How to Overcome Career Indecision Without Picking the “Wrong” Path
We rarely talk about how scary it feels to make a big career decision — especially when it feels irreversible. And if you’re mid-career, already successful in one lane, and now looking to pivot into a climate change career, transition into green jobs, or build a more meaningful sustainability career, the pressure can be paralysing.
You might be stuck not because you lack ambition or options — but because you’re carrying the fear of picking the wrong thing.
Imagine this…
You’re deep in a job board scroll, or into the third hour of reading about climate careers.
You see something interesting — sustainability strategy, clean tech, regenerative agriculture.
Sounds interesting, and you start to think about what could look like.
You picture yourself, future you, doing this work, and try to imagine what it would be like.
And then you wonder...
“What if I waste time going down the wrong path?”
“What if I miss out on something better?”
“But what if I choose the wrong thing?”
So… you keep scrolling to find a comparison, open one more tab, and continue reading about the things you could do.
Because choosing wrong feels worse than not choosing at all.
Sound familiar?
Lets dive in to solve this…
You’re Not Indecisive — You’re Overloaded
Most career changers aren’t flaky.
They’re overwhelmed.
Because the decision feels huge.
It feels like this is the one time in your life you get to actually choose:
“What you want to be when you grow up”
(That isn’t astronaut, or fire-engine driver - which both might be culturally relevant only to 80’s kids in the UK. Tiktok star more relevant these days?).
It’s not just “what job do I want next?”
It’s “who am I becoming?”
That’s a massive question — no wonder it locks you up.
Add in a dose of FOMO — fear that some better, more “worthy” climate job is out there — and the Tyranny Of Choice - there are always more options to explore - and you’ve got paralysis disguised as analysis.
We simply cannot imagine what that future looks like with any meaningful accuracy because there are far too many assumptions, based on on our own projections and biases.
So stop doing that.
Give yourself permission to ‘explore, not extrapolate’
(Which might be my next T-shirt slogan)
Science Section – The Psychology of Picking “Wrong”
So, what is going on? You’re not weak-willed — you’re human.
And behavioural psychology has a few names for what’s going on:
Decisional Paralysis
Also known as analysis paralysis, this kicks in when the perceived permanence of a choice makes it feel too risky to move. The higher the stakes, the more likely we are to freeze.
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Loss Aversion
Coined by Kahneman and Tversky, this well-documented phenomenon shows that we feel the pain of loss more intensely than the pleasure of gain.
Choosing one path means closing off another — and that perceived loss can feel more painful than taking no action at all.
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The Paradox of Choice
Too many options don’t make us freer — they make us more stressed. When decisions are complex, irreversible, or visible to others (hello, LinkedIn updates), we start to imagine all the ways we might regret our choice. This is where FOMO, overthinking, and “just one more spreadsheet” syndrome come in.
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Perfectionism and Escalation of Commitment
Perfectionists tend to delay action until they find the “ideal” path — which (Spoiler alert) doesn’t exist.
And once invested in a particular story or direction, we often struggle to pivot, even when it no longer fits. Because changing course can feel like admitting failure — or wasting effort.
Great, clever names, but how we release ourselves from the wieght of the decision and actually move forward? Glad you asked
So, how do we escape the paralysis?
Not by waiting for total certainty.
But by changing the type of decision we’re trying to make.
Instead of choosing your “final form” career, you make a series of smart, testable moves — each one designed to teach you something, not trap you in something.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Criteria
Before you test anything, you need a filter to evaluate it by.
That includes:
The shape of work that suits you (structure, pace, environment)
The values you want your work to reflect, and are important in your day to day
The strengths you enjoy using and want to grow
And the degree of fit with your sense of self — your identity, your story, your goals
This isn’t about finding The One.
It’s about building personal criteria clarity so you can spot real alignment, not just prestige or proximity to purpose.
Step 2: De-Risk With Explorations
Don’t start with a leap. Start with a loop.
You don’t need to quit your job or commit to a Master’s (yet)— you need a lightweight way to test whether a direction fits.
Try:
Having values-based conversation with people in the sector you are interested in
Joining one relevant community event
Doing one short self-initiated project
Writing one post or two posts to see who responds
The key is to build mini rapid test loops — low-commitment, high-learning explorations that help you gather real data about what fits.
Step 3: Use the Commitment Ladder
Think of your next steps like a ladder:
• At the bottom: one conversation
• In the middle: a short cohort based learning experince
• At the top: a visible project or a time-bound contract
The magic is in not jumping too many rungs at once.
Each step builds your confidence, your story, and your clarity.
Step 4: Ask “Pivot or Persevere?” at Every Loop
Don’t ask: “Is this it?”
Ask: “To what extent did this meet my criteria?”
Then decide:
→ Do I keep going (persevere)?
→ Or do I course-correct (pivot)?
The cycle is simple: build, test, learn.
Every loop gives you more data and less fear.
This is how you outpace indecision — not with one big choice, but with ten small ones that compound.
Bonus:
After each step, write up what you’ve learnt and share it on LinkedIn (nobody’s favourite platform) so you are building your credibility and proof points there too.
Final Thought: You Don’t Need a Perfect Plan. You Need a Useful Test.
If you’re caught in the loop of indecision, it’s not because you don’t care.
It’s because you care too much — and don’t want to waste your shot.
But clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder.
It comes from doing something — and learning what works.
Here is a worksheet that steps through the process of setting up tests that will de-risk your next move.
📎 Grab the Rapid Prototyping Worksheet
Ready to Take Action?
If you’ve been circling the same questions for months — unsure where to start or worried about choosing the wrong path — then coaching might be the right next step.
This isn’t just a friendly chat. It’s a focused, 30-minute discovery call designed to help you figure out whether coaching can support you to move from overthinking into action.
We’ll explore where you’re stuck, what you want next, and whether I’m the right person to help you build clarity, confidence, and a career path that fits.
