The Hidden Reason You’re Resisting Your Next Professional Chapter (And How to Move Through It)
“I’m trying to grow, but something in me keeps pulling back.”
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If you're trying to evolve professionally, and feel resistance, you’re not alone.
Here’s what’s in store:
Why internal resistance is not self-sabotage
The identity threshold: what it is and why it matters
4 powerful strategies to work with resistance, not against it
Thought leadership tips for stepping into visibility with more clarity
Read Time: 5 minutes
Recently a woman in Italy reached out to me.
She wasn’t asking for tactics or tips.
She was asking something deeper:
“I’m trying to change my professional role… but I’m facing internal resistance.
Can you help me understand what’s happening, and how to move forward?”
I don’t work on career transitions in the traditional sense, but I do help people show up more fully and intentionally in their current or evolving role.
So this is a kind of question I receive often, in one form or another.
Not just from early-stage professionals, but also from:
From founders.
From consultants building personal brands.
From seasoned leaders repositioning themselves in new industries.
It’s not always about external strategy. Sometimes, it’s about what happens internally.
If you’re facing internal resistance, know that what you’re feeling is very human. When we move toward something new, like a different professional identity, it’s natural for some inner tension to show up. The key isn’t to fight it, but to understand where it’s coming from.
Let’s talk about what resistance really is.
Here’s what I told her, and what I tell my clients:
Internal resistance isn’t just a mindset issue.
Often it’s an identity threshold.
Changing your mindset alone often isn’t enough if you don’t also look at the deeper identity piece. In my experience, resistance usually comes from both, so it’s important to work on each if you want real growth.
Internal resistance is often a sign that your current sense of self bumps up against the next version you’re trying to become.
This tends to happen when you’re:
Building your thought leadership presence online
Transitioning into a new, more senior role
Trying to show up with more clarity and confidence in your industry
And just as you begin to rise… something contracts.
You second-guess yourself.
You procrastinate.
You stay vague.
You dim your own voice.
But here’s what I tell my clients:
💡 Resistance isn’t failure. It’s feedback.
💡 What looks like sabotage is often a protective mechanism.
Your mind and body are trying to keep you safe from perceived threats based on past experiences.
Your nervous system is wired to keep you safe. And anything new, like visibility, bold messaging, or claiming your space, can register as a threat, not just a change.
The result?
You feel stuck, even when you know it’s time to move.
Here’s how I guide clients through this phase:
1. Diagnose the resistance clearly
You can’t shift what you don’t name.
Start by asking:
What am I actually afraid of - judgment, rejection, loss of credibility?
Where do I feel tension: visibility, ownership, or impact?
Is the resistance a warning, or just discomfort?
Not all resistance is bad. But unexamined resistance becomes a block.
2. Create safety before you go big with visibility
Your nervous system needs to feel safe before you can really let yourself be seen. Not just by others, but by you too.
In my work, we build internal support first, then external strategy.
That might mean:
Practicing micro-messaging: short, low-risk posts to build confidence
Working with personal narratives: reshaping how you view your own story
Establishing new thought patterns that match the version of you you’re stepping into
Visibility without grounding can lead to burnout or silence.
3. Align how you see yourself with how you want to show up
Many professionals intellectually understand who they want to be…
but emotionally, they haven’t caught up. That gap is often where resistance lives.
So we do deep work to close it:
Getting clear on what they want to be known for
Spotting the old stories that conflict with that aspiration
Practicing how they show up, not just in words, but tone, posture, presence
Positioning is not just about how others see you.
It starts with giving yourself internal permission to grow into who you’re becoming.
4. Shift from performance to presence
The goal isn’t to fake confidence or leadership.
It’s to build real presence, so your message carries weight because it’s grounded in clarity, not just polish.
This is what changes how people see you, and how you see yourself.
Action Plan: Reframe Resistance Into Growth
Name the resistance. Write it down. Call it out.
Start small. Share something visible but low-risk.
Practice emotional alignment. Don’t just talk your message. Feel it.
Build internal safety rituals. Try breathwork, nervous system grounding, or body-based practices.
Linked And Lift Picks
📖 Book: The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest – on self-sabotage as a sign of transformation
🎧 Podcast: Unlocking Us with Brené Brown – episode on growing through discomfort
🧠 Quote: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl
Closing Thought
If you're growing professionally and finding that internal resistance keeps showing up, you're not alone.
It’s one of the most human things I see in my work.
But it’s also where the biggest transformation happens.
When resistance is met with curiosity instead of judgment, it stops being a block, and starts becoming a doorway.
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👉 If you’re stepping into this season:
What has helped you move through it, or where are you still feeling stuck?
👇 Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear your story.
And thank you for being a part of our Linked And Lift community!
Until next time,
Veronique Barrot
Founder, Linked And Lift
Coaching leaders to grow from the inside out.
Follow me on LinkedIn
P.S. If internal resistance is keeping you from showing up powerfully on LinkedIn, you’re not alone. That’s exactly where I started, and why I now help ambitious professionals.
I help ambitious, mission-driven female leaders like you, get clear on your positioning and messaging, and grow your presence on LinkedIn, in a way that’s strategic, sustainable, and aligned with who you are - so you can lead with clarity and confidence, and attract the right opportunities for you or your business.
✨ If you’d love more guidance on that journey, you’re welcome to apply.