Melanie told me her career story and why it was never a “good time” to change careers. I mentally checked off some of the usual reasons:
(1) even though she quickly realized it was a mismatched job, she needed work experience in her early twenties
(2) she didn’t like her job but got married in her late twenties and was saving for a house (3) she really didn’t like her job in her early thirties but she had her first child
(4) she hated her job in her mid-thirties but she had her second child and
(5) now, she could barely stand going to work each day but there were bills to pay and she didn’t want to disappoint her spouse.
I should note that Melanie’s husband was supportive. He was the one who suggested career counseling. He had heard of me through a friend at his work and realized that Melanie needed to get out of her head and meet with someone who could help her create a plan. ”Happy wife, happy life” he said. He, of course, wanted her to make money in her new career path but had the sense that tightening the belt now (even though it wasn’t the right time) would be better than having his home life disrupted by his wife’s job misery.
When she arrived home, she discussed the timing. Her husband took out a big marker and wrote on their refrigerator white board:
NOW IS THE TIME.