There’s nothing quite so daunting as the idea of making a big career move. Whether it’s leaving your job, asking for a pay rise or even pivoting to a whole new industry, these big changes can often be terrifying. 

Many of us find ourselves weighing over the potential outcomes of such moves for, well… a little too long. You might find the idea flitting across your mind every few days, only to think: That decision is too big to think about right now; I’ll worry about it later. Before you know it, months or even years have gone by. 

Florence Weber-Zuanigh is a career coach at Diversity In The Boardroom, and according to her, this type of decision paralysis happens to plenty of people who want to make career moves. So, she has developed what she calls the ‘multi-lens method’ to help her clients come to quick realisations about their careers and make big decisions about their next move in just three days. 

Is fast really better?

First, it’s worth considering why making a career decision in three days might be a good thing. After all, with some decisions, it does make sense to think long and hard before leaping to any conclusions. Is three days really something we should be aiming for?

Well, according to Weber-Zuanigh, sometimes faster is better – especially if it helps you finally make a decision that has been taking up mental space for a while already.

“A real debate between your brain, your heart and your gut can last days, weeks, months sometimes even years,” she says. “If you’re feeling stuck, you might want to settle it once and for all. Making a decision in three days might seem short, but it will also give you back all the brain space that has been occupied by this never-ending internal debate.”

The multi-lens method

One of the hardest things about making a big career move is deciding whether or not it’s a good idea. Most of us tend to hum and haw about the idea for months on end without ever making a decision. 

As Weber-Zuanigh explains, the multi-lens method aims to help jog you out of your state of indecision by encouraging a big realisation.

“The idea of the multi-lens method is that you can leave behind for a while how you currently feel about your career, and try on a few different scenarios to prompt a realisation,” she tells us. “You’ve got to go through at least four different scenarios and really immerse yourself in it.”

The method means you take the time to really consider what your future could be like if you made a dramatic career move.

Begin by choosing four different dream scenarios. Weber-Zuanigh suggests things like winning the lottery or being on a remote island with plenty of food and entertainment. 

You can also try scenarios that involve a time jump: imagine your younger self watching you in your current role or imagine yourself at 90 looking back on your career. “Do they feel at peace with your career choices?” she asks.

Each day, you’ll consider each of your four scenarios in detail. 

“On day one, it’s all about what’s missing from your current career,” she says. “If you won the lottery, would you decide not to go back? If not then why?”

On day two, use the same four scenarios to consider what you are longing for in your career. “What would it take for a role to be appealing to you once you won the lottery for instance,” she says.

Finally, on the third day, use what you’ve learned to imagine what your next move should be.

“Some scenarios might prompt a big realisation; some might not,” says Weber-Zuanigh. “What matters is to stick with the process and see what comes up. You can focus on this just 20 minutes a day on each day and see how it goes.”

While no big career decision should be taken lightly, a decision should be taken at some point. Next time you find yourself debating a career move, try the multi-lens method to trigger a big realisation and, hopefully, start making some big moves.

Images: Getty