What's Holding You Back?

1. You read on your company's website that there's an opening in another department. The job has more responsibilities, and the rewards are big. You...

• Assume that the candidates from within that department will have more experience than you.
• Wonder how you'd tell your boss if you applied. She thinks you're happy working for her.
• Get anxious about the stress the position would entail. What if you couldn't keep up?
• Decide that rocking the boat at this stage in your career could be disastrous.
• Apply. What have you got to lose?

2. The business you launched on the side starts to take off—so much so that you could quit your 9-to-5. You…

• Draft a letter of resignation. If this venture doesn't work out, you can always return to your old career.
• Picture yourself going bankrupt and ending up a penniless bag lady.
• Fret about whether you have the skills to run a business. This bout of success could just be beginner's luck.
• Remember all the people who doubted your business plan. They'll think you're nuts to quit your day job.
• Balk at the idea of being solely responsible for your paycheck.

3. You always wanted to teach but were discouraged by the pay. Thanks to your spouse's recent pay raise, you can now handle a smaller income.  You…

• Question whether you have what it takes to command a room full of unruly 7-year-olds.
• Worry that you won't be able to maintain your lifestyle on a smaller salary.
• Feel the pressure already. Sure, you'll be passionate about teaching in the beginning, but don't teachers get burned out?
• Dismiss the idea as irresponsible. What if your spouse gets fired?
• Talk to your spouse about the financial ramifications of changing paths.

4. You work for a startup. Your boss just got fired and you'd love to step into her role.  You…

• Meet with the hiring manager and make a case for yourself. If she thinks you're right for the job, she'll give it to you.
• Fear it's too risky: If you get axed like your boss did, it would sabotage the rest of your career.
• Decide you're not ready yet. You'd like to have a few more years of experience before you move up the ladder.
• Deny your interest because you don't want to appear presumptuous.
• Feel confident that you could do the job but unsure that you want the company riding on your shoulders.

5. Your doctor suggests your recent health issues are stress related. She tells you to cut your hours and take regular vacations.  You…

• Hesitate to make changes because you don't want your performance to suffer.
• Worry that your colleagues will resent you if you leave at 6 o'clock.
• Think, "If I seem more energetic, my boss will just give me more work!"
• Rule out the idea of a vacation. In your absence, your boss could realize she doesn't really need you after all.
• Agree with your doctor. A break might even make you more productive.

6. You were just laid off from your long-term job at a marketing firm. This could be the perfect chance to pursue your dream job as an interior designer.  You…

• Feel nervous but excited: Now's the time to take a leap.
• Dread the prospect of starting at the bottom of the ladder. You'd be throwing away all your years of marketing experience.
• Laugh off interior design as a pipe dream. So few people survive in that industry.
• Imagine what people might say: You're too old to compete with young, hip designers.
• Admit that you have a good eye but cringe when you imagine the expectations of actual paying clients.

7. You've been thinking of writing a novel for years. Your best friend asks you why you don't get started now.  You…

• Tell her how difficult it is to find a publisher, especially for your first book.
• Explain that you don't want your employer to think you're not fully committed to your day job.
• Admit that you're anxious about putting yourself out there. People might see that you're not as great a writer as they thought.
• Lay out your nightmare: You'd suffer from writer's block and waste years of your life trying to finish the manuscript.
• Thank her for the encouragement and resolve to start writing this week.

8. You've worked in a bank for eight years, but you're tired of sitting behind a desk. You feel drawn toward nursing.

• Obsess about whether you'd succeed in nursing school. You were never such a great student, after all.
• Wonder if you can handle the responsibility, day in and day out. People's lives could depend on you.
• Reject the idea because you'd need help paying for school, and you'd hate to ask for it.
• Make a mental list of all the reasons nursing is a bad idea. You might catch a hospital-borne infection, for example.
• Vow to give it a shot and enroll in some night courses.