The Change Cycle: Your Map for Career Transitions

A Map for Highly Sensitive Women who Want More Meaning and Purpose

Feeling lost as you look for more meaningful work? There's a map for that.

As a Martha Beck Wayfinder Coach specializing in Career Transitions for Sensitive Women, I’ve seen firsthand how understanding The Change Cycle* can be a game-changer. Whether you’ve chosen this transition or it’s chosen you, this powerful tool can help you navigate your career journey with more confidence and clarity.

In this post, we’ll explore how to use the Change Cycle so you can pinpoint exactly where you are in your career transition. Think of it as placing a “You Are Here” pin on your personal career transition map. By the end, you’ll not only understand where you are now, but you’ll also gain insights into what lies ahead.

Ready to find your bearings? Let’s dive in and discover how this tool can transform your career transition from overwhelming to empowering.

*Developed by Martha Bec

Change follows a predictable flow.

When you’re encountering uncertainty during a career change, it can be comforting to know that the process of change itself follows a predictable course. 

Any big change starts with a Catalyctic Event where “Something Happens” which initiates the different stages outlined below. The path isn’t linear and we can jump from stage to stage, but when we get stuck, it’s a good idea to take a moment to figure out which stage you’re in as the tools and techniques to move through each stage are different.

 

Martha Beck's Change Cycle

Something Happens

What begins any process of transformation is a catalytic event. There’s a “before” and an “after”, and somewhere in between those two states Something Happens – an event that transforms things so much that you feel disoriented and unsure of what to do next. They fall into three categories – shocks, opportunities, transitions. 

Shocks and opportunities come from outside you. You have no control over them, and they both can rattle you. Other catalytic events are internal. For example, “I just can’t do this anymore.” “I’m feeling the need for more meaning in my life and in my work.” “I’m ready for more.” 

You don’t always have control over these events, but you do have control over how you respond to them. “Something Happens” and you’re thrown into a Square One, whether you like it or not.

Square One - The Magic Dark

Something Happens and we’re thrown us into the first phase of change – a Square One. The term Square One sounds pretty good, like you’re fresh and new and ready to spring forward. That’s true, and at the same time you can feel really disoriented. It’s can be like being in a fog and you’ve put your purse down and now can’t find it. There’s angst. There’s an unfamiliar lost feeling. There’s the feeling of using all your energy and then finding that you’re circling instead of moving forward. And no amount of effort seems to help you find your darn purse.

The only thing you can really do is wait for the fog to lift. This isn’t how you expected to feel when you were finally free from a job that sucked your soul, for example. You expected to be more happy, so it’s easy to think something has gone wrong and go back to what we were doing before. Martha Beck calls this a Change-Back Attack.

But wait! You don’t have to go back. You can wait for the fog to lift, and while you’re waiting, there are things you can do. The frustrating part is that they don’t feel like they’re moving you forward. But, what they are doing is equipping you for the next leg of your journey. 

This is usually where we need to rewrite our stories of what is and isn’t possible for us. Our stories are not always obvious to us because they live in our unconscious. We need tools to unearth them. If we don’t, it’s hard to move into Square Two.

My coaching clients don’t initially want to spend time here. They want to get right to the good part, the dreaming. Yet, time and time again, they have to come back to Square One and get to the bottom of what’s holding them back. The good news is that The Change Cycle explains all this and helps you know that nothing has gone wrong.

Square Two - Dream Time

Martha Beck says this phase is for dreaming and scheming. It’s when we unlock that big dream in you that says, “What if ….” “I wonder …” and “Wouldn’t it be great if …”.

Maybe you’ve always had a big dream, but the time hasn’t been right. But, most people feel a yearning for something more, something meaningful. Their problem is that they don’t know what their big dream is so they make it mean that they don’t have one.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We all have a purpose; we all have dreams; we are all made for something. In this phase you get to discover what that is. The key is to dream really big. Don’t worry. We’ll reality test it and the real world will shape it even further.

Career coaching isn’t just cheer-leading. We’re trained to use tools that help you access the right side of your brain where your big dream lies. You can’t access it through Pro’s and Con’s list and other left-brain activities. Career coaching helps bring them to light giving you confidence that you’re on the right track.

Square Three - The Real World

The Real World is where you bring those dreams to life. You get out of your head and step into The Real World. This stage is often compared to Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey. If you want to dive deep into this, below is a YouTube video where Joseph Campbell is interviewed. I always find his work to be so inspiring, so if you’re looking for some inspiration, take a look.

Our mantra in Square Three is, “This is harder than I thought. And that’s ok.” You set out on a journey to make your dream a reality and you encounter obstacles and resistance (your own and others). You go down rabbit holes and get lost and also discover exciting new things that change your trajectory. We often have to go back to Square One and rewrite many of our old stories before we can proceed.

This is why you need a big dream. You need something to motivate you forward when the world is getting in the way.

While this stage is filled with challenges, if you can face them head on and get through them, this builds confidence in so many ways. Don’t wait until you feel more confident to begin. Get on your path and it will come.

Square Four - The Promised Land

The Promised Land is when you’ve made it. You’ve done all the hard work, slayed all the dragaons and you and are reaping the benefits. Maybe you’ve climbed that corporate ladder, or launched that business and finally made the income you desire, or you have a side hustle that satisfies your yearning for meaning. 

Many of my clients, who are in midlife, come to me during this phase. They’re grateful for their success, but they’re often restless, bored, and wondering what’s next. Well, what’s next is “Something Happens”. And you begin the cycle again. 

Navigating Career Transitions

If you can dream it, you can do it. And you can do it with confidence once you have a map, like The Change Cycle.

If you’ve been dreaming of getting out of your corporate job for awhile, but you never do anything about it, I can totally relate. My “something happens” is getting packaged out of my corporate job. Twice. I think the universe was trying to tell me something.

I’m not going to tell you it’s easy (but it could be). I’m not going to tell you it’s hard (everyone is different). But, I will tell you that it’s worth the journey to be on purpose, in alignment, and doing work you love.

If you’re ready, but not sure where to begin, that’s what I specialize in …helping women in corporate begin their journey to more meaningful work. I’d love to be the Career Coach that helps you step into your power and your destiny.

Stay Sensitive,

P.S. If you have questions, I offer no-charge Ask Me Anything calls. I don’t try to sell you anything on the call. It’s a conversation designed to meet you where you’re at. You can book one here

The Change Cycle: Your Map for Career Transitions