Man, so October rolled around, right? And I’m a Pisces, you know, we feel things. And I was feeling… stuck. My career, for a while there, it just felt like I was treading water. Every day, pretty much the same old song and dance. I’d go in, do my thing, come home, and the next day, rinse and repeat. No real spark, no buzz, just… coasting. I had these half-baked ideas floating around in my head about wanting something different, but actually grabbing ’em and doing something? Nah, that felt like too much effort.
I guess it was just the feeling of the season changing, or maybe just hitting a mental wall, but something clicked that month. One morning, I just woke up and thought, “Alright, this ain’t gonna cut it anymore.” I was tired of just wishing for things to change. I started asking myself, “What if I actually tried to shake things up?” It was a weird feeling, like a little fire lit up right under my belly button.
So, I started small. I didn’t quit my job or anything crazy like that. I just started poking around online. Not looking for specific jobs, mind you, but more like, “What else is even out there?” I’d scroll through articles, watch some videos about different industries, just absorbing stuff. Then I began talking to people. Casual chats, you know? A buddy from college, an old coworker, just asking them about their gigs, what they liked, what they hated. Just trying to get a feel for other worlds.
Pretty quickly, I noticed a pattern. There were these areas that kept popping up, things that actually sounded kinda cool, but I had zero experience. Like, absolutely none. That’s when I realized, “Okay, if I wanna actually jump ship, I gotta learn some new tricks.” So, I bit the bullet. I signed up for a couple of online courses. Nothing too heavy, just introductory stuff, but it was something. My evenings after work went from zoning out on the couch to wrestling with modules and assignments.
And let me tell you, it wasn’t a walk in the park. My brain, man, it felt like it was rusting in some spots. There were nights I wanted to just slam my laptop shut and give up. Doubt crept in, whispering all sorts of nonsense. “You’re too old for this,” “You’ll never get it,” “This is a waste of time.” But something, maybe that little fire, kept me going. I’d tell myself, “Just finish this one lesson. Just one more chapter.” And sometimes, that’s all it took.
Once I had a tiny bit of knowledge under my belt, I started to actually do more. I dusted off my resume, but this time, I wasn’t just updating it; I was reimagining it. Tailoring it to these new areas, highlighting whatever transferable skills I could scrounge up. Then came the dreaded networking part. I reached out to folks I knew, and even some I only vaguely knew, for virtual coffee chats. It felt awkward as hell sometimes, putting myself out there like that, but I pushed through. Went to a few online meetups, just listened, tried to learn the lingo.
The first few times I sent out applications, nothing. Crickets. But then, slowly, a few bites. Informational interviews turned into actual interviews. And man, that first time someone called me back for a second round, I felt this rush, this buzz I hadn’t felt about work in ages. Each “no” still stung, believe me, but each “we’d like to talk more” fueled me even more. It showed me I wasn’t completely off base. My efforts were actually getting somewhere.
And then it happened. After a bunch of interviews, a few rejections, and a whole lot of anxious waiting, one opportunity just clicked. It wasn’t the “dream job” I’d fantasized about, but it was a solid, real step into this new world I’d been exploring. It was a chance to actually do something different, something that genuinely excited me. I took the leap. Scary as hell, but I did it.
Looking back, that October, it really was a turning point. It wasn’t some magical spell from a horoscope, it was me finally deciding to stop floating and actually row my boat in a new direction. I put in the work, faced the fear, and stepped into the unknown. And you know what? It paid off. My whole career trajectory shifted. I’m doing something I actually enjoy now, something that challenges me in good ways. It’s like a whole new lease on life, career-wise.
It’s wild how just making that decision to push past the comfortable, boring routine can open up so much. If you’re out there feeling stuck, just start doing something, anything. Don’t overthink it to death; just move your feet.
