What happens when you stop fighting yourself and start listening to what your body and your spirit is telling you about your professional path?
Last year, I was on Tiffany Simms' podcast Two Humans Talking, and what started as a conversation about juggling life's demands turned into something much deeper—a raw discussion about self-acceptance, boundaries, and the courage to trust your instincts when you’re feeling stuck in your career or business.
As a producer who specializes in storytelling for personal and professional development, I've seen how the most successful creatives don't often build thriving career paths from perfectly planned strategies. They build them by finally listening to that inner voice that's been whispering (or sometimes screaming) that something needs to change.
Here's what I've discovered about trusting your gut and getting unstuck professionally—and how it can transform your career or business trajectory.
1. Stop apologizing for your needs.
"Everything can't necessarily be a priority at the same time," I shared with Tiffany. "And I think sometimes trying to make everything a priority, you sort of risk putting yourself on the back burner."
This hit me hard during my own journey from professional dancer to corporate exec to producer building my own creative business. I kept apologizing for needing time to recharge, for saying no to projects when I was drained, for choosing solitude over constant networking.
But here's what my therapist taught me: "You have to give from your overflow. What's in your cup is for you. The overflow is for everyone else."
Your gut knows when your cup is empty, even when your professional demands say you should keep going. The creative professionals and entrepreneurs I profile on The Purpose Post who build the most sustainable careers are the ones who learn to honor their needs instead of fighting them.
Trust your gut when: You find yourself resenting commitments you once enjoyed; when what used to light you up, just doesn’t anymore.
2. Recognize when you're shrinking to fit in.
"I've always sought to fit in, to belong," I told Tiffany. "And me doing that, I've always shrunk to fit."
This was my pattern for years—in dance auditions, corporate meetings, client presentations, even creative collaborations. I'd unconsciously adjust my personality, dim my ideas, or minimize my expertise to make others comfortable.
But something shifted when I realized that shrinking back would be a disservice, almost a disrespect even, to the Creator who created me.
Your gut knows when you're performing a version of yourself that isn't authentic. It shows up as that uncomfortable feeling in your stomach or the exhaustion that comes from constantly adapting your perspective to what you think others want to hear.
Trust your gut when: You feel more drained after certain interactions, or when you catch yourself responding based on what someone else wants to hear, not based on who you really are.
3. Pay attention to your body's compass.
During our conversation, Tiffany shared something key about self-care that I absolutely agree with. It's not about manicures and massages (though those are nice). Real self-care is about facing your thoughts and emotions, and then moving them through your body.
For me, this looks like walking—something I picked up during the pandemic and haven't let go. "Walking keeps me sane," I shared. It's also meditation, journaling, spiritual practice, and therapy sessions where I process instead of ruminating.
Your body holds wisdom about your path that your logical mind often misses. That knot in your stomach during certain projects isn't just stress, it's information. The energy you feel when working on particular collaborations isn't coincidence, it's guidance.
Trust your gut when: Your body relaxes when you talk about certain work, or tenses up when you think about specific clients or projects.
4. Embrace the messy middle space.
"The middle part of that, it can be a little lonely," I acknowledged when Tiffany described her visual of moving between different versions of ourselves.
This resonates with every creative’s journey I've witnessed through my work in storytelling and production. There's always that uncomfortable space where you're no longer who you were, but not yet who you're becoming. Your future self will tell you this space is necessary, even when your logical mind wants to rush back to the familiar.
Trust your gut when: Staying in familiar spaces starts feeling more uncomfortable than venturing into unknown territory.
The Permission You've Been Waiting For
Here's what I've learned after years of growing through several career paths: "The idea of staying stuck in a space that doesn't fit or feel good scares me more than the idea of trying to do something I've never done before."
The truth is, your gut isn't trying to make your path more complicated. It's trying to save you from building something that isn't truly yours (or at least, that you’ve outgrown). And the voice saying you're meant for something different isn't sabotage. It's not selfish to want a body of work that lights you up. It's not unrealistic to expect your career or business to align with who you're becoming.
So, the question isn't whether you should trust your gut about your professional path. The question is, how much longer will you let fear or practicality convince you that ignoring it is the safer choice? 👀
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