Ever catch yourself wondering, “What if I had followed that other path?” Maybe it’s the career you dreamed about before life took a different turn. The one that still tugs at you when you see someone else doing it. Book a free Career Clarity call to reconnect with your purpose and rediscover what truly lights you up → www.careerbloomcoaching.com/consultation

In this episode of Career Clarity Unlocked, Theresa White addresses the common feeling of longing for a career path not taken and how it impacts many people regardless of their current job satisfaction. Through real-life stories of her clients and her personal journey, Theresa explains that the 'career that got away' is not just about the job itself but the deeper values it represents. She offers insight into understanding this longing as a clue from one's inner compass and provides actionable steps to realign one's current career with those deeply held values. Listeners are encouraged to reflect, reframe their stories, and explore new opportunities to honor the essence of their unfulfilled dreams.

Download the free companion handout for this episode here: careerbloomcoaching.com/episode71

You’ll learn:

✔️ Why some career paths never fully leave you (and why that’s a good thing).

✔️ The psychology behind “career regret” and how to turn it into guidance.

✔️ How to decode what your lost dream represents and bring it back into your current life.

✔️ Real stories from clients who reconnected with fulfillment without quitting everything.

✔️ Seven practical steps to go from regret to realignment—and find purpose again.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burnt out, or quietly wondered, “Is this it?” this conversation will help you see that the dream you thought you left behind might just be pointing you home.

⏱ Episode Timestamps

00:00 Introduction: The Career That Got Away

01:16 Understanding the Career That Got Away

02:50 The Psychology Behind the Ache

03:25 Realigning Without Starting Over

04:17 Client Stories: Real-Life Examples

12:45 Theresa's Personal Journey

30:18 Steps to Reclaim Your Dream

41:14 Conclusion: Reclaiming Your Dream

🔗 Free Resources & Next Steps

3 ChatGPT Prompts to Find Career Clarity → 

https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/Mr7xm4zG

Deepening Your Self-Worth for Career Confidence → 

https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/4KENh8tF

35+ Progressive Companies Hiring Now → 

https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/xTDHFSpJ

17 Fill-in-the-Blank Templates to Reach Out to Recruiters → 

https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/6WK6yxdR

Networking and Application Tracker → 

https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/XypBhjfU

Career Clarity Formula → 

www.careerbloomcoaching.com/career-clarity-formula

📞 Book your free Career Clarity call → 

https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/consultation

Connect with Career Coach Theresa White

• LinkedIn: 
• www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-a-white
• Instagram: 
• www.instagram.com/theresa_careerbloom
• YouTube: 
• www.youtube.com/@careerbloom
• Website: 
• www.CareerBloomCoaching.com

#CareerClarity #TheCareerThatGotAway #CareerChange #PurposeAtWork #MidCareer #ProfessionalGrowth #BurnoutRecovery #FindYourCalling #CareerFulfillment #MindsetShift #CareerCoaching

Ep 71 Solo The Career That Got Away

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Unlock. We're all about those light bulb moments. I'm talking to people who are still trying to figure out what they're meant to do, coaching them life to reach that magical, yes, this is it moment, and we'll also hear from those who've already found their dream careers and figure out exactly how they did it.

Whether you are looking for inspiration or actionable advice on finding a career you love, I've got you covered time to unlock some career clarity. Let's dive in.

Maybe that's when you scroll past a therapist with a cozy office and a bookshelf full of psychology books. Or maybe it's when you see a lawyer passionately arguing a case, or maybe you see someone teaching art to kids or someone doing interior, a sign or leading a nonprofit and you see that and makes that little egg rise up.

That one path. We didn't take a profession that has been on our mind that maybe we dreamed about in college in our twenties, or maybe even as kids. Before life pushed us into a different direction. Bills practicality, family fear, so many million reasons. Societal pressure that pushed us into the direction that we ended up in, but that career that got away linger somewhere quietly in the background of our mind.

Not loud enough to show up every day, but just enough to make you wonder. What would my life look like if I had followed that other road? And if that is something that you feel too, you are not alone. I hear this all the time from clients, people I work with and in all my coaching sessions, and not just from people who are really unhappy or hate their jobs.

Because what's so important to realize is that this ache or that whisper of what if isn't just regret, but it's actually a clue, a really important clue from your inner compass, pointing you to something deeper, something that still wants to be a part of your life, and. By no means will you have to burn everything down and go back to square one and start over.

What if feeling . How we can decode the dream behind the job title we once dreamed about and how to bring those long lost dreams into your current life.

Even if you're not chasing a career, even if you're midlife, mid-career, mid identity crisis. And along the way I will be sharing real stories from my own life and from clients I've worked with, like the woman who dreamed of owning a beach a and then became a therapist or the one who thought she'd missed her shot at architecture, but found a way to bring creativity and design back into her sales career.

And I am the only coach who guarantees you career clarity in just 30 days. And as we're diving into today's episode, what I really want you to remember as we go through this, that your dream isn't gone. But it is waiting for you to listen. And today we're gonna do this together.

Most people, when I bring up the idea of the career that got away, they are thinking about it as in, I missed my shot, I chose wrong. Or what if I'll never go back? I can't do it over. I lost my chance. I. But the truth is that it isn't really about becoming a lawyer, an artist, a therapist, an astronaut. It's truly about what that dream symbolizes for you.

But in one of our sessions she admitted something with a little laugh, like, you know, this is just silly, me saying this out loud. And she said, you know, sometimes I still find myself looking at law school websites at night. It's like an itch I can't quite scratch, and she dismissed this right away.

What that career path represented to Natalie was advocacy, fairness, and structure. Helping people who couldn't speak up for themselves , using logic and language to make a real impact. That's what still lit her up and that's what the itch was trying to point her towards. And once she saw that and realized that everything shifted, she stopped romanticizing the fantasy of law school and she started focusing on how she could express those values.

She didn't change industries. She didn't even change companies, but she realigned her intentions and that little ache quieted down because she wasn't ignoring it anymore. She was actually listening and answering it. This shows that the career that got away often is a bit tougher for something meaningful for something that's still alive in you.

And it's not necessarily about going back and starting over and going back to school, but it is about looking beneath the surface and asking what was it about that path that called to me in the first place? Because once you identify that real driver what's behind it, then you can find new ways to express it.

Therapists , carry heavy emotional loads, so you're not mourning a perfect job, but you are missing a part of yourself that once felt authentic, courageous, and expressive, and wants to come back into your life, and that is a really good thing. Because that part of you, you can still access no matter where you are now, no matter your level and your career, no matter your title, no matter your age.

In Natalie's case, her response was, well, I picture my stay advocating for people who didn't have a voice. Yes, that's it. Advocating for people who didn't have a voice. Where can you do this where you are right now? . Then think about when you think of this career, what qualities would that path would've brought out in you?

It is not about recreating that exact job that you once had dreamed about, but it's about reclaiming the feeling that was associated with it. Purpose, alignment, identity, impact. And once you find that essence, you realize you don't have to start over. You just have to realign forward with clarity and courage and with the truth of what matters to you Now.

Now, let me share with you my career that got away because you probably know me as the Career Clarity coach, the one who helps you find, you pinch me. I get paid to do this path. But if you rewind my life, my career, that got away. You'll probably never, ever guess this, but it is statistics. It feels scary to even say that out loud because

I did have a thing for logic data and figuring things out, solving puzzles and problems. But when it came time to choose my major, I was in a face of rebelling against my parents and I zied instead of Zach and studied philosophy because I just wanted to do what my parents did not wanted me to do. I know one of the smartest decisions ever.

Well, I should have done something more analytical. I should have gone back. I should have studied math. I should have listened to my parents. I should have had a matrix statistics. I probably would've been graded insights and analytics, and I would be making way more money. And I was quite hard on myself and said like, I ignored my strengths.

And that's when I thought occurred to me that this is the exact same part of my brain that loved statistics. It's all about my love for solving problems and figuring things out. Now I get to do it in a way that I love even more than numbers, human problems, human questions. And the reason I loved statistics wasn't the numbers.

Sometimes they're all over the place. They have skills here, experience their strengths there. And I find that throughline, I guide them and finding a career that once harnesses all the experience, they have two. It's in demand in the labor market and three, energizes them and makes them come alive.

And it is a puzzle for me. How do we put all these puzzles, puzzle pieces together so that we can find this and what had always felt like the career that got away for me had actually prepared me for exactly what I was meant to do it. I wasn't longing for statistics. But it was something inside me that kept reminding me that I love solving problems and that I need to do more of that.

Now I love what I do and no career that got away would've brought me to a happier place than I am right now professionally. So sometimes the career that got away, it's actually a good thing that it got away. It brought us to where we are now, and we still get to incorporate what that career that got away represented for us, as in my case, figuring things out, solving problems, meaningful, big questions.

That's what she studied in college and a, that was a dream that she shelved right after college when she needed a stable paycheck. And she just never got back into it. So I asked her, as I do with many of my clients, what was it about architecture that drew you in? And she started telling me all about it, deciding things that are beautiful and functional, solving complex problems with creative solutions, making something beautiful.

And I said, wait, there are people at your company who do that, right? That's when the light bulb got off and she was like, yeah. I always look at the people on the product team and be like, this is so cool what they get to do, and my job is just to sell it.

Bridged her over to the product team. She started having informational interviews. She started upskilling, and within a year she actually was able to move over to that team and her work felt a life again, not because she started over and went back to architecture, but because she found what it was about architecture and found a way to leverage that or make that a part of her current career.

And I asked her like, that's so cool. Tell me more about it. What do you picture yourself there doing all day? And she said, I'd be talking to people. I'd hear their stories. I'd be so curious. Where did they come from? Are they traveling? Are they locals? I would connect with them. I would have really deep and meaningful conversations.

She enrolled to study psychology and is now getting her master's in mental health and counseling. That last beat shack dream it was actually a clue about what she really wanted, building deep relationships, having meaningful one-on-one conversations.

Creating emotional connections. And now with her first internships, right now, she's living it, but in a totally different form.

You just need to ask yourself, what was that dream pointing me towards? And how can I honor that energy in my life now? That's the magic. Reclaiming the dream without starting over.

When we think about the psychology behind this ache and behind that little p that you feel when you think about, oh. That one that got away. It often is a feeling of longing and that feeling is data, emotional data that's actually really important to pay attention to. It's an inner compass saying, Hey, there, remember me, the version of you, you dreamed about doing this kind of thing.

And again, it's often not about the job title, but it is about the self image that went into it. It's about remembering the part of you that you thought felt most like you. There is still something alive about that old path. That's why it sits in the back of your mind. It's like emotional, unfinished business, and that doesn't go away until it finds an outlet.

Your brain remembers like an emotional post-it note. Hey there. Don't forget about this part of you that still exists,

and then most of most people are like, don't worry about it. That was just a different time. It's silly. It's too late now. I built too much where I am. I put way too much in my current past to ever make a change like crazy. But if you ignore that voice that's in the back of your mind, it'll turn into quiet dissatisfaction.

But it does become a problem when you ignore it for too long. And one of my clients, Natalie, who I shared with you earlier about, who had dreamed of law once said to me, every time I drive past a courthouse, I feel a sadness tugging at me because it's a part of me that I left behind.

Instead, what is this trying to show you? Was it, what is it that feels missing right now that used to feel alive? And when you ask those questions, it shifts the energy from a regret going back into the past to, what if. Moving towards the future. And that's the turning point because when you interpret it as regret, it's a pull backward.

And that's exactly it. That egg is a breadcrumb trail. Back to alignment. And I'd love for you to turn on this now, or after you finish listening to this episode. What are the emotions that come up for you when you think about the career that got away? Is it regret, envy, longing, sadness, inspiration? And what might that emotion be trying to teach you about what you need more of right now?

So now let's talk about how do we move from this ache towards action. And I'm gonna walk you through this in seven steps. Step one is by starting to name it, ask yourself, what's your career that got away? What path do you still sometimes quietly daydream about?

What comes up? When you imagine a totally fresh start, or there would be no one judging you and failure was an option? What would you try to do? And then just see what comes up. Try not to filter it. Don't edit. Don't explain it away. Don't be like, oh, this is just silly. Just notice this openness. What arises?

Which brings us to the second step is deconstructing the dream. That's when you wanna ask yourself, what about this career actually is calling to me or did was calling to me in the past? And think about that in four different categories. One, the environment. What kind of, why did that career have, where would you be doing the work and the skills?

The client I told you about who dreamed about law school, what she really wanted was advocacy, a voice, fairness. And once she saw that, she was able to find new ways to bring that energy and those important values into her current career. So don't think about that dream as a destination, but as a direction.

And then step three is rebuilding the dream in real time. And most likely you won't need a whole new career to honor that dream. Start by asking yourself, where could I express those same values and skills today? Is it in your current role through a site project? A new opportunity. Another client I worked with, her name was Kendra.

And in addition to that, she now works for a mental health startup in UX design. So she was able to rebuild the dream using the tools she already had. And that's really the magic that you're not gonna start over, but you're building on the experience that you have. Step four is reframing the story because language matters a lot here.

One of my clients said to me, I feel like I didn't lose the dream. I grew into it differently. That's another really beautiful way of phrasing it. And now comes the most important step. Step five, designing that dream forward. So once you know what you're trying to reclaim, we need to find a way on how to do it.

So in the what in the role are you looking for a role that's more creativity that revolves more around problem solving, mentorship, leadership, or in the, where would you wanna stay in the same role, but maybe work in a mission driven organization, a startup, a nonprofit, or an adjacent field? To give you two examples.

So let's talk us through on the on two examples. So think about a person who always dreamed about law school, but life happened and she ended up in hr. She's now leading an HR team. If she wants to change the what her role, that could mean that this and the HR field.

How about doing HR at a law firm, leveraging the skills she has, but bringing it back into the legal field and now supporting lawyers through her HR knowledge? Or to give you a completely different example, think about a client who was only fascinated with psychology and mental health, but life happened and she ended up in marketing and tech.

Do marketing for a role that's really aligned with your dream and mental health, Headspace, spring Health, calm, all these companies come to mind. So now I invite you to think about what's the one lever that you can shift? Is it the what, the role that you would wanna do? Or is it the where the company you would wanna work for to get closer to the essence of the dream?

To the reason of why you're still dreaming about it. And then please don't quit your job tomorrow, at least for most of you. I think that's, um, safe, safe advice, but start experimenting. Maybe you take a class, even if it's just a YouTube video that you start with.

Let curiosity drive those conversations, and they're gonna be incredibly valuable. So in that way, you're not making a big leap. You're not throwing everything up in the air. You're just asking questions. So now ask yourself, what is the lowest lift way that you can experiment today? Who could you talk to to get just a little bit more information about what you're aspiring to do next?

And this small act is healing. It helps you integrate your story so that you don't look back with envy or loss or regret, but that you can then look at it with love and clarity and being grateful for that ache and the information that it gave you so that you can realign forward in this process.

As we're coming to an end of this episode, let's recap. What I would love for you to take away, and I'd love for you to remember that the career that you didn't pursue, it's not too late. It's not a shut door that you can never walk through again. It's a roadmap, a signal, a breadcrumb trail, a clue from your intuition.

The goal is to really extract the essence. What does the stream symbolize? What did it give you permission to feel? What did it allow you to believe about yourself and then ask, where can I live out those same values today? How can I do some of the things I pictured myself doing in this dream?

And then you can ask yourself, where can I live out? Those same values today? Where are opportunities to do some of the things that you pictured yourself doing in your dream? What are the opportunities? Where could you do this today? And I'm gonna provide you with journaling prompts on your handout.

What did you picture yourself doing on a daily basis in the stream? And what did you imagine you'd feel like doing this work? And where could you express that same energy in your current life or career? Just trim on it. Don't filter, because that's where the answers emerge. And if those journaling prompts unlock something in you, please share it with me.

So whether you're ready to make a shift now, or you just wanna explore the possibilities of what is possible for you, you definitely don't have to do this alone because this is exactly what I do. I help you gain , crystal clear career clarity in just 30 days. I'm five times certified. I've helped over 600 clients find clarity and land careers they love

and on top of all of that, I help you hear yourself again. So use the link in the show notes to book your free career clarity call. Let's jump on a call, just you and me . And let's decode your lost stream together and turn it into something real. Just thinking about helping you through this process gets me so excited.

I see you, you who thought maybe that it was too late. It's not. And I see you, who is just now remembering what you always knew. That last dream still lives inside of you, and now you know and have the tools, how to honor it. And of course, don't forget to join me again next week for another episode full of insights, inspiration, and actual advice on finding a career you love.

And that's a wrap for today's episode of Career Clarity Unlocked, if you feeling stuck in that. What's next? Spiral and are ready to finally break free. Let's chat. You can book your free career clarity call where we'll uncover what's really important to you. Tackle any obstacles holding you back and map out your best next step.

Schedule your free 30 minute call today on career bloom coaching.com and before you head out, be sure to follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, so you never miss an episode. If today's conversation gave you new insights and inspiration, please leave a review. It really helps us reach more amazing listeners like you.