Elena Agafonova

Coach | Author | Happiness Explorer 🌱

Letters of Change A weekly space for happiness, self-trust & the art of living well Let’s begin gently

Hello and welcome, Reader!

Not every career change begins with a decision.

It comes from an ending.

A restructuring.
A reorganization.
A conversation you didn’t expect to have that day.

And suddenly, what felt stable is no longer there.

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Uncertainty and Relief

For some, this moment brings shock.

For others, something more layered.

One of my clients, a senior executive in a large financial organization, had been working under constant pressure for years. Long hours, high responsibility, very little space to step back.

When the company went through a merger, his role was eliminated.

He didn’t expect it to happen so abruptly.

And yet, when it did, his first reaction wasn’t panic.

It was relief.

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The Space That Follows

For the first time in years, his calendar was empty.

No early meetings.
No late calls.
No constant decision-making.

He had time with his family. Time to rest. Time to think.

At first, it felt like freedom.

But after a few weeks, the feeling began to shift.

Without the structure he had relied on for so long, a different question surfaced:

What now?

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Why This Space Can Feel Difficult

We often assume that once a role ends, clarity will follow.

That time and space will naturally lead to direction.

In reality, open space can feel disorienting.

There is no clear path.
No defined expectations.
No immediate next step.

Only possibilities.

And without clarity, possibilities can feel overwhelming rather than inspiring.

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The Urge to Move Quickly

This is where many people begin to act fast.

In my client's case, the first weeks were full of energy.

He took time to rest with his family, and then ideas started to appear.

• He joined two startups, drawn to their pace and sense of innovation.
• He learned new tools, exploring no-code development to expand his skill set.
• At one point, he seriously considered buying a café franchise, imagining the freedom of running his own business.

Each option seemed promising at first.

But the feeling didn’t last.

The initial excitement faded quickly.
None of these directions held his attention for long or gave him a sense of stability.

And after a while, a different realization began to form.

Movement, on its own, was not enough.

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This part of the journey is often less visible from the outside.

If you’d like to read the full story behind this transition, I’ve shared this chapter here.

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A Different Starting Point

For my client, the turning point came later.

Not from the first ideas he explored.

But from a shift in the questions he was asking.

Instead of focusing on what he could do next, he paused and asked:

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From Movement to Direction

That question changed the way he approached everything.

The focus moved inward.

From options to priorities.

From activity to direction.

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In many midlife transitions, this is where the real work begins.

It's not about reacting to what ended, but understanding what should begin.

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You may recognize this moment in your own way.

The ending of a chapter isn't always obvious.

Rather, it is a point where what used to define your days is no longer present.

And the next step has not yet taken shape.

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How do you relate to that space?

Do you try to fill it quickly?
Or give it time to show you something first?

Warmly,

Elena