Messy career transitions are not failures. Discover how quick acceptance and meaningful support transform disruption into lasting growth.

Messy career transitions are rarely convenient.

I have experienced messy career transitions both when I had time and when I didn’t. Both seasons felt uncertain and disruptive.

Here is the powerful truth I learned in both seasons: The timeline matters less than how quickly you stop resisting what is happening. There are moments in life and career that are legit messy. What makes them even messier and more prolonged is rejecting the mess instead of embracing it.

We Didn’t Always Fear the Mess

And yet, it was not always that way.

Remember when you were little?

Jumping in puddles.                                                                                                                                                                         Making mud pies.                                                                                                                                                                           Smearing paint on the wall just to see what would happen.

That was messy.

But it was also discovery. Creativity. Growth. Even joy.

While our parents may not have loved the muddy shoes or paint on the wall, we did not interpret those moments as personal failure. Puddles were not proof we were off track. Mud did not mean something had gone wrong.

It was simply part of learning.

At some point, we learned to interpret mess differently. We began to believe that disruption meant we were behind. That uncertainty meant we needed to fix something immediately.

But what if the mess is not the problem? What if resistance is?

When I Chose to Embrace the Mess

At one point in my career, I was let go from a role. It was actually a relief. I was not a fit for the culture.

I remember telling someone, “I was fired.” She paused and said, “Wow. You said that so easily.”

I had already decided to embrace the mess. No reason to sugarcoat it. No reason to delay what was true. The faster I accepted it, the less I suffered.

Because I embraced it instead of resisting it, that year became deeply transformative.

I did the kind of work that is easy to postpone when you are busy proving your value. I reconnected with my family. I supported my mom who was caring for my dad. I reclaimed time that had quietly slipped away.

For the first time in eight years, I went on spring break with my husband and daughter instead of attending an industry event. That week alone felt like a reclamation.

I also stepped more fully into leadership with an organization I love, serving as Board Chair of She Runs It with greater presence and intention.

My plate was full. Just full in the best way possible.

That season taught me what is possible when you allow space.

When You Don’t Have the Luxury of Time

But I have also lived the opposite.

I have had seasons where I did not have the luxury of time. The financial realities. The responsibilities. The quiet voice that says, “You cannot sit still right now.”

Here is what I learned the hard way:

When you move too fast through a messy career transition without processing, you carry unfinished emotion into new interviews, decisions, and leadership moments.

It shows up in interviews. It shows up in your energy. It shows up in your decision-making.

We do not always get to choose the timeline. Regardless of your timeline, you should not do it alone.

Why Support Changes Everything

During that messy season, I hired a coach.

I have also invested in support during seasons when I needed to move quickly. Not because I was failing. Because I wanted to move wisely.

When time is compressed, outside perspective becomes essential.

I needed someone outside the noise. Someone who could help me separate what was mine to own from what was not a fit. Someone who could help me rediscover what I was made of when doubt tried to creep in, as it likes to do.

We are not meant to stand alone in the messy middle.

If you cannot take months to recalibrate, accept conversations, perspective, truth, and support. Moving quickly with support allows you to carry clarity instead of residue.

I made that investment because I believed something deeply then, and I believe it even more now.

The mess is not the enemy. Resistance is.

Embrace messy career transitions quickly. Learn from them intentionally. Support yourself wisely.

A Question for Your Messy Middle

Where in your life are you resisting a mess that might actually be trying to grow you?

If you are in a messy middle season right now, you do not have to navigate it blindly.

I created the Messy Middle Archetype™ Assessment as a snapshot tool. It captures how you are responding to this season right now. Not who you are forever. Not a label. Just a moment in time.

And sometimes seeing that moment clearly changes everything.

If you are curious about what your messy middle looks like today, I invite you to take the assessment. And if you would like support exploring what it reveals and how you want to move forward, you can schedule time with me.

You do not have to rush the growth, resist the mess, or go it alone.

For more inspiration, sign up for my weekly Magic in the Messy Middle newsletter and tune into Thriving in the Messy Middle wherever you get your podcasts.