I Thought I’d Be Somewhere Else By Now

September has a funny way of making us think.

As summer winds down, fall is creeping in and the year is heading toward its final stretch. So maybe you’re looking at your career thinking, Wait. Wasn’t I supposed to be somewhere else by now?

Maybe you thought you’d have the promotion.

The bigger title.

The leadership role.

The six-figure salary.

The dream job.

Maybe you thought you’d have figured it all out by this point.

And if you’re a BIPOC professional, there may be another layer to that feeling.

Career paths aren’t always a level playing field.

Bias, workplace politics, layoffs, lack of access, and constantly having to prove your value can affect how—and how quickly—opportunities come your way.

But sometimes, even when we understand all of that, disappointment still shows up, because there’s a difference between knowing your career hasn’t gone exactly as planned and not caring about it.

You’re allowed to grieve the job you thought you’d have by now. You’re also allowed to ask yourself whether you still want it.

That question matters.

Because sometimes the goal we’re chasing is something we decided we wanted five years ago. Or something we thought would finally prove we had “made it.” Or something we saw someone else achieve and quietly added to our own list.

September might be a good time to pause and ask:

Do I still want this?

What am I actually working toward?

Am I disappointed because I’m behind—or because I’ve changed?

Your current job doesn’t have to be your final destination. And a slower or more complicated career path doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

Maybe you’re not where you thought you’d be—and that’s okay.

You can be honest about what hasn’t happened without turning it into a verdict on who you are.