You’re Allowed to Change Your Mind
This post is part of my Lessons from the In-Between series—real stories and honest reflections on what helped me find my next step when the path ahead wasn’t clear...
For years, I said it like a fact.
“I don’t want to be an entrepreneur.”
Not because I didn’t admire entrepreneurs. I did.
Not because I didn’t have ideas. I had plenty.
Not because I wasn’t capable. (Although, if I’m honest, I definitely questioned that part.)
It just felt… not for me.
I had this mental picture of what entrepreneurship required: a high-energy hustler, fiercely competitive, endlessly strategic, chasing goals with zero room for doubt or rest.
That wasn’t me.
Or at least, that’s the story I told myself.
And I told it often.
I said it in conversations with friends.
I said it in response to those “What’s next for you?” questions, especially after I lost my job.
I said it when my soul started to stir with the uncomfortable sense that I was being called into something different.
“I don’t want to be an entrepreneur.”
That sentence felt safe.
It gave me something to cling to while everything else felt up in the air.
It helped me feel sure—when so much of life and work felt uncertain.
But here’s the thing about certainty: sometimes it becomes a cage.
The Sentence That Set Me Free
A few months after I lost my job, I had a conversation with a coach friend. I wanted to explore the idea of starting my own coaching practice with someone who was ahead of me on the journey. I shared with her some of my ideas, but then found myself falling back on my old, safe sentence: “But I’ve always said that I don’t want to be an entrepreneur.”
Luckily she knew me well enough to be kind but not let me off the hook—and she said something that changed everything.
“You know you’re allowed to change your mind, right?”
Simple. Direct.
And surprisingly disarming.
She wasn’t telling me what to do. She wasn’t giving advice. She was offering permission—permission to grow, to evolve, to revisit a decision that might have made sense then but no longer fit now.
And wow… I didn’t know I needed that until I heard it.
It felt like something in me exhaled.
The Stories We Carry
Sometimes we cling to old beliefs not because they’re true—but because they’re familiar.
We build our lives around long-held identities:
“I’m a teacher.”
“I’m the dependable one.”
“I’m the one who always says yes.”
And over time, those roles can harden into definitions.
But what happens when the role stops fitting?
What happens when the title or identity that used to feel right now fits like an old blazer—too tight in the shoulders, a little outdated, and not quite you anymore?
I’ve worked with women who’ve spent decades in a single profession—and the thought of stepping into something new feels almost like betrayal. Not just to the work, but to the version of themselves who chose it.
It’s not just a job shift. It’s an identity shift.
And that’s a big deal.
No wonder we resist.
But here’s what I’ve learned: the stories we’ve been telling ourselves can be rewritten.
You don’t have to stay the same to stay true to yourself.
When Your Life Outgrows Its Labels
That sentence—“I don’t want to be an entrepreneur”—was true for me once.
But it wasn’t true forever.
It had been a helpful boundary. A way to filter opportunities.
But eventually, it became a barrier. A way to protect myself from uncertainty and discomfort.
And that’s the tricky thing about fixed beliefs:
They can keep us from seeing the possibility right in front of us.
What if the version of you who said “I’ll never…” or “I’m not that kind of person…” isn’t the same version who’s here now?
What if the things you used to want… no longer fit?
And what if that isn’t failure—but growth?
Changing Your Mind Isn’t a Character Flaw
Changing your mind doesn’t mean you were wrong.
It means you’re listening.
It means you’re evolving.
It means you’re brave enough to let your present self lead, instead of letting your past self hold the reins.
You’re not being flaky. You’re growing.
I still remember the first time I admitted—tentatively, nervously—“I think I might want to start something of my own.”
And then – over time – I did.
Not because I’d suddenly turned into a different person.
But because I’d given myself permission to imagine a different possibility.
And I learned there are lots of ways to be an entrepreneur.
There’s not just one model, one personality, one path.
(That’s probably a whole blog post on its own—but I’ll save that for another day.)
Dare to Reimagine What’s Next
So maybe entrepreneurship isn’t the thing for you.
But maybe you’re feeling nudged toward something else that doesn’t quite fit your old story.
Maybe it’s stepping away from caregiving for a season.
Maybe it’s saying no to a volunteer role that used to light you up—but now leaves you depleted.
Maybe it’s a career path that you’ve always thought was too hard or out of reach.
Maybe it’s allowing yourself to want something more than you’ve ever let yourself want before.
And maybe, just maybe, you’re waiting for permission.
If that’s you, hear this:
You are allowed to change your mind.
Let’s Pause Here…
What’s something you’ve told yourself for years that might not be true anymore?
Where might you be clinging to an old story—about who you are, what you want, or what’s possible?
What might open up if you gave yourself permission to change your mind?
Navigating Your In-Between
Changing your mind can feel scary—especially when you’ve spent years, maybe even decades, building a life around one particular version of who you are. But what if that change isn’t a betrayal of yourself… what if it’s part of becoming a better version of you?
The truth is, most of us don’t need someone to hand us all the answers. But it sure helps to have someone ask the right questions. Coaching can offer that kind of space—a place to explore what’s shifting, what’s stirring, and what you might be ready to release or receive.
If you’re standing in that uncertain in-between—questioning old stories, sensing something new, or just wondering what’s next—I’d love to chat. You can schedule a free connection call here to see if coaching might be a helpful next step.
You don’t have to navigate the in-between alone.
I sure didn’t – and that help made all the difference.
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