Welcome to the first edition of The Clarity Edit, the newsletter where I share research-backed insights from my psychology studies combined with real-life lessons from my coaching practice and 12+ years in tech, so you can understand what's going on beneath the surface when your career starts to feel… off.
If you're questioning what's next, feeling stuck, or itching for change, you're not alone.
Each edition breaks down one psychological pattern you would likely recognize in yourself, and offers a tip for how to start shifting it.
Let's start with one I see all the time in clients, friends, and honestly, in myself too: the self-fulfilling prophecy.
The Concept: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
A self-fulfilling prophecy is when a belief you hold—about yourself, others, or the world—starts to shape your behavior in a way that actually reinforces that belief.
This phenomenon has been studied in social psychology, like in classroom settings where a teacher's belief about a student's ability actually shapes how the student performs. It’s also a key driver in the perpetuation of stereotypes. But it shows up in everyday life, too, especially in the stories we tell ourselves.
Here's how this might show up for you: Say you're considering a career change. You might be thinking: "I'm terrified of starting over and I hear the job market is so bad right now, so it's going to be really difficult to change anything." That belief starts to guide your behavior, often without you realizing it. You might:
Delay starting to look for interesting roles
Find reasons to convince yourself that your current job is not that bad
Start to doubt how competitive you are on the job market
Postpone updating that CV
Feel resentment towards all those announcements you see on LinkedIn from people in your network announcing their new roles
Eventually, you end up ruminating and telling yourself an old story that you are so sure about: Starting over is hard and I'm not ready for it.
Does this sound familiar?
I’ve experienced this myself. For years, I felt a deep pull toward studying psychology. I knew it would add depth and structure to my coaching work, and I was genuinely interested in it. But I kept telling myself: It’s too late to go back to school. The time, the money…it’s just not practical. I avoided even exploring my options, convinced it was too late to start another education cycle.
Here's what's actually going on: anticipatory anxiety about job searching (or any big leap) creates the very obstacles that make taking action harder, closing the self-fulfilling cycle.
The belief shaped your behaviour. The behaviour shaped your outcome. The outcome reinforced the belief.
That's the loop: Belief → Behavior → Outcome → Reinforced Belief
And the longer it goes unchecked, the harder it can be to break.
The Shift: Practice a New Thought
Here's the reframe I often offer: A belief is not a fact. It's a thought you've practiced. Which means you can practice a different one.
So instead of: Starting over is too hard and I'm not ready for it.
Try: I'm curious about figuring out my next move, and I can take it one step at a time.
It might sound small, but it’s powerful because it gives you permission to be in the process, explore, experiment and get clearer. And over time, that becomes the new loop: one where your growing belief in your ability to navigate change, impacts how you research, network, and show up for opportunities.
Going back to my own example, when I finally let go of the belief that it was too late to study psychology and gave myself permission to simply explore the options, I found paths that felt manageable. I found a program that allowed me to study remotely and on a flexible schedule that fit around my existing work, and the investment of both time and money began to feel not just doable, but worth it.
So here I am, halfway through the first of three years of a university degree I’ve been thinking about for a long time, now sharing these learnings with you.
This trick isn't about faking readiness. It's about shifting from identity-level self-judgment to a more generous, growth mindset, fueled by curiosity.
From 👉 This is who I am, I'm not cut out for change.
To 👉 This is something I can learn to navigate.
That one shift can change how you approach your career and what you give yourself permission to explore next.
That’s it for the first edition of the Clarity Edit :)
If this resonated with you, this is exactly the kind of work I do with coaching clients. I help ambitious professionals navigate change, clarify what matters, and work through barriers. If you’re in that in-between place and want to talk, you can book a free discovery call at andranuta.com
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