Professionals across the career spectrum have moments where they fear they’re already obsolete, or becoming so. Different than the occasional bout of self-doubt, fearing obsolescence means we fundamentally question our professional significance. When we over-indulge the fear, it creates cognitive distortions of ourselves, others, and our environment that can bring us to the worst versions of ourselves. Whether you’re early in your career and facing a lifetime of technological and economic disruption, or later in your career and questioning your future relevance to the world, feelings of obsolescence don’t have to mire you in fear or futility. The question isn’t how to avoid these feelings, but rather how to spot evidence you’re having them and address them in healthy, honest ways.
