Turn Career Upheaval Into Breakthrough Momentum: 7 Ways to Launch Your Next Chapter

Turn Career Upheaval Into Breakthrough Momentum—that’s the challenge facing thousands of professionals today. When external forces—be they political shifts, economic downturns, or industry disruptions—shake the foundation of your career, it’s normal to feel powerless and lost. You may question your path, your value, and your future. Many thousands of professionals experience these same moments of uncertainty. While external circumstances may be beyond our control, research and practical experience show that we can shape our mindset, responses, and deliberate actions to create breakthrough outcomes, even in turbulent times.

The following 7 key strategies provide a framework to help you regain clarity, strengthen your resilience, and generate new, exciting momentum during periods of career upheaval.

1. Acknowledge and Process Your Emotions

Career upheaval is emotionally taxing and often deeply fear-inducing. Feeling fear, frustration, regret, and grief when the work you’ve invested in is threatened is a natural human response that thousands of people share. Rather than suppressing these emotions, benefit from acknowledging and processing them.

Techniques like journaling—to get clearer on what you’re thinking and feeling—and engaging in candid, open discussions with trusted peers can help you navigate these emotions more productively. Seeking new mentorship and tapping into professional support networks is also incredibly helpful.

Self-compassion is critical at these times, and remembering that struggling does not equate to failure. In fact, research indicates that resilience involves not just “bouncing back” but adapting and thriving through flexible thought and behavior. Recognizing your emotions and allowing yourself to experience them fully is foundational to navigating upheaval effectively.

2. Reframe the Challenge as Opportunity to Turn Career Upheaval Into Breakthrough Momentum

Reframing adversity—choosing to see challenges as useful opportunities for growth—has been shown to significantly strengthen resilience and mental well-being. Research confirms that positive reframing boosts adaptability, helping us cope more effectively with setbacks. When we view difficulties as potential gateways to growth, we expand our capacity to handle challenge and ultimately support stronger mental health.

Beyond the psychological benefits, reframing allows us to interpret situations in ways that are true and realistic yet also more empowering. You shift away from negative interpretations (like “I failed, and it’s utterly hopeless”) toward hope and possibility.

By shifting your perspective toward expansion, you can open doors to new pathways that might be better suited to who you are and what you care about most right now. This shift not only enhances personal growth but also often leads to greater success, impact, and reward in the long run.

Practical reframing exercises include asking:

• What can this situation show me about the true value and potential new application of my skills and capabilities?
• What new opportunities could emerge from this challenge?
• Which professional avenues might I have overlooked before that might be a great fit?

3. Reconnect with Core Values and Vision

Periods of uncertainty provide a needed opportunity to pause and reflect on what truly matters to you. Career alignment research shows that professionals who connect their work with personal values experience higher engagement, satisfaction, and long-term success. Intentional alignment helps ensure that your actions are guided by core principles rather than purely reactive, fear-based responses.

This clarity not only enhances decision-making but also strengthens your motivation and engagement in navigating key transitions.

Reflection prompts might include:

• What is most important to me at this stage in my career?
• What kind of legacy or impact do I want to create going forward?
• How can I ensure my next steps align with my values, purpose, and vision for the future?

4. Expand Your “Inspiration Network”

In tough times, reaching out to great, supportive mentors, colleagues, and professionals in your own field and adjacent ones brings fresh energy and insight. It’s not about transactional networking—it’s about tapping into community, mutually-beneficial support, and shared wisdom. Studies in organizational behavior show how psychological connection and safety in supportive environments significantly enhance employee engagement and innovation. This can often lead to a 3x boost when combined with personal resilience and adaptability.

5. Invest in Your Growth

Amid chaos or rapidly shifting situations, investing in your growth is a powerful endeavor. Whether you take a new course, hire a coach to support you, listen to inspiring podcasts, or sharpen your toolbox in other new ways, every step forward reinforces your experience of agency and optimism.

Even small moves—such as updating your LinkedIn profile or taking an affordable certification course you’ve been interested in—can propel your momentum forward, introduce you to new people and ideas, and remind you of all that you’ve learned and are capable of creating.

6. Focus on What You Can Control

During times of upheaval, energy is often wasted on factors beyond our influence. Focusing on controllable elements is a powerful way to reduce stress and enhance effectiveness.

Key areas of control include:

• Mindset: Practices such as gratitude exercises, affirmations, meditation, or grounding routines can cultivate focus, hope, and emotional stability.
• Actions: Even small proactive steps can signal progress and prevent stagnation.
• Environment: Curating daily habits, limiting exposure to stressful news, and creating energy-aligned routines support resilience and mental clarity.
• Self-Recognition: Understanding your unique talents, skills, and fascinating experiences will help you build a compelling narrative and strengthen your ability to stand out.

7. Embrace Flexibility and Stay Open to New Possibilities

Careers—and lives—rarely follow a straight line. When old paths close, new ones open: including pivots from corporate roles to entrepreneurship, private to public sectors, or to consulting, coaching, or teaching. These pivots often lead to more career fulfillment and success than anticipated.

Interestingly, research into early-career setbacks shows that those who endure near misses (such as researchers narrowly missing getting a needed grant) often outperform in the long term those who had early successes. This suggests failure can indeed lead to success, and setbacks can catalyze resilience and higher achievement for those who persist and stay committed to their ultimate goals.

Moving Forward with Resilience and Confidence

Navigating career uncertainty isn’t easy—it can be disorienting and deeply challenging emotionally. But with the right mindset and approach, it’s not insurmountable. By acknowledging and processing your feelings, reframing the way you approach challenges, reconnecting with your core values, and expanding your support community—and taking purposeful action all along the way—you can boost your resilience and become better equipped to Turn Career Upheaval Into Breakthrough Momentum.

Credit: Forbes.com