Changing careers feels enormous.

Where to begin?  What can you do now, today, to move closer to fulfillment without throwing away everything you’ve worked on so far?

Where do you turn for advice without jeopardizing your current job?

There are so many people talking about passion, strengths, north stars, parachutes–it’s enough to make your head spin.

While I deeply appreciate that you’ve invited me into your trusted circle, there’s value in having more than one perspective.

And today I’m going to help you cut through the noise.

I’m pleased to introduce you to five books I think every career changer should read.  Books that are well-written, bursting with actionable ideas, and even better, together have the ability to significantly up your game.

Do you know what really bugs me, the thing that eats away at my self-confidence?

The fact that my most successful blog post was written over a year ago.

I used to think jealousy was one of the worst emotions you could experience.  I hated myself for wasting time analyzing other’s news clippings or subscriber numbers.  It flew in the face of my own teachings about defining success for yourself.

Then I realized one emotion was worse: inadequacy.

Inadequacy is ruthless about detail.  It notices how no one talks to you at the PTA meeting or how irritable you’re being with the family you love after a bad night’s sleep.  It makes fun of your clumsy bump over the curb (again) while driving in a foreign country.  If you’re blogger, Google Analytics becomes the yardstick of your self-esteem.

On the other hand, inadequacy is blind to your wins, big or small.  It discounts, minimizes, and forgets.

You can remember saying to yourself, “If only I could…” and then when you did, it was overshadowed by what you didn’t.

A while back, my husband said something shocking.

“I know you love your work, I just wish it didn’t make you so miserable.”

Say what?  I demanded to know what he meant.

He reminded me that I tended to push myself harder now that I am so engaged with what I’m doing, which means I’m frequently sleep deprived, overworked, and stressed.

“For someone who loves their work as much as you do, you just don’t seem that happy.  That’s all I’m saying.”

And yet if you asked me nearly any day of the week if I am happy, I would smile broadly and give you an emphatic yes.  Nor would I be lying.

Such is the paradox called happiness.