You Spend 99% Working Your Job—But Only 1% on Your Career? Let’s Flip That.

🔁 Spoiler alert: That’s the fastest way to burnout and the slowest way to grow.
And I say that with love—because I’ve lived it.

30+ years in nursing. Multiple leadership roles. A doctorate. And yet, at one point, I was still asking myself...

“How am I working this hard and still feel behind?”

The answer?
Like so many professionals—especially in healthcare—I spent 90% of my time doing the job and barely 10% building the future.

And let’s be real: That 90/10 split keeps many nurses—and professionals of all kinds—stuck, burned out, and unseen.

Let’s talk about what it looks like to flip that script.

🚨 Your Job Pays the Bills. Your Career Builds Your Life.

A recent Forbes article (2024) dropped a powerful truth:

“High performers often confuse loyalty to their job with loyalty to their future. That’s a mistake.”

Let that sink in.
We’re showing up for patients, policies, and shifts—but not always for ourselves.

According to Black Enterprise (March 2025), career stagnation isn’t about laziness—it’s about a lack of strategy, support, and self-investment, especially in high-demand fields where we’ve been taught to "just be grateful to have a job."

But let me be clear:

Grind is not a growth plan. Hustle is not a vision. Loyalty is not a ladder.

📈 Want to Grow? Work On Your Career, Not Just In Your Job.

So what does that look like? I call it the Career CEO Mindset:

✅ Soft skills > technical skills alone
✅ Strategic networking > passive LinkedIn scrolling
✅ Coaching & mentorship > DIY confusion

A Business Weekly report (April 2025) showed that 92% of leaders prioritize soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking over credentials alone when making hiring or promotion decisions.

So if you’re wondering why you keep getting passed up despite working overtime—this might be your wake-up call.

🔁 3 Ways to Flip the 99/1 Career Equation

Here’s the simple truth: Your job was designed by someone else. You must design your career.

Let’s get into the how:

1. Upgrade Your Soft Skills

You don’t need another certification (yet).
You need influence. Presence. Clarity.

Whether you're a nurse, manager, or entrepreneur-in-the-making—soft skills are your power tools. Practice them. Polish them. Get feedback.

Action Step: Pick one soft skill this month to improve—whether it's storytelling, conflict resolution, or time management. Take a course or read a book. Grow it like your future depends on it.

2. Network Like a Career CEO

You are one relationship away from your next breakthrough.
But that won’t happen if your professional network only knows your job title, not your value.

Action Step: Start showing up on LinkedIn weekly. Engage. Post. Add value.
Join events. Build intentional relationships, not just connections.

3. Invest in a Coach or Mentor

Let me be real: You do not need more time. You need a better system.

You’ve done enough figuring-it-out-on-your-own.
It’s time to partner with someone who sees your blind spots and helps you move faster—with strategy and support.

Action Step: Find someone who’s already achieved what you desire. Pay for access. Value mentorship over trial and error.

🎯 Final Word: Stop Settling for Survival. Start Building Strategy.

If you feel like your career has stalled, it’s not because you lack potential—it’s because you’ve been too focused on execution, not elevation.

✅ You don’t need to wait for permission.
✅ You don’t need a fancy title.
✅ You need a plan, a tribe, and a push.

Ready to Shift From Job Mode to CEO Mode?

At Pivot RN Consulting, I help nurses and healthcare pros build strategic, sustainable careers that honor their purpose.

Because your work is sacred, but your future is not a side hustle.

Let’s normalize nurses (and professionals) who lead their careers like a business.
Because you weren’t born to stay stuck—you were born to pivot with purpose. 💼💥

#CareerDevelopment #NurseCoach #HealthcareLeadership #PivotRN #SoftSkillsMatter #CareerLikeABusiness #BlackEnterprise #Forbes #LinkedInGrowth #PurposeOverPressure #FromBedsideToBoardroom