The full moon that starts on May 26 is known as the Flower Moon, and it’s a good time for magic about careers and jobs. Spring is all about growth, promise, and emergence – values you probably want to see in your work life. For some reason, work seems to be one of the areas in which people settle for what’s given them instead of really reaching for what they want. I think the reasons behind this have a lot to do with fear. But in this, as with any other magical working, it’s important to clarify your intention and do some deep work with yourself before adding anything else to the mix.  

One of the biggest obstacles people have in deciding what to do with their career is fear of choosing “the wrong thing.” What, exactly, constitutes “wrong” in this case? Something you don’t enjoy? Something that doesn’t pay enough for your needs? Then you can choose something else – because whatever work you’re doing is what you’re doing NEXT not what you’re doing FOREVER. The myth of choosing a career that will last for the rest of your life paralyzes a lot of people, when the truth is that you aren’t going to do the same thing for the rest of your life any more than you’re going to eat the same meal every day. Even if you like your work and stay in your field, the work, the technology used, etc will change many times over the course of your career.

We also tend to worry what people will think if we do something perceived as less prestigious or practical, or that we’ll somehow be “wasting” our education and experience if we make a change. I’ve dealt with this myself; there was a lot of baggage in walking away from my professional field. Once I acknowledged that, it was easier to accept that yes, my education opened doors; yes, I had a good career; and yes, it was okay to make a change that brought a different kind of satisfaction into my life. I don’t have to stay headed in the direction that others expect from me.

And of course, there’s fear of the unknown. Any change has an element of this; but there’s also the possibility of growth and excitement and new kinds of rewards. Go ahead and embrace the uncertainty, then ask yourself:  

Are you valuing the work and education you’ve had in the past? Describing any aspect of your past with the word “just” devalues your contribution in the eyes of yourself and others, including a potential employer. Think about the positive aspects of your past and how they’ve prepared you for the next step.

What values do you want to live in your work? It’s important to spend your time doing things that are in alignment with yourself. Most people find they care less about the actual tasks they’re doing than the environment or reasons behind those tasks. Do you like to work in service to others? Are you excellent at creating order from chaos? Do you need to be creative in some way? Consider how you want to feel about the work you do.   

And finally, why are you looking for a change? What isn’t working? Sometimes it’s practical issues like money or commute time. Take the time to understand what exactly constitutes an acceptable change for you.

Only once that’s clear should you start on any kind of magical working for your career. Know where the arrow is aimed before you loose it.