What I’ve Learned From Taking a Step Back & Big News!

There is something both unsettling and freeing about taking a step back. It’s rarely celebrated, often misunderstood, and almost always very uncomfortable to do. But in that space between the uncertainty and the possibility, I have found some of the most growth in those honest moments.

If you have read one of my past posts you would have known that I recently made the decision to leave my pharmacy job. It wasn’t an impulsive move, but rather the result of previous months of reflection before executing the resignation. On paper, I was doing everything right, progressing up the ladder, taking on more responsibility, and hitting the next milestones that we are often told defines our success. Yet along the way in this last job, I began to realize that what I was chasing might not actually be what I wanted.

So I gave myself something I had not had in a long time; time off. I took a month off after my resignation to slow down, travel, and to sit with questions that I had been avoiding. What does it mean to have a meaningful career? What am I truly seeking when I pursue higher titles or larger roles? And what would it look like if I built a life that felt fulfilling instead of simply impressive?

That month reminded me that rest is not wasted time. It’s a moment to find clarity in ourselves. I realized that fulfillment for me does not come from how high I can climb, but from how aligned I feel with the work I am doing day to day.

Which brings me to today; I recently accepted a new role in pharmacy! One that feels more true to what I value and what I want to contribute to the field (you can find it on my LinkedIn)! From the outside, it might look like I took a step down. And maybe in some ways, I did. But it feels more like a step toward something that fits better. Something that lets me do the kind of work that I find meaningful.

Taking a step back has shown me that progress is not always linear. Sometimes it is circular, sometimes it is diagonal, and sometimes it means stopping altogether so that you can choose a direction with intention.

If there is one thing I have learned from this season, it is that it takes more courage to step back with purpose than to keep moving forward on autopilot.

Because sometimes, the most meaningful step you can take is not up, but inward.