When opportunity knocks, fear often answers first
I had a catch up with a long-term client who is nearing the end of her second maternity leave and had been approached about an opportunity elsewhere — one which is more values-aligned, and aligned with her future career goals.
She had decided not to pursue the opportunity at this time, and I asked why. She gave me three reasons:
She’d be starting over somewhere new, with no currency or credit in the metaphorical bank.
The role would be a more challenging one, focusing on an area she’s had some exposure to and would like more of, but where she is not an expert.
The logistics involved in getting two kids out the door and to daycare felt hard.
I told her (gently) that I thought these were excuses, rather than reasons.
Mean? No. Tough, perhaps, but part of my job is to help clients get out of their own way.
The truth is her decision boiled down to capacity (feeling overwhelmed) and mindset (a drop in confidence). These are the two main reasons women preparing a return to work will hesitate to change roles, even where the role feels full of promise and potential.
I’ll tell you why this distinction is important, and I call clients out — we need to address the root cause. If we aren’t being honest or clear about what’s stopping us from moving forward, we’re likely to stay stuck for longer.
These factors (my client’s ‘reasons’) are likely still going to be the same, whether she makes her move now or later.
If this opportunity arose 6 months or two years down the track, she would still have no currency, she would still be venturing into uncharted territory, and it would still be a shit-show getting the kids out the door.
But, capacity and mindset are things we can work on and not stay stuck. She’s going back to her contact and re-opening the discussion to see what’s possible.
If you’ve found yourself in a similar loop — wanting more but hesitating — that’s worth exploring. Often, the gap between “not now” and “I’m ready” is just a mindset shift away.