Finding Your Change: How to Get Inspired and Know What to Do Next

You're already feeling overwhelmed by all the inspiration quotes flooding your feed. And yet, somewhere deep down, you do feel like maybe, yeah, it is time for a change. You just have no idea what that change actually looks like.

Amen, friend. But how? And what?

Here's the thing: clarity about what needs to change doesn't usually come from external motivation or pressure. It comes from getting curious about yourself, paying attention to what actually excites you, and giving your brain permission to explore new patterns and possibilities. If you want to change something up but have no clue exactly what, here are four tried and true ways to get your creative thinking juices flowing and unlock the insights hiding beneath the surface.

Method #1: Get Out of Your Rut with Constraints and Scenery Changes

Everything from journaling five minutes in the morning to deciding to ditch the car and ride your bike to work for a month counts. Sometimes making any change in your daily routine opens you up to new thoughts and insights.

But here's the paradox: putting constraints on yourself actually makes you more creative, not less. It sounds strange, but limitations and boundaries force you to think about old things in completely new ways. Constraints create a problem-solving scenario and produce novelty by making you think differently.

Try limiting resources, time, or even your usual tools. If you always type your ideas, bust out a number-two pencil instead. The point isn't deprivation; it's inspiration. Think about Shakespeare's sonnets. They’re all about strict rules, strict structure, yet some of his most creative works emerged from those very constraints. What he did with those limitations? Wowza.

You can also create a literal change of scenery. Move your chair, go outside for a coffee, find a new meeting room, or take a walk. Take a new route to your coffee joint and check out storefronts or people's shoes. Observe your world in a way you haven't before. Even if actual movement isn't possible, change your screensaver, update your desktop, or put up a postcard of somewhere you dream about visiting. The visual inspirations you find can be genuinely game-changing.

Or try a change of scenery for your mind. Download a meditation app or grab a free guided one off of YouTube, find a quiet space, and meditate for just ten minutes. A shift in your mental landscape can have real, tangible impact on how you approach problems and see possibilities.

Method #2: Start an Inspiration Book and Look for Patterns

In my work with clients, there's one consistent exercise I have everyone do, no matter what outcome we're working toward. I ask them to keep an "Inspiration Book."

This can be an actual journal, a file on your phone, a Pinterest board, or even notes in your iPhone, the format doesn't matter. What matters is that you pay attention to what you're paying attention to.

Here's what you do: when you're out in the world and you see a piece of art, hear a song, come across interesting architecture, find a fascinating news article, or discover an amazing pair of shoes, write it down. Even if it seems tangential to "career development", clipping a recipe, learning about a new ingredient, taking a deep dive into your family history, these seemingly random clues offer insights in ways nothing else can.

Many clients are initially unsure how this helps. I give them no parameters. I simply ask them to pay attention and collect what catches their attention. The magic happens when you step back and look for patterns.

Here's what I've discovered working with hundreds of clients: patterns emerge that they had absolutely no awareness of.

One client worked in theoreticals all day long, but their inspiration book was filled to the brim with items that could only be created by human hands: mastercraft, handmade objects, skilled work. This client had a long, mostly suppressed desire to work with their hands. It came as a complete surprise-slash-complete no-brainer that they needed a career change to something where they could create physical objects.

Another client spent all day creating art, but what kept drawing their attention were things that were systematized, organized, and operational. She realized she no longer wanted to create art as a means to money. She wanted to do something lateral around art that included managing operations at a higher level. She evolved from "Creator" to "Operator" and discovered she enjoyed the business of art more than the creating of it.

Do this for one week to three months. Don't let it drag on forever. The key isn't just collecting; it's pulling out the patterns and allowing your brain to see what your subconscious already knows.

Method #3: Activate Your Creativity Through Constraints and Challenges

Even in the best of times, most jobs can feel automatic. If you're finding yourself feeling unengaged, on autopilot, and uninspired, there are creative ways to add energy back into your work.

One powerful method: brainstorm alternatives. You know those reports you run daily with one hand tied behind your back? Is there another way to do them? To make them more interesting to you at least? Brainstorm five different ways to complete your regular tasks. Even if you never implement them, the act of brainstorming alone kicks your brain into creative mode.

Set a daily creative challenge unrelated to your current work but possible during your workday. A seemingly small creative task can get your brain into a thoughtful, creative space (especially if it's miles away from your daily grind). Treat it as meditation, not goofing off.

Try 365 Post-it doodles. Write a haiku a day for a month. Create a new creative Pinterest board each day. Take a micro-class on daily creative project ideas. The goal is simply to get creative with your job, not just on your job.

You can also invoke the principle of asking "What would they do?" Choose someone who inspires you: Frida Kahlo, Jane Maise, Queen Bey, Ava DuVernay, or in my case, Dolly Parton (I just assume she has a way of getting things done with a rhinestone glue gun!). 

Display a postcard of your idol on your desk, keep a copy of that groundbreaking book by your favorite artist nearby, or post a print of your favorite photograph. Make a little shrine to the creativity deity of your choice. When you're feeling uninspired, ask yourself: "What would [your inspiration] do?" It's a surprisingly effective reframe.

You can also investigate the creativity of others. Follow podcasts, daily stories, cultural features, or images. Let the creativity of others help you look at yours in a new way. Or take a deep dive into someone completely outside your field. Are you a copywriter? Research a scientist whose work you've never explored. Get out of your creativity comfort zone.

Method #4: Reflect and Do Your Own Thing

It's time to look back at decisions you've made and actions you've put into play. Poke around at dreams you left by the wayside and goals you never made happen because life got in the way. Get really creative with both the data and your analysis of it. Focus not just on facts, but on your feelings about how things went down.

But here's the crucial part: do your own thing.

As long as you don't hurt anyone, go ahead and break some rules and expectations. Does your work crew always eat sad salads on Zoom together? Go for a walk and grab those amazing tacos from that tiny joint on Third Street. Eat them without judgment and enjoy that walk back.

Do you and your partner have a typical weeknight routine? Break out of your norm for one night and do something you'd normally only do on a weekend. Have you always wanted to try cosplay but never have because someone told you it was nerdy? Slap on that wig, grab your superhero outfit, and get that ticket to Comic-Con.

Do something that truly makes you happy, no matter what other people might think. Disregard judging eyes and you may just find the thing in your life that needs changing.

The Real Power of Exploration

After you've done the post-mortem of the past, move forward with some innovative ideas on what changes you can make to create a new future.

Maybe after all this creative exploration, just the act of letting your brain run wild is all you need. Maybe not. Maybe you found something you're genuinely excited to jump into and start changing. There is no "right" outcome. You do you.

But here's what often happens: as you start paying attention to your patterns, breaking your routine, getting creative, and doing what actually makes you happy, something becomes crystal clear. You start to see that what really needs to change isn't just a habit or a daily routine.

It's your work itself.

If Your Clarity Points to Career Change

If after doing a few of these exercises you realize what needs to change is what you do each and every day, then you're ready for the deeper work. You're ready to align your work with your actual values, clear your limiting beliefs about what's possible, and chart a new path forward.

When you create space for inspiration and start paying attention to what genuinely excites you, career insights often follow. You begin to see the patterns in what you're drawn to. You start recognizing what your subconscious has been trying to tell you all along.

That moment of clarity (when you realize something fundamental needs to shift) is powerful. And it usually doesn't come from external motivation or New Year's resolutions. It comes from getting curious, giving yourself permission to explore, and honestly looking at what makes you come alive.

So start with these four methods. Get out of your rut. Keep an inspiration book. Activate your creativity. Reflect and do your own thing.

See where it leads you. Your next change might be closer than you think.

Yours in ‘you got this’ goodness,

EBS

P.S. Yes, napping counts as doing a "new thing." Sometimes rest and permission to do nothing are exactly what your brain needs to process and create clarity.

—-

EB Sanders 

Career Coach for Creative Types

My Website | Free Stuff | Pinterest

Helping you figure out what you want to do and how to do it your way!

Embracing the Fire: Why Career Transformation Requires Courage to Burn Down What No Longer Serves You

You've been wanting your life & career to get better, right?

If you're reading this, chances are you've been sitting in your current career situation… maybe for months, maybe for years… knowing deep down that something needs to change.

You wake up each morning with that familiar weight in your chest, that quiet voice whispering that there has to be something more fulfilling, more aligned, more you out there waiting.

But here's what most people don't tell you about career transformation: it's not a gentle evolution. It's not a smooth transition from point A to point B with a neat little roadmap and predictable milestones.

We often forget that in order for things to change, the status quo needs to get shaken up, and the stuff that no longer serves us needs to leave to make room for the good stuff.

The Phoenix Myth We Tell Ourselves

We all love the Phoenix rising from the ashes. The idea of that powerful, majestic bird soaring triumphantly into a new dawn, reborn and renewed. It's the perfect metaphor for transformation, isn't it? Clean, inspiring, Instagram-worthy.

But we forget the part where her nest is a bonfire and she's on fire and everything is seriously scary.

We've romanticized the outcome while completely glossing over the process. We want the rebirth without the burning. We want the transformation without the terror. We want the new career, the fulfilling work, the aligned life, but we want it delivered with minimal discomfort, preferably with a bow on top.

Here's the truth that no one wants to hear: You have to face facts. If you want to be a phoenix, you have to learn to be okay with the fire.

What the Fire Actually Looks Like in Your Career

The fire isn't just a metaphor. It can show up in very real, very uncomfortable ways when you're ready to transform your professional life.

The fire is admitting that the job you spent years building toward isn't fulfilling you. It's acknowledging that the degree you earned, the ladder you've been climbing, the identity you've built around your current role might not be serving your highest good anymore.

The fire is facing the financial uncertainty that comes with making a change. It's looking at your mortgage, your family responsibilities, your lifestyle, and admitting that staying comfortable might be keeping you trapped.

The fire is disappointing people who have expectations of who you should be and what you should do. It's watching family members worry, friends question your judgment, colleagues wonder if you've lost your mind.

The fire is sitting with the discomfort of not knowing exactly what comes next. It's being in the messy middle where you know what you're leaving behind but haven't yet arrived at your destination.

The fire is confronting your own limiting beliefs. Those voices that tell you you're not qualified enough, experienced enough, young enough, old enough, connected enough to pursue what you really want.

Why We Resist the Fire (And Why That Keeps Us Stuck)

Most of us have been conditioned to avoid discomfort at all costs. We've been taught that career success should follow a linear path: get educated, find a job, work hard, get promoted, repeat. Any deviation from this script feels dangerous, irresponsible, selfish.

So we stay. We tolerate jobs that drain our energy. We remain in industries that feel misaligned with our values. We convince ourselves that "everyone struggles with work" and that wanting more is unrealistic or ungrateful.

But here's what happens when we resist the fire:

• We become increasingly resentful. That quiet dissatisfaction grows louder, affecting not just our work but our relationships, our health, our overall life satisfaction.

• We lose touch with our authentic selves. We become so focused on maintaining the status quo that we forget what we actually want, what energizes us, what we're uniquely suited to contribute.

• We model limitation for others. Our children, our friends, our communities watch us accept less than we deserve, and they internalize the message that dreams are impractical and safety is more important than fulfillment.

• We waste our potential. Every day you spend in the wrong career is a day the world doesn't get to benefit from your unique gifts, your perspective, your contribution.

The Hidden Gift in Career Chaos

What if I told you that the fire: all that discomfort, uncertainty, and fear, is actually a gift?

When everything feels unstable, when the old ways of operating no longer work, when you're forced to sit with discomfort, something magical happens: you discover what you're really made of.

In my years of coaching professionals through career transitions, I've witnessed this transformation countless times. The executives who felt trapped in corporate golden handcuffs who discovered their passion for nonprofit work. The teachers who were burned out on the education system who launched successful consulting businesses. The healthcare workers who pivoted to wellness coaching and found their true calling.

Every single one of them had to walk through the fire first.

They had to get comfortable with not having all the answers. They had to learn to trust themselves in the face of external doubt. They had to develop the courage to prioritize their own fulfillment over other people's expectations.

And on the other side of that fire? They found careers that didn't just pay the bills… they found work that energized them, aligned with their values, and allowed them to make the impact they were meant to make in the world.

What It Takes to Rise from Your Own Ashes

Becoming your own phoenix isn't about being fearless. It's about being afraid and moving forward through it. It's about developing a different relationship with uncertainty and discomfort.

Here's what the most successful career transformations have in common:

They start with radical honesty. You have to be willing to look at your current situation without sugar-coating it. What's working? What isn't? What would you regret not trying? What legacy do you want to leave through your work?

They require strategic planning within uncertainty. You can't wait until you have the perfect plan to take action. You have to be willing to take the next right step even when you can't see the whole staircase.

They demand community and support. Transformation is not a solo journey. You need people who believe in your vision even when you're struggling to believe in it yourself. You need guides who've walked this path before and can help you navigate the inevitable obstacles.

They involve skill development and positioning. Wanting change isn't enough (it never is). You have to be willing to do the work to position yourself for the opportunities you're seeking. This might mean developing new competencies, building your network, or reframing your experience in a way that serves your new direction.

They require faith in the process. There will be moments when you question everything, when the fire feels too hot, when going back to your old life seems like the rational choice. Your ability to trust the process (and yourself) will determine whether you rise or retreat.

The Moment of Choice

Right now, you're at that moment of choice. You can continue to tolerate the slow burn of unfulfillment, the gradual erosion of your dreams, the quiet resignation that "this is just how work is."

Or you can choose the intentional fire of transformation.

You can decide that your career should be more than just a paycheck. It can actually be an expression of who you are and what you care about. You can choose to believe that you deserve work that energizes rather than drains you, that aligns with your values rather than compromising them, that allows you to contribute your unique gifts to the world.

The phoenix doesn't rise in spite of the fire. She rises because of it. The destruction is not separate from the creation; it's an essential part of it.

Your Next Step Forward

If you're ready to stop waiting for your career to magically improve and start actively creating the professional life you actually want, you don't have to figure it out alone.

The journey from where you are to where you want to be is rarely straightforward, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. With the right support, strategic planning, and commitment to the process, you can navigate this transformation with confidence and clarity.

Career change isn't just about finding a new job, it's about designing a professional life that reflects your authentic self, utilizes your strengths, and creates the impact you want to make in the world.

The fire is already burning. The only question is: will you let it consume you, or will you use it to forge yourself into who you're meant to become?

Your phoenix moment is waiting. The only thing standing between you and the career you truly want is your willingness to embrace the transformation process, fire and all.

Are you ready to rise?

Ready to begin your career transformation journey? Let's talk about how we can work together to turn your professional vision into reality. Book a complimentary consult call to explore what's possible when you stop settling and start soaring.

Yours in let it burn goodness-

EBS