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It’s hard not to fall for capitalist markers of success.
Success for my generation meant getting into a good university, earning six figures, and retiring with a pension. So, I built my career based on the millennial playbook. Public service offered stability, so I got a postgraduate degree in public administration. You had to “get your foot in the door” so I found an internship in municipal government. My internship ended and the universe had different plans for me.
I didn’t land a full-time job and returned to unemployment.
I internalized the setback as a personal failure and spent most of my career trying to catch up. I made work my identity, climbed the ladder, burned out hard and went through an existential crisis.
My story isn’t unique. Many ambitious, mid-career professionals are feeling lost and disillusioned right now. Some are even calling this the Great Millennial Career Crisis.
It all makes sense to me. We’re witnessing livestreamed genocides but told to stay quiet to keep our 9-to-5 jobs. We’re seeing the rise of fascism but are directed to stay “neutral” to protect our funding. We’re watching companies roll back DEI commitments and backtrack on return to office mandates but expected to convince our teams that employee well-being is top priority.
Do all this and you’re still not safe from restructures and layoffs.
I get why so many values-aligned leaders are at a crossroads. I get why many are asking big questions like:
What’s next? How do I make a living without losing myself in the process? What does a meaningful career path look like within the system?
While these are not easy questions to answer, they become clearer when you know what’s most important to you. If you’re feeling lost in your career right now, I want to offer a couple of prompts and resources to help you centre yourself.
What’s your definition of success?
Defining success on your own terms allows you to create goals that align with who you are.
Career progression is often mapped as a singular, linear path to get to the top. This one-size-fits-all approach usually focuses on increasing wealth, status and power. These scarcity-driven metrics cause us to strive for more without defining how much more. They also make us think we need to compete to get ahead.
The reality is that we can have different career trajectories and success markers.
I used to chase after titles, pay and visibility because it made me feel important. Thanks to my existential crisis, I realized that none of these things led to the impact I wanted to make. All it did was make me feel emptier.
Pursuing entrepreneurship helped me redefine success in a values-aligned way. Success is now about having enough autonomy, money, time and energy to invest in my community. I may not have a steady income nor a fancy title but what’s most important now is the space for impact, imagination, ease and joy.
Redefining success may surface tough feelings depending on your lived experiences. For children of immigrant families, you may need to grieve the future that your ancestors wanted for you. For people who have experienced poverty, you may need time to heal from financial trauma. For the “firsts” in the family, it may mean confronting the fear of failure on a path that nobody has travelled on. Being aware of what may surface helps you stay grounded. It can also help you seek out support from a trauma-informed therapist or coach to help process your emotions.
You deserve to build a career that’s aligned to who you are and what matters to you. If you need help with this, download the Success Definition Worksheet.
What are your non-negotiables?
Knowing your non-negotiables is about the needs you’re unwilling to compromise on.
It’s important to revisit your non-negotiables because they evolve with time and growth. What was true for you as a young professional may not be a priority for you 15 years later.
As a coach, I see a lot of leaders struggle between prioritizing their needs and doing what’s expected of them. For example, many leaders seek out management roles despite not wanting to lead a team. Some stay at a job because it’s respected and lucrative, even though it’s costing them their well being. Others choose a safe career path because of the fear of disappointing others. Catering your career decisions to societal, cultural or familial expectations may seem easier – but it’s crucial to consider the long-term consequences of these choices.
For leaders who are stuck in this tension, it’s helpful to understand the conditions that allow you to thrive. These “must-haves” help you assess if a role is right for you and if it’s time to move on to the next thing. They can also help you filter out opportunities that feel misaligned. It’s important to revisit your non-negotiables because they evolve with time and growth. What was true for you as a young professional may not be a priority for you 15 years later.
Your non-negotiables help you make informed, intentional and empowered decisions about your career. If you need support, explore the Non-negotiable Prioritization Worksheet.
Moving forward with intention
It’s normal for your career priorities to change as you grow and learn more about yourself. You’re allowed to leave behind success markers that are no longer relevant to you. You also deserve a career that prioritizes the conditions that allow you to thrive.
Yes, the pressures of surviving under capitalism are real. And yes, you can make career decisions that bring you closer to the most authentic parts of yourself.
The next time you’re feeling untethered, I hope you remember to return to yourself.
