On Getting Foot In The Door

"I just need someone to give me a chance, for me to get my foot in the door”. This is what I heard yesterday from a friend who aspires to change her career.

She sounded so desperate about not getting enough opportunities to get started in the desired field that I dared to give her advice:

Stop obsessing about the opportunities that you need.

Instead, ask yourself: am I ready for it when it comes?

That's your real task: focus on what you want, and prepare for it.

I lived through getting a HUGE opportunity in my life, and here is what I learned from it.

In 2020, while working full-time, I started an online project for my hobby that I hoped one day would become a business - teaching meditation. I started it as a fun exploration while working full-time. By November 2020, I quit my corporate job to pursue it; by November 2021, my business partners and I made over $1.5M while affecting numerous lives profoundly. I was a complete beginner in business and went by the smart of my pants until I was crushed with burnout in June 2022.

I asked too much of myself and could ride the wave of that opportunity for quite some time, but then it outgrew the amount of skill and experience I had, so I had to jump off to get those inner resources.

A mental exercise:

Imagine you will get this "big break." Do you have the inner resources to handle it—confidence (I deserve this), flexibility (I will roll with the punches), and a desire to support yourself no matter what (commitment)? Do you have the outer resources—time on your calendar for it, infrastructure, and support from family and mentors?

My strategy for myself and anyone else who is daring to pivot midlife:

Prepare everything for your big break, and it WILL come.