Overcoming the Fear of Change

Is change failure?

Mar 14, 2025

👋🏾 Hey, it’s Wamide. Welcome to another issue of OnGrowth&, a newsletter on personal and career growth. Thinking about a career pivot and unsure of your next step? Book a 1:1 coaching call and gain the clarity you need for your next career move.

We don’t talk about this enough - it’s okay to transition without feeling like a failure or someone who’s lost direction.

When it comes to making big life changes - whether in your career, friendships, or personal life - don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re doing something wrong. Change is part of growth.

Look around, and you’ll see that even the most successful people have pivoted:

Melinda French Gates pivoted, changing her career path and life’s work following her divorce from Bill Gates.
Jeff Bezos left a stable Wall Street career to start Amazon.
Oprah Winfrey left her high-profile TV career to launch OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson transitioned from professional wrestling to acting.
Serena Williams shifted from tennis to fashion, now designing children's clothing.
Tope Awotona left Dell to create Calendly.
Rihanna went from doing music to building a billion-dollar beauty empire.
Temi Popoola pivoted from a Chemical Engineering degree to Investment & Finance and is now the GMD of the Nigerian Exchange Group.

I could go on and on. Change isn’t failure - it’s evolution, transformation, becoming.

The truth is, you have more control than you think. You don’t have to live in fear of what others might think because no one really pays as much attention as you think.

So, pivot when you feel uncomfortable.

Pivot when you’re bored or no longer challenged.

Pivot when you’ve hit a growth plateau.

Pivot when you feel burned out, disengaged, or undervalued.

Pivot when your values or priorities shift.

Pivot when frustration, curiosity or excitement pulls you toward a new path.

Because no matter who you are or what stage of life you’re in, transitions are inevitable - that’s how you grow.

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