Career Refresh Digest #33
Welcome to the latest edition of the Career Refresh Digest.
One of the most consistent problems people bring to me is feeling stuck in indecision.
They’re weighing options. Turning things over in their mind. Making lists of pros and cons. And yet, no clear preference emerges.
Indecision often happens when the basis for choosing isn’t clear. When you’re unsure what genuinely matters most, every option can feel both appealing and problematic at the same time.
This edition explores how clearer criteria strengthen decision-making.
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WORTH THINKING ABOUT
Why indecision feels so draining
When there isn’t a clear reference point for evaluating your options, your mind keeps reopening the question. You revisit the same arguments. You imagine different outcomes. You compare yourself to others.
Each time the question resurfaces, it demands energy. Without clear criteria, there’s nothing to close the loop. The decision remains unresolved, so your attention keeps returning to it.
Over time, this erodes confidence. Decisions feel harder than they need to be when the criteria are vague.
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WORTH REFLECTING ON
What's underneath that stuck feeling
Sometimes the difficulty isn’t choosing between good and bad. It’s choosing between two viable options that optimise for different things.
One might offer stability and credibility. Another might offer flexibility and growth.
Both can be sensible. Both can be attractive. But they carry different trade-offs.
It can help to step back and ask:
What does this stage of life require from my work?
Where might I feel constrained over time?
Which option preserves room to adapt if my direction evolves?
Often the difference becomes clearer when you look beyond immediate benefits and consider longer-term implications.
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WORTH DOING
Clarify your reference points
In my coaching, we unpack this in much more depth, but here are a few practical prompts you can use on your own.
Before revisiting your options, write down three reference points that matter most in this decision.
For example:
A condition you need in order to thrive
A constraint you’re not willing to live with long-term
A direction you want to keep open
Then assess each option against those points.
You may still need time to decide, but the internal conversation usually becomes more focused once your criteria are visible.
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If you're navigating a decision at the moment and finding it hard to evaluate your options clearly, a 15-minute conversation is a good place to start. Book a free call here.
- Lucy
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ABOUT THE CAREER REFRESH DIGEST
The Career Refresh Digest is a fortnightly newsletter for mid-career professionals who feel stuck or out of step with their work. Each issue shares practical insights and tools to help you reset direction, make clearer decisions, and reshape your work to better fit your life – drawing on recommendations, research, and insights from client work.