Let’s be real for a second—have you ever felt like your career is just… happening to you?
Like you’re stuck in the passenger seat, waiting for the “right” opportunity to show up?
If you’ve nodded “yes” even once, you’re not alone.
The good news is that doesn’t have to be your story anymore.
Here’s the thing.
You have so much more control over your career than you might think.
And the moment you step into the driver’s seat? That’s where everything starts to shift.
So, let’s talk about what that can actually look like. It begins by asking yourself one question:
What do I really, really, really want?
(yes, you need the 3 reallys’ to get deep into it 🤪)
Not what feels good enough, or realistic, or what others expect of me, but what YOU truly want for your life and your career.
From there…
➜ Reflect on where you are now. Are you happy with your current path? What’s working, and what’s not?
➜ Define your future vision: Think about where you’d like to be in a year, three years, or even ten years. Big or small, paint that picture for yourself. It’s your roadmap, so don’t hold back.
➜ Reverse engineer! Identify what it will take to get there. Maybe it’s learning a new skill, building deeper connections in your industry, or even just getting more intentional about leaving your comfort zone.
When you do this, you’re not just setting goals—you’re claiming ownership of your career.
You’re no longer waiting for someone or something to nudge you forward.
You’re the one making moves, ensuring success becomes inevitable.
It’s empowering, knowing you have agency over where you’re headed.
You can choose to move intentionally, not reactively.
And that shift in mindset alone can be incredibly freeing.
And strangely, it can open up opportunities out of seemingly nowhere.
This happened to one of our clients recently.
He’d been with the same company for over 25 years.
There was a lot of uncertainty brewing there and, he decided to take control of the situation.
He signed up for our Get Hired Mid-Career Formula program.
He decided what he was looking for, for his next career move.
And, he just accepted a position with a new company.
The opportunity came out of left field in many ways. They created a role just for him!
It’s strange what happens when you put it out to the universe that you’re ready for your next step! ✨
So, what’s one step you can take today?
Even the smallest action—whether it’s updating your resume, reaching out to a mentor, or blocking an hour this weekend to think through your goals—can create momentum.
Remember: your career is yours, and yours alone.
No one else is going to advocate for you the way YOU can.
Want to explore potential next steps for you in your career?
Email me “CAREER MOVE” at danielle@coachwithdanielle.com and we’ll talk about how we can help.
P.S.: even if you’re not ready to conduct an active job search right now, there are a lot of benefits to doing this work on LinkedIn now, so you’re ready for unplanned events, or when opportunities come knocking 🙂