Navigating What’s Next After a Defining Chapter
A year ago, I finally understood what it meant to be stuck for choice. After 24 years of leading a non-profit I had founded an organisation whose vision had become inseparable from my identity, it was time for a change. But when the moment came, five new directions called me… and I couldn’t pick one.
I swung between possibilities. Took a step forward, then two back. I overthought, under-decided, and started to question whether I had any clarity left at all. How could I be unsure of myself after so much experience? Why couldn’t I just decide?
Then I came across a piece by Steve Bartlett called “I Feel Lost.”
And it dawned on me
If you’ve ever closed a professional chapter that defined you, left a dream job, sold a company, stepped out of a leadership role and found yourself unsure of what comes next, this message is for you.
1. When Purpose Becomes Identity
It’s Easy to Lose Yourself in What You Build: For years, your job wasn’t just what you did—it was who you were.
Walking Away Feels Like Losing Ground: Even when you know it’s time to move on, grief, confusion, and self-doubt can cloud your next steps.
We Mistake Directionlessness for Failure: But actually, it’s a transitional space that holds opportunity.
2. Steve Bartlett’s Reminder to the Lost
If you have Steve Bartlett’s “I Feel Lost” slides, this is where they belong—each one a reminder that:
If you don’t yet have the slides, these quotes inspired by his Diary of a CEO message can capture the tone:
“You are not lost. You are in the space between who you were and who you are becoming.”
“The version of you that existed for others is gone. Now is the time to meet the version that exists for you.”
“If you’re stuck, it means you’re being asked to stop and listen—not to push forward blindly.”
3. How to Move When You’re Stuck for Choice
Name the Fear: Is it fear of failure, judgment, regret? Naming it gives you something to work with.
Limit the Options: Five paths are overwhelming. Choose two and test them in small, real ways.
Get Out of Your Head: Talk to a coach, journal, or reflect with someone who can help you hear yourself clearly.
Feeling stuck at a “what’s next” moment?
Book a session with Maurita to gain clarity and discover your next steps.