If you turn back the clock a couple decades, you’ll find me in the following situation: I’m sitting at my parents’ kitchen table, explaining to them that I’ve decided to drop out of med school and a PhD in philosophy to become a professional photographer. In addition to being a tough conversation, this was perhaps the biggest turning point in my career (and life). It was the moment where I walked away from what I was told I “should” do and committed myself to building a career around my passion: creativity.

It’s a path that few (including me) could have predicted, but I’m far from the only one with a winding path to my ultimate destination. In fact, I’d suggest that paths like mine are the new normal, that the concept of a linear career path is nearly fiction, and almost entirely the exception rather than the rule.

As such, nearly all of us will find ourselves at a turning point in our careers (or lives), whether by choice or by circumstance. And while there are rarely easy choices in these situations, I’d like to share my own personal approach for coming out on the right side of them-- your mileage may vary, but this is what’s worked for me.

Enjoy!

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