You’re Done With ‘This’ — But What Comes Next?

 

You’ve outgrown where you are.
You feel it every time you open your calendar.
Every Monday feels heavier.
Every win feels hollow.

You don’t know exactly what’s next — but you know this isn’t it.

 
 

“When the soul is ready, the shift becomes unavoidable.” — Unknown

This is the space I help experienced professionals navigate — the foggy in-between where old identities no longer fit, and the future feels both exciting and terrifying.

Whether it’s:

  • Leaving the firm

  • Reinventing your role

  • Building a new venture

  • Finally choosing you over “shoulds”

…there’s a process that makes the transition clear, strategic, and empowering.

Here are five steps to help you move through uncertainty — and into aligned action.

1. ✅ Get Honest About What You’ve Outgrown

It’s easy to normalize discontent — to convince yourself “this is just how it is.” But lasting change starts with naming what no longer aligns.
Is it your values? Your lifestyle? The impact you’re making? Or your growth potential?

“The first step toward change is awareness. The second is acceptance.” — Nathaniel Branden

Honesty creates the foundation for your next chapter.

2. ✅ Don’t Rush to “What’s Next” — Clarify Who You Are Now

When you’re itching to leave, it’s tempting to chase the first opportunity that comes along. But reinvention isn’t about swapping one title for another — it’s about evolving who you are.

Ask yourself: What matters to me now that didn’t before? Your identity, priorities, and definition of success may have shifted. Let those guide your decisions.

“Your new life will cost you your old one.” — Brianna Wiest

3. ✅ Design a Vision, Not a Vague Escape

Don’t just leave “this” — move toward something you’ve deliberately designed.
Map out the lifestyle, contribution, and rhythm you want next. Decide the kind of work, environment, and impact that will energize you.

“If you don’t design your life, someone else will design it for you.” — Bill Burnett

Design first. Decide second.

4. ✅ Make Peace with the Unknown

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy. It’s the fertile ground where reinvention grows.
Practice courage in micro-moments — small experiments, bold conversations, asking for help when needed.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

It’s in the tiny steps forward that clarity begins to form.

5. ✅ Build a Thoughtful Exit Plan

Leaving doesn’t have to mean leaping without a parachute. Create an intentional off-ramp — financially, logistically, and emotionally.
A thoughtful exit gives you stability as you step into something new.

“Transitions are hard because they force you to let go of something without knowing what’s next.” — Cheryl Strayed

Ready for Your Next Chapter?

If this speaks to you, don’t wait for burnout or a breakdown to make the decision for you.

Book a 15-Minute Clear and Unstoppable Strategy Session — and together we’ll design your next chapter so it feels like freedom, not fear.

Joe Mitchell, Esquire is a High-Performance Coach and EFT (Tapping) Practitioner, who has logged over 35 years of in-depth study of personal and spiritual development. In his studies, he has done hundreds of self-development courses, spiritual retreats, and health-related workshops. Coach Joe is a certified yoga teacher, meditation teacher, NLP Practitioner, and a graduate of three coaching academies. Two years after he graduated from Harvard Law School, he became a monk for five years. In 2016, after over 20 years as a solo criminal and personal injury attorney, he decided to turn his heart’s passion into a career as a Success Coach, Motivational Speaker and Trainer. For information on Coach Joe’s programs, high-performance videos and to apply for a Free High-Performance Session, book a Strategy Session with Coach Joe today.

 
Joseph Mitchell