This is the best way to find career growth when you feel stuck
When you adopt a new way of seeing the world—and yourself—you open the doors to change and growth.
Welcome to Illuminate Me. Each week, I share an illuminating insight to help you communicate and connect better, growing your reach, impact, and career.
This week’s insight: Embrace liminal thinking.
I like to joke that I have a very particular set of skills.
(Cue the Liam Neeson references.)
And one of the most peculiar is my habit of finding connections, often between seemingly disparate things.
Over a few days, I’ll pick up and note certain themes from my interactions, conversations, and information consumption that, when strung together, tell a story and yield insights.
My latest observation?
Many of us are in what could only be described as a liminal space in our careers.
For those unfamiliar, liminal means “a state, stage, or period of transition.” It derives from the Latin root limen, which means threshold.
We’re literally in between what was and what’s next for us, professionally speaking, on the verge of transformation.
And we don’t like being in that place, especially if we feel frustrated and stuck.
We hate the wait and not knowing, but lasting change rarely happens fast.
Though it seems counterintuitive, embracing the pauses of liminality can be the best way to fuel your career growth.
In his book Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think, David Gray suggests that the reason some people succeed at change while others fail comes down to the way they think.
He describes this as “liminal thinking,” a way to create change by understanding, shaping, and reframing our beliefs.
Gray says the idea behind liminal thinking is that there are doors of opportunity all around us, but we fail to see them because we’re focusing on other things.
(Like, say, what we’re losing versus what we’re gaining.)
When we use liminal thinking to tune into these incredible potentials for growth and change, we’ll see things that others miss or can’t imagine.
And it’s this psychological agility and adaptability, argues Gray, that enables you to create positive change.
Here’s how you can start embracing liminal thinking:
Begin with self-awareness
Step back and take stock of your current beliefs—which ones are holding you back and preventing you from progressing? Have these accumulated over time? What stories are you telling yourself that are untrue and based in fear? And how do these limiting beliefs spill over into how you view others and move through the world?
Next, learn to let go
You have to let go of the old to make way for the new. Create an environment that is open to differing views and welcomes new ideas. Expand your horizons by exposing yourself to fresh thinking and activities. As tough as it might be to mix up your routines, creating space for what’s new can be incredibly freeing and motivating.
When you adopt a new way of seeing the world—and yourself—you open the doors to change and growth.
And remember, the best way to do that is by embracing liminal thinking.
Another way to get your career unstuck? Tend to your “professional garden. “
The most robust and lush gardens don’t happen accidentally; they’re achieved through careful preparation, ongoing attention, and continuous and applied learning.
The same is true in the professional world.
In my latest Forbes article, I share the five best ways to ensure your “professional garden” thrives.
More illumination:
Miss last week’s newsletter? I shared why you don’t have to be a “creative” to be creative.
And one from the archives: Here’s why trying out different personas is a good thing.
P.S.
What I do:
When I’m not writing this newsletter or doing my best to embrace liminal thinking, I’m a social media ghostwriter. (Yep, that’s a thing). I help founders craft their stories to communicate and connect better, magnifying their reach and impact. (Think personal branding and thought leadership.)
I can also weave together your personal and professional experience to write an engaging, original, and authentic career story that aligns with and supports your personal brand and thought leadership, positioning you for success.
Learn more by visiting my website.
Where you can follow me and find more of my work:
Forbes: I write weekly articles on personal transformation and its impact on career growth.
LinkedIn: Hit the 🔔 in the top right corner of my profile to get notified when I post and join more than 21,000 others by subscribing to my weekly LinkedIn newsletter, momentum, featuring insights to help you maintain positive motion and continually grow your career.
Twitter: Pithy synopses and threads of my content.
Instagram: My content, visualized (and occasional travel-related Instagram Stories and archived Story Highlights about my adventures if you’re into that kind of thing).
How to subscribe to this newsletter:
If you haven’t already, please subscribe by clicking the blue button and be sure to check out the archives.
