck in the pressure of making the "right" choices. I get it. She gets it. We all know how compelling it can be to do the “right” thing.
But you know what feels 1000 times better than doing the “right on paper” thing, friend? Doing the “right for you” thing, and I invite you to do just that. Trust me; the feeling of peace and fulfillment is worth every step of the journey.
