Careers #InTheWorx: You Don’t Need It All Figured Out to Move Forward
I was recently talking with a client who works in the workforce development space, and in the middle of our conversation, they asked me a simple question:
"Will you be sending your kids to college?"
And I paused.
Not because I didn’t have an answer, but because I had a LOT of emotions bubbling up.
After a deep breath, I said, "Maybe... but I’d be open to other options."
That answer surprised even me.
I mean … I think I've done the “right” things… We opened NY 529 plans; we talk about the importance of education at the dinner table; we encourage curiosity, reading, cultural learning, and community engagement; we tell our kids that learning is lifelong.
So why the hesitation?
Because I DO see a shift in higher education. A big one.
And more than that, I see a shift in how we define success, growth, and what it means to build a meaningful career.
And I know I’m not alone.
We’re All Figuring It Out in Real Time
Whether you’re raising kids or raising your own bar in a changing workforce, here’s the truth:
You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward.
Forget the old playbook.
Forget the pressure to follow a perfect plan.
Forget the anxiety that comes from thinking you’re behind.
Because you’re not.
You’re just in a new season.
You’re evolving. You’re learning. You’re #InTheWorx.
We’ve Outgrown the Old Career Narrative
We were taught that careers should be tidy.
Pick a major. Pick a job. Stay the course.
But that framework? It doesn’t match real life anymore.
Roles evolve. Priorities shift. Industries change.
And sometimes the “dream job” at 25 feels like a straightjacket at 40.
That doesn’t mean you’re lost.
That means you’re ready for what’s next.
The Truth: Your Career Can Grow With You
You are not your job title. You are not a static resume.
You’re a living, breathing story, and you’re allowed to rewrite your next chapter.
Some of the most powerful career shifts I’ve seen came from people who:
✔ Took lateral moves to learn something new
✔ Left roles that no longer aligned, even without a “next”
✔ Built a side hustle or creative outlet to reconnect with their energy
✔ Said yes to a project that scared them, but also lit them up
How to Navigate a Career That’s #InTheWorx
Whether you’re in HR, building a business, or simply outgrowing an old identity—here’s how to keep moving, even when the map isn’t clear.
1. Get Clear on Now, Not Just Next
You don’t need a five-year plan. You just need to know what matters today.
🔥 Ask yourself:
What’s lighting me up right now?
What’s draining me?
What do I want to shift, explore, or grow into over the next 90 days?
Short-term clarity beats long-term pressure.
2. Ditch the Fantasy of the “Perfect” Role
There’s no one job that will fulfill your whole identity.
What does exist is alignment: people, environments, and challenges that stretch and support you.
🔥 Try This:
Focus on the problems you love solving
Pay attention to the people who energize you
Notice the type of work that brings meaning, not just money
3. Hold the Job and the Dream
You don’t have to quit everything to build something new.
You can evolve right where you are.
🔥 Try This:
Volunteer for a stretch project
Shadow someone in a role that intrigues you
Test out a new idea on the side
Reclaim your calendar for growth time, even 1 hour a week
4. Reframe Uncertainty as Expansion
If things feel messy, that’s not failure. That’s awareness.
When your view expands, your old definitions stop fitting. That’s not a breakdown. That’s growth.
🔥 Let yourself:
Not have the answers
Trust what you’ve learned so far
Keep taking the next honest step
5. Build a Career That Fits Your Life
Not a life that fits someone else’s definition of career.
🔥 Try This:
Define what success feels like in this season
Choose alignment over applause
Let go of roles, goals, or expectations that no longer serve the life you’re building
Final Thought: You’re Not Behind… You’re Building
If you’re in a season of questioning, exploring, shifting, or stretching…
You’re not doing it wrong.
You’re just #InTheWorx.
And that’s the most powerful place to be.
Let’s stop waiting to arrive.
Let’s start honoring the in-between.
Let’s build careers, and lives, that grow with us.
You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
Let’s make it happen. 💪
