How To Work Out Your Next Step To Loving What You Do
Picture opening your laptop in the morning not because you have to, but because you’re excited to work on something that’s yours. The sun is streaming through the window, coffee in hand, and the day ahead is wide open with possibility.
See yourself booking a last-minute trip just because the mood strikes… taking a long, unhurried lunch with a friend… spending an afternoon learning something new, simply because it lights you up.
Your work fuels these moments, rather than stealing time from them. You meet people who inspire you, you help others in ways that matter, and you quietly build something that will still be standing years from now — your own legacy taking shape.
But for too many people, this vision stays a daydream. The years slip by in the name of “security,” and before they know it, the brightest chapters of life have been spent chasing deadlines that never lit them up. You remember the mornings where the sky was painted gold, yet you barely noticed on your commute. The endless meetings, the polite nods, the dreams you tucked away in a drawer because they didn’t belong in the job description — all traded for a career that never truly felt like yours.
I’m Suzana, and for most of my life I followed the “right” path — study hard, get the good job, build a secure life. But somewhere along the way, I realised I’d drifted far from what made me feel alive. The steady work came at the cost of my energy, my creativity, and a deeper sense of meaning I couldn’t ignore.
Like you, I’m ambitious, driven, and wired to achieve, but I’ve learned that real success is found where purpose and personal fulfilment meet. When I began exploring alternative paths, everything shifted — and with my first step toward a life aligned with my values, that long-lost sense of purpose returned in full colour.
If you’d like more help working out how to find your next step on your own path to your dream career, click below to sign up for my 5-Day Email Series series that gives you the steps you can start today.
What Are Non-Traditional Career Paths?
Non-traditional career paths are ways of earning a living outside the standard 9–5 model. These paths aren’t just about making money; they’re about building something that reflects your values, uses your unique voice, and gives you control over your time and energy.
Low-Risk, Start-While-You-Work Options
If you’re curious but not ready to leap, these ideas let you build momentum while keeping your current paycheck. They’re designed to test the waters without taking on unnecessary risk.
- Freelancing in your existing skillset – Writing, design, admin, tech, marketing, finance, or HR. Start with one small client after hours.
- Specialised consulting – Offer niche expertise, like workflow automation, grant writing, or sustainability strategy.
- Virtual assistant or project coordinator – Support busy founders, creatives, or coaches with the work they can’t get to.
- Micro-learning instructor – Create short, skill-based lessons for platforms like Skillshare or Udemy.
- Curated resource newsletters – Share valuable tools, trends, or tips in a niche and monetise through sponsorships.
- Affiliate marketing with a twist – Choose a narrow interest (e.g., eco-home gadgets, ethical fashion) and become a trusted go-to reviewer.
- Etsy or Notion template shop – Sell digital downloads like planners, brand kits, or habit trackers.
- Pop-up offers to test an idea – Launch a 30-day challenge or service to gauge interest without committing long-term.
If You Crave Meaning & Purpose
If your soul is tired of work that feels empty, consider these paths that align with your values and desire for impact:
- Impact-driven freelance work – Take on projects with nonprofits, ethical brands, or community groups.
- Peer mentoring circles – Create safe spaces for people navigating the same challenges you’ve already overcome.
- Therapeutic or creative workshops – Run journaling retreats, expressive dance classes, or writing-for-healing groups.
- Mission-led product business – Sell products that give back, like “buy one, donate one” models.
- Advocacy content creator – Educate on causes you care about via TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.
- Wellness practitioner – Train in breathwork, ice bath therapy, mindfulness coaching, or herbal medicine.
- Community-led membership site – Bring together like-minded people for shared growth and accountability.
If You Crave Freedom & Flexibility
If you want to escape fixed schedules and office politics, these options are built for autonomy:
- Remote-first tech roles – UX writing, data analysis, customer success, or QA testing, many open to global talent.
- Digital nomad micro-jobs – Podcast editing, transcription, social media scheduling, or content repurposing.
- Niche online business – Build around your personal story, such as helping career changers, pet lovers, or eco-conscious families.
- Independent media platforms – Launch a Substack, Patreon, or niche podcast and monetise through your audience.
- Startup contractor roles – Many early-stage companies hire for short-term, remote projects.
- Work in “seasons” – Alternate focused freelance periods with travel or personal pursuits.
- Marketplace-based services – Offer hyper-specific skills on Fiverr or Upwork, like AI prompt-writing or vintage photo restoration.
The beauty of these paths is that they can start as small side projects and grow at your pace. You don’t have to follow someone else’s blueprint — you get to design the kind of work that lets you live, create, and contribute in ways that feel true to you.
Why Non-Traditional Career Paths Feel So Different
Non-traditional career paths aren’t just about finding a new way to earn a living — they’re about quietly reclaiming the parts of yourself that have been buried under years of doing what was expected. They offer a way to step away from the rules and rhythms of mainstream employment and build a life that reflects not only your values, but also the deeper drives you may have never fully acknowledged.
Here’s what sets them apart:
They Let You Work In A Way That Feels Like You
Imagine saying yes only to projects you actually care about — the kind that make people lean in when you talk about them. You’re no longer forcing yourself into someone else’s job description. You choose the rooms you walk into, and sometimes, you create a new room altogether — one that feels like home from the moment you step in.
They Put You In The Driver’s Seat
Instead of waiting for permission, you decide what gets made, how it’s done, and who gets to be part of it. Picture leading a project where your ideas set the tone, your name carries weight, and your standards shape the outcome. You see your vision taking form exactly as you imagined — and others recognising it came from you.
They Give You Space To Experiment Without Burning The Bridge Behind You
You can keep your current role while trying something bold on the side — like launching a one-month challenge, creating a paid mini-course, or testing a high-end service for a select few. There’s a thrill in doing something different, especially when it’s on your terms and no one else is calling the shots.
They Let Your Work Carry Weight
Whether you’re running a small workshop that leaves people buzzing with new ideas or creating content that sparks a conversation in circles you respect, your work gets noticed. It’s remembered. It changes something for the people who encounter it. That sense of impact becomes addictive — not because you’re chasing applause, but because it feels good to know you’ve moved the needle.
They Return Your Time, Energy, And Freedom To You
Remote, freelance, and project-based work puts the rhythm of your days back in your hands. You decide when to focus, when to rest, and when to disappear from the noise for a while. You can take a long mid-week lunch, spend an afternoon learning something just because you want to, or fly somewhere new on short notice. You start living as if your life is yours again — and it is.
For thoughtful, ambitious professionals who feel stifled by corporate life, these paths aren’t just a way to make a living. They’re a quiet rebellion, a chance to be seen and valued for what you really bring to the table — and to wake up knowing your work is an unapologetic expression of who you are.
Pros & Cons of Non Traditional Career Paths
Pros:
- Aligns work with your values and passions
- Multiple income streams can increase financial resilience
- Can be started part-time alongside a full-time job
- Fosters creativity, autonomy, and personal growth
- Flexibility in schedule and location - ability to reclaim lifestyle freedom
Cons:
- Less predictability, especially at the start
- The learning curve can feel steep initially
- Requires self-discipline, proactive planning and patience
- Often demands learning new skills or adapting old ones
- Emotional resistance (like fear of judgment or failure) is real—but manageable with support
If you're starting to realise there are more possibilities to be explored beyond the career that's no longer serving your personal and spiritual needs, this might be your call to act on your dissatisfaction and take your first, small step toward a more fulfilling future.
My Story
Graduating With High Hopes
By the end of 2024, I had spent 7 years slogging away in the South Australian healthcare system as an Occupational Therapist. While I graduated proud, spritely and ambitious, my rose-tinted verve faded away very quickly the longer I worked in the system.
Between working with bureaucratic government systems, corporate office cultures, jaded colleagues, and clients who didn’t always want or appreciate my help – I noticed my inner spark fading, and I started wondering if everyone secretly felt this way and just kept going.
Disillusioned, But Still Searching
I changed companies several times thinking the issue was the workplace. Each time I traded up – better bosses, better company cultures, better teammates. However, no matter where I went I was chased by the relentless feeling that I wasn’t living my purpose.
While I was doing everything I could to salvage the career I’d invested so much time and energy into, I was coming to terms with the fact that I needed to make a more drastic change.
Carving a New Path
When I found an online program that introduced me to the education and tools I needed to build a purpose-driven online business—some intuitive urge inside recognised it as a real opportunity to reconnect with my voice, my message, and my desire to build something real.
The learning curve was intimidating, I was starting from scratch and re-skilling in an area I didn’t feel confident in – all the tech and online know-how was off-putting for someone with no social media at all. But I knew my only alternative was to stay on the path that wasn’t making me happy, so I kept going.
A few months later and I had built my own website, completed a life coaching certification and was on the path of finding my voice and my message. While the outcome keeps evolving, the process is always creative – always asking me to tap into what’s true and build from there.
If you want to understand the steps to finding your path to a career where you love what you do, click below for my 5-Day email series that shares actionable tips, insight from my own journey, and different ways to get started.
What's Your Next Step?
Exploring non-traditional career paths is not for the faint of heart. In fact it can be full of challenges and setbacks. The key is in realising this unconventional journey is the thing that can lead to the personal growth, and the outcomes and rewards you're actually craving in your career.
If you're looking for a way to reclaim your voice, your creativity, and your sense of why, I've created a free 5-Day Email Series which can help you work out your next step toward having a career where you truly love what you do.
Day #1: How to gain clarity on what's missing in your current career - What's causing the disconnect from your sense of fulfillment?
Day #2: Ideas on alternative paths you can explore that let's you dip your toe into the world of non-traditional career paths.
Day #3: How to connect to your inner creator - start discovering your voice and unique message.
Day #4: Strategies for how you can explore alternative paths without quitting your job overnight, but building slowly and safely on the side.
Day #5: How to work out the next step that will work for YOU, so you can stop dreaming and start taking action!
This free 5-day email series will help you explore a new direction—with grounded, real-world support from someone who's been where you are.