A person staring down an empty road, the city skyline illuminated by the sunset, in a pixel art style. Image created in Midjourney.
As you progress in your career–be it as a creative, designer, researcher, or content designer–you may find yourself at a confusing crossroad. You are passionate, but you feel disillusioned. You want to reignite the excitement you felt as a junior, but you are jaded from your years of experience. You want to think about your next step, but the daily grind of work pulls you in. You are tired, yet you aspire for more.
Deciding what to do next, choosing the next path in your metaphorical journey, requires inner focus, a bit of introspection. There are so many paths we can take, so many possibilities that it sometimes turns too daunting, scary. There are also tons of resources and writing about this; I’m not the metaphorical wizard with all the answers. But if you find yourself avoiding this process or unsure of where to begin, here are four to get you thinking:
The path of climbing
The path of entrepreneurship
The path of renewal
The path of harmony
Like a hero setting out into the unknown, all four require a change, in yourself, in your mindset, in your perception; all are worthy and worth it. As you read, pay attention to your reactions—what resonates with you, what sparks a thought, and what feels utterly unappealing. Choose your own adventure and see where you go.
The path of climbing
In a practical sense, climbing means advancing your title or role within companies in your industries. You could grow within one or move between multiple companies. You could focus on being a leader in your craft, manage a group of people or a combination of both.
There are many variations to climbing, but the change required is the same: going beyond yourself, beyond your personal contributions, in many senses. You will need to guide or mentor people, you will need to influence in many directions, and you will need to systemically understand your company inside and out.
So far, you've likely gauged success on your individual achievements. If you choose on this path, but solely prioritise your own interests, you might face failure. In the hero’s journey, you turn into the villain—someone others avoid working with, despite any material success you bring to the company.
Part of the change is shift your mindset. How can you empower others or use your influence to bring positive changes. Consider how the people around you can excel and grow within this corporate system. Where can you create changes across the organisation that uplift everyone?
The path of entrepreneurship
Listen, we are in a different era. In the past, being in a corporate setting guaranteed much to your life–advancements, stability, a ladder to success. That is not necessarily the case anymore. There is so much opportunity that can be made for yourself.
Freelance, fractional and part-time work gives you the choice of what you want to work; the choice to walk away from a project, the choice of when you work, the choice of where you spend your time. The path of entrepreneurship is not easy, but it is exciting. You will grow at a rate you’ve never seen in yourself, you will see how much more you are capable of.
The change you need to make is keeping the excitement. You will need to find a consistent source of energy; you will need to know how to refill it. Venturing on your own is tough. You will be alone, though the internet has helped build communities to combat this.
The path of renewal
Discovering that design, or related fields, might not be your calling is perfectly fine. It's a blessing to gain this insight early on. Now, you have the chance to explore what truly brings you joy. Maybe you've picked up on some hints along the way—a passion that lights you up.
Choosing this path doesn’t mean you throw away everything you know; the skills you have will be valuable no matter what you choose. There may be smaller leaps, like designer to product manager or researcher to designer. There may be huge leaps, like designer to lawyer.
The key change you'll need to embrace is flexibility. Your skills can span across various fields, allowing you to apply them in diverse ways. Flexibility means recognising that you can transfer skills over and learn new ones. However, you can't shift directly from being an expert designer to say…an expert beekeeper. You'll need to relearn and become a novice again. Flexibility means acknowledging what can and cannot be transferred and being open to starting anew.
The path of harmony
When you look at your life, does it all fit together smoothly? Are you exactly where you want to be in every aspect? Maybe there are areas that feel lacking, but you haven't had the chance to address them, to achieve balance. There might be numerous goals beyond your career that demand equal, if not more, time and attention: expanding your social circle, deepening connections, or spending more time with loved ones.
Choosing this path requires dealing with baggage, often difficult to voice. We've been conditioned to believe that prioritising anything outside of our careers means sacrificing success. But in reality, finding fulfilment beyond work is what truly leads to success. It means more energy, better decision making and general happiness about your day-to-day.
The change you need to make is prioritising harmony. Perhaps work has always taken precedence, but now it's time to elevate other aspects of your life to the same level of importance. How will you navigate that? It’s not just setting strict work hours–it’s about letting go and giving more space to the other aspects of your life.
Further writing
I've explored various paths in my career, but I've mainly followed the path of climbing. I once believed it was the sole route to take, but now I'm exploring the path of harmony. Surprisingly, my productivity hasn't waned; in fact, I feel like I’m flourishing. I find it easier to make decisions and tackle challenges with renewed energy. Which path caught your attention?