The Clarity Myth
Clarity before decisions. Strategy before execution.
Why waiting for clarity keeps capable professionals stuck — and what actually moves careers forward.
Career clarity is a point of view about what direction makes sense for you now — not certainty about the future. It is truly the foundation of all my work.
It’s the belief that clarity should arrive before action — fully formed, confident, and certain.
That belief is the clarity myth.
We’re taught that once the “right answer” appears, decisions will feel easy. That confidence will follow clarity. That forward motion requires certainty. So people wait. They overthink. They stay put longer than they should — not because they’re incapable, but because they’re trying to solve the wrong problem.
Clarity is treated like a prerequisite.
In reality, it’s an outcome.
The Myth: Why We’ve Been Taught to Wait for Clarity
As Seen In:
Rebecca Henninger and The Job Girl have been featured in Forbes, Inc., SUCCESS, Scary Mommy, and other national media outlets
The clarity myth is especially dangerous for experienced professionals.
At earlier stages, momentum comes from structure — roles are defined, ladders are visible, options are limited. But later in a career, possibility expands while certainty disappears.
Titles no longer tell the whole story.
Success doesn’t automatically translate into direction.
The next step isn’t obvious — and that ambiguity gets misread as failure.
This is often the moment people assume something is wrong with them.
It isn’t.
What’s broken is the expectation that clarity should feel obvious at this stage.
Why the Clarity Myth Hits Experienced Professionals Hardest
- Endless reflection without decision criteria
- Research without commitment
- Advice-seeking without synthesis
- Waiting to feel “ready” before moving
This creates paralysis disguised as preparation.
The longer someone waits for certainty, the more pressure they place on each decision — which makes clarity feel even further away.
The clarity myth turns thoughtful professionals into stuck ones.
How Waiting for Clarity Creates Career Paralysis
Direction before perfection
Positioning before execution
Language before action
Clarity emerges when thinking is structured, values are articulated, and decisions are evaluated against a clear internal compass.
This is why clarity often follows movement — not the other way around.
What matters now?
What kind of problems do I want to solve next?
What tradeoffs am I willing — and unwilling — to make?
What direction fits the person I am now, not who I was ten years ago?
Clarity is built through intentional decision-making, not perfect foresight.
It doesn’t remove uncertainty.
It gives you a way to move forward with it.
Real career clarity is not a lightning bolt.
It’s a point of view.
The alternative to the clarity myth is not recklessness or hustle.
What Career Clarity Actually Is — and What It Isn’t
Over time, I’ve seen the same patterns repeat — which is why my work follows a clear, structured framework designed to support complex career decisions.
I don’t start with resumes, applications, or tactics. I start by helping clients build a clear point of view about what they want next — and why.
From there, positioning becomes sharper. Decisions become lighter. Execution becomes intentional instead of reactive.
This is the foundation of my work in strategic career coaching.
How This Perspective Shapes My Work in Career Coaching
Clarity isn’t missing.
It’s misunderstood.
Once you stop waiting for certainty and start building direction, forward motion becomes possible again.
That’s the work.
