If you’ve ever found yourself thinking:“You’ve left it too late.” “You should probably stay where you are.” “What if this goes badly?”then you’ve already met your inner critic.In this episode, I explore the role that voice plays in your career, especially at mid-career when the stakes can feel higher and the decisions more significant.The inner critic often sounds reasonable. Sensible, even. It focuses on risk, uncertainty, and what might go wrong. And because of that, many people mistake it for truth.But in reality, it’s usually a protective voice. One that developed earlier in life to help you avoid failure, rejection, or embarrassment. The problem is, it hasn’t kept up with who you’ve become.In this episode, I break down some of the most common forms the inner critic takes at mid-career, including the age voice, the comparison voice, the imposter voice, and the loss-aversion voice.More importantly, I share a simple and practical writing exercise you can use to create distance from that voice and see your thinking more clearly.Because when you get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper, something shifts. What felt convincing internally often looks very different when you can actually see it.You begin to separate yourself from the voice, and that creates space for a more grounded, evidence-based perspective.This is where writing becomes a powerful thinking tool. Not about positive thinking, but about building a more accurate picture of who you are and what you’re capable of.If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or held back in your career, this episode will help you understand why that voice is there, and how to respond to it in a more useful way.Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email <a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'>mark@bravocoaching.co.uk</a> visit <a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>www.</a><a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4646753f71&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>bravocoaching.co.uk</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;If you’ve ever found yourself thinking:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“You’ve left it too late.”&lt;br/&gt;“You should probably stay where you are.”&lt;br/&gt;“What if this goes badly?”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;then you’ve already met your inner critic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I explore the role that voice plays in your career, especially at mid-career when the stakes can feel higher and the decisions more significant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The inner critic often sounds reasonable. Sensible, even. It focuses on risk, uncertainty, and what might go wrong. And because of that, many people mistake it for truth.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But in reality, it’s usually a protective voice. One that developed earlier in life to help you avoid failure, rejection, or embarrassment. The problem is, it hasn’t kept up with who you’ve become.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I break down some of the most common forms the inner critic takes at mid-career, including the age voice, the comparison voice, the imposter voice, and the loss-aversion voice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;More importantly, I share a simple and practical writing exercise you can use to create distance from that voice and see your thinking more clearly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Because when you get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper, something shifts. What felt convincing internally often looks very different when you can actually see it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You begin to separate yourself from the voice, and that creates space for a more grounded, evidence-based perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is where writing becomes a powerful thinking tool. Not about positive thinking, but about building a more accurate picture of who you are and what you’re capable of.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or held back in your career, this episode will help you understand why that voice is there, and how to respond to it in a more useful way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for listening!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; If you need support with your career:&lt;br/&gt;call me on 07833 593875&lt;br/&gt;email &lt;a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'&gt;mark@bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;visit&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;www.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4646753f71&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking: “You’ve left it too late.” “You should probably stay where you are.” “What if this goes badly?” then you’ve already met your inner critic. In this episode, I explore the role that voice plays in your career, especially at mid-career when the stakes can feel higher and the decisions more significant. The inner critic often sounds reasonable. Sensible, even. It focuses on risk, uncertainty, and what might go wrong. And because of that, many people mistake...

Mid-Career Change

149. The Inner Critic Running Your Career

Have you ever opened LinkedIn, scrolled for a few minutes, and closed it again feeling worse about your career?In this episode, I explore what I call the comparison trap, that quiet but persistent habit of measuring your progress against other people, and the impact it can have in mid-career.When we are earlier in our careers, comparison can feel useful. There are clear markers, and it helps us gauge where we are. But over time, paths diverge. Careers become less linear, more personal, and far harder to compare in any meaningful way.And yet, many of us keep doing it.We compare our full experience, including the doubts, the setbacks, and the slow periods, to the curated highlights we see from others.In this episode, I unpack why comparison feels so natural, why it becomes unhelpful, and how it quietly drains your confidence, clarity, and focus.More importantly, I offer a practical way forward.You will learn how to shift from comparison to curiosity, and I will introduce a simple but powerful tool from my book Write Your Career, the Highlight Reel.A way to reconnect with your own experience, your strengths, and your direction.If you have been feeling behind, stuck, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you come back to your own path.You can find Write Your Career on Amazon here: <a href='https://amzn.eu/d/08avXPS0'>https://amzn.eu/d/08avXPS0</a> Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email <a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'>mark@bravocoaching.co.uk</a> visit <a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>www.</a><a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4646753f71&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>bravocoaching.co.uk</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Have you ever opened LinkedIn, scrolled for a few minutes, and closed it again feeling worse about your career?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I explore what I call the comparison trap, that quiet but persistent habit of measuring your progress against other people, and the impact it can have in mid-career.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When we are earlier in our careers, comparison can feel useful. There are clear markers, and it helps us gauge where we are. But over time, paths diverge. Careers become less linear, more personal, and far harder to compare in any meaningful way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And yet, many of us keep doing it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We compare our full experience, including the doubts, the setbacks, and the slow periods, to the curated highlights we see from others.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I unpack why comparison feels so natural, why it becomes unhelpful, and how it quietly drains your confidence, clarity, and focus.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;More importantly, I offer a practical way forward.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You will learn how to shift from comparison to curiosity, and I will introduce a simple but powerful tool from my book &lt;em&gt;Write Your Career&lt;/em&gt;, the Highlight Reel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A way to reconnect with your own experience, your strengths, and your direction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have been feeling behind, stuck, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you come back to your own path.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can find &lt;em&gt;Write Your Career&lt;/em&gt; on Amazon here:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://amzn.eu/d/08avXPS0'&gt;https://amzn.eu/d/08avXPS0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for listening!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; If you need support with your career:&lt;br/&gt;call me on 07833 593875&lt;br/&gt;email &lt;a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'&gt;mark@bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;visit&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;www.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4646753f71&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Have you ever opened LinkedIn, scrolled for a few minutes, and closed it again feeling worse about your career? In this episode, I explore what I call the comparison trap, that quiet but persistent habit of measuring your progress against other people, and the impact it can have in mid-career. When we are earlier in our careers, comparison can feel useful. There are clear markers, and it helps us gauge where we are. But over time, paths diverge. Careers become less linear, more personal, and ...

148. The Comparison Trap: Why Other People’s Careers Knock Your Confidence

In this episode, I explore a simple but powerful idea: when we feel drained at work, it’s often not the whole job that’s the problem.It’s specific parts of it.Drawing from Chapter 13 of <a href='https://amzn.eu/d/09xdwG2a'>Write Your Career</a>, I introduce the four dimensions of balance: Time, Energy, Attention, and Purpose. While most conversations focus on time, it’s often energy that tells the real story. You can work fewer hours and still feel exhausted, or work longer hours and feel energised, depending on how your time is spent.To help you make sense of this, I share a practical energy tracking exercise. Over a few days, you log your activities and note whether they lift your energy, drain it, or have no impact. What emerges is a clearer, more actionable picture of your working week.Instead of vague frustration, you begin to see patterns. Certain meetings, tasks, or ways of working may consistently drain you, while others give you energy.From there, the focus is on small, realistic changes. Not a complete overhaul, but a couple of thoughtful adjustments that improve how your week feels.I also touch on protecting your best thinking time, and why the activities outside work are not luxuries, but essential fuel.If something feels off in your work right now, this episode offers a grounded place to start.You can find the exercise and further book details on my <a href='https://www.bravocoaching.co.uk/writeyourcareer'>website</a>.Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email <a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'>mark@bravocoaching.co.uk</a> visit <a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>www.</a><a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4646753f71&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>bravocoaching.co.uk</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I explore a simple but powerful idea: when we feel drained at work, it’s often not the whole job that’s the problem.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s specific parts of it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Drawing from Chapter 13 of &lt;a href='https://amzn.eu/d/09xdwG2a'&gt;&lt;em&gt;Write Your Career&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, I introduce the four dimensions of balance: Time, Energy, Attention, and Purpose. While most conversations focus on time, it’s often energy that tells the real story. You can work fewer hours and still feel exhausted, or work longer hours and feel energised, depending on how your time is spent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To help you make sense of this, I share a practical energy tracking exercise. Over a few days, you log your activities and note whether they lift your energy, drain it, or have no impact. What emerges is a clearer, more actionable picture of your working week.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instead of vague frustration, you begin to see patterns. Certain meetings, tasks, or ways of working may consistently drain you, while others give you energy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From there, the focus is on small, realistic changes. Not a complete overhaul, but a couple of thoughtful adjustments that improve how your week feels.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I also touch on protecting your best thinking time, and why the activities outside work are not luxuries, but essential fuel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If something feels off in your work right now, this episode offers a grounded place to start.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can find the exercise and further book details on my &lt;a href='https://www.bravocoaching.co.uk/writeyourcareer'&gt;website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for listening!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; If you need support with your career:&lt;br/&gt;call me on 07833 593875&lt;br/&gt;email &lt;a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'&gt;mark@bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;visit&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;www.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4646753f71&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode, I explore a simple but powerful idea: when we feel drained at work, it’s often not the whole job that’s the problem. It’s specific parts of it. Drawing from Chapter 13 of Write Your Career, I introduce the four dimensions of balance: Time, Energy, Attention, and Purpose. While most conversations focus on time, it’s often energy that tells the real story. You can work fewer hours and still feel exhausted, or work longer hours and feel energised, depending on how your time is s...

147. Is Your Job Draining You – Or Is It Just Three Meetings?

What happens to your sense of identity when your job title no longer fits?In this episode, I explore a question that sits quietly underneath many mid-career decisions: If I changed careers… who would I be?For many of us, our work becomes a shorthand for who we are. Over time, our job title can start to carry more weight than it should, shaping how we see ourselves and how we introduce ourselves to others. But what happens when that identity starts to feel too small, or no longer quite right?I share some of my own experience of feeling “competent but not content,” and how the idea of stepping away from a long-established career brought up deeper questions about identity, not just direction.Drawing on ideas from Working Identity, I explore why this tension is so common in mid-career, and why the discomfort you might feel is not something to ignore, but something to listen to.I also walk you through a simple but powerful writing exercise, the Two Columns exercise, to help you separate what you do from who you are, and start to see more clearly what really defines you.If this resonates, my new book Write Your Career explores these ideas in more depth, using writing as a practical tool to help you think clearly about your next steps. https://amzn.eu/d/023bR9Op If you’re at a crossroads, or simply reflecting on what comes next, this episode will help you think about your career in a deeper, more personal way.Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email <a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'>mark@bravocoaching.co.uk</a> visit <a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>www.</a><a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4646753f71&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>bravocoaching.co.uk</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;What happens to your sense of identity when your job title no longer fits?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I explore a question that sits quietly underneath many mid-career decisions: &lt;em&gt;If I changed careers… who would I be?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For many of us, our work becomes a shorthand for who we are. Over time, our job title can start to carry more weight than it should, shaping how we see ourselves and how we introduce ourselves to others. But what happens when that identity starts to feel too small, or no longer quite right?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I share some of my own experience of feeling “competent but not content,” and how the idea of stepping away from a long-established career brought up deeper questions about identity, not just direction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Drawing on ideas from Working Identity, I explore why this tension is so common in mid-career, and why the discomfort you might feel is not something to ignore, but something to listen to.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I also walk you through a simple but powerful writing exercise, the Two Columns exercise, to help you separate what you do from who you are, and start to see more clearly what really defines you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If this resonates, my new book &lt;em&gt;Write Your Career&lt;/em&gt; explores these ideas in more depth, using writing as a practical tool to help you think clearly about your next steps.&lt;br/&gt;https://amzn.eu/d/023bR9Op&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re at a crossroads, or simply reflecting on what comes next, this episode will help you think about your career in a deeper, more personal way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for listening!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; If you need support with your career:&lt;br/&gt;call me on 07833 593875&lt;br/&gt;email &lt;a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'&gt;mark@bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;visit&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;www.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4646753f71&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What happens to your sense of identity when your job title no longer fits? In this episode, I explore a question that sits quietly underneath many mid-career decisions: If I changed careers… who would I be? For many of us, our work becomes a shorthand for who we are. Over time, our job title can start to carry more weight than it should, shaping how we see ourselves and how we introduce ourselves to others. But what happens when that identity starts to feel too small, or no longer quite right...

146. Who Are You Without Your Job Title?

Money is one of the biggest concerns in career change, but it’s often the least clearly understood.In this conversation with Michael Georgiou, a chartered accountant, we explore the financial fear that sits behind so many career decisions. Not just the numbers, but the uncertainty around them, and how that uncertainty can quietly hold you in place.We look at the difference between financial fear and financial reality, and the hidden cost of staying where you are when your work no longer fits.You’ll come away with a more grounded way to think about your finances, including how to understand your cashflow, what a financial buffer really means, and how to create space to explore change without taking unnecessary risk.You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn to learn more or start a conversation. <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-georgiou/'>https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-georgiou/</a>Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email <a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'>mark@bravocoaching.co.uk</a> visit <a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>www.</a><a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;id=4646753f71&amp;e=5b3d6b399e'>bravocoaching.co.uk</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Money is one of the biggest concerns in career change, but it’s often the least clearly understood.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this conversation with Michael Georgiou, a chartered accountant, we explore the financial fear that sits behind so many career decisions. Not just the numbers, but the uncertainty around them, and how that uncertainty can quietly hold you in place.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We look at the difference between financial fear and financial reality, and the hidden cost of staying where you are when your work no longer fits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You’ll come away with a more grounded way to think about your finances, including how to understand your cashflow, what a financial buffer really means, and how to create space to explore change without taking unnecessary risk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn to learn more or start a conversation.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-georgiou/'&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-georgiou/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for listening!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; If you need support with your career:&lt;br/&gt;call me on 07833 593875&lt;br/&gt;email &lt;a href='mailto:mark@bravocoaching.co.uk'&gt;mark@bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;visit&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4112ce25aa&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;www.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://bravocoaching.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27b11cbddec66de88fc6949f9&amp;amp;id=4646753f71&amp;amp;e=5b3d6b399e'&gt;bravocoaching.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Money is one of the biggest concerns in career change, but it’s often the least clearly understood. In this conversation with Michael Georgiou, a chartered accountant, we explore the financial fear that sits behind so many career decisions. Not just the numbers, but the uncertainty around them, and how that uncertainty can quietly hold you in place. We look at the difference between financial fear and financial reality, and the hidden cost of staying where you are when your work no longer fit...

145. Can You Afford a Career Change?

At some point in mid-career, the path that once made sense can start to feel less clear. Mid-Career Change is a podcast for that moment. Hosted by career coach Mark Crossfield, it helps you think more honestly about your career and what comes next. Each episode offers a different way into that thinking. Sometimes through a simple question or writing exercise. Sometimes through a framework you can apply, or a conversation with someone who has made a change of their own. Writing runs through much of the show as a practical way to slow things down, make sense of your situation, and see more clearly what matters. Mark brings his own experience to the conversation, having spent 28 years in civil engineering before making the shift into coaching. This is not a podcast about quick fixes. It’s about giving yourself the space to think properly, so you can move forward in a way that feels right for you.

Mid-Career Change

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