Have you ever found yourself feeling off at work, like something’s shifted, but you can’t quite explain what or why?
Maybe you’re in a new role that doesn’t quite fit yet. Maybe you’ve come back from leave and the team feels… different. Or maybe the job you once loved suddenly feels like it belongs to someone else. You’re not broken. You’re just changing.
This weekend, we took a family trip to Open Farm Sunday – me, my husband, our son, and our overly enthusiastic Labrador, Cookie. It’s this brilliant initiative where UK farms throw open their gates and show the public what real agriculture looks like. We’ve been going to the same farm for four years now.
The first time, our son was nine – wide-eyed, excited, full of questions. This time? He was thirteen… and in full sulk mode. Barely looked up. Gave us the silent treatment all the way home. We’re still not sure what set him off (probably something deeply uncool we said), but it reminded me how fast people change. And how weird that change can feel.
It’s the same at work. We go through these big internal shifts – in identity, values, and energy – but because we’re adults, we hide it. We power through. We tell ourselves, “This is just part of the job.” But deep down, something feels… off.
What If You’re Not Who You Were at Work Anymore?
Maybe you’ve gone from team member to manager. Or taken on more responsibility but feel like you’re still playing catch-up. Or returned after time away and now wonder if you still belong.
Or maybe you’ve just quietly realised: this role doesn’t fit me anymore.
And then the questions creep in:
- “What if I’m not taken seriously?”
- “What if I’m not as good in this new space as I was before?”
- “Why doesn’t this feel right anymore?”
- “If I’m not that person anymore… who am I now?”
You’re not alone in that.
The Problem Isn’t Change – It’s the Lack of Clarity
One of the most powerful tools I’ve found to navigate this kind of transition is the Logical Levels framework by Robert Dilts. It helps you unpack what’s really going on – beyond the title change or team restructure – and get clear on where the tension is.
Let’s walk through it:
Environment
What’s changed around you? Your team, your space, your tools? Good to notice, but that’s just the surface.
Behaviour
How are you responding? Overworking? Avoiding? Feeling a bit lost? These behaviours are signals, not flaws.
Skills
What new skills do you need right now? It might be emotional intelligence, communication, or simply learning to say, “I’m finding this tough.”
Beliefs & Values
What beliefs are you carrying? Are you telling yourself: “I should have figured this out by now” or “If I ask for help, I’ll look weak”? These stories need rewriting.
Identity
Who are you becoming? Strip away the title, the emails, the meetings, who are you underneath it all?
Purpose
What do you actually want your work (and life) to be about? Not in a change-the-world way, just in a make-it-meaningful-to-you kind of way.
A Small Reflection That Can Spark a Big Shift
This week, block out 30 minutes. Grab a notebook. Walk yourself through those levels. Be honest. Be curious. Be kind. Notice where things feel tense or unclear – that’s not a failure. That’s your growth point. Because the truth is: Change doesn’t have to break you. It can remake you, if you approach it with clarity and intention.