ADVANCE PRAISE FOR
Youre Not Lost
Every young woman with a dream should read this book. Its a road map for anyone who feels stuck or doubts their abilities to make their future happen. Youre Not Lost provides you with the encouragement and step-by-step action plan to help you figure out what youre supposed to be doing and how to make it a reality!
A NN S HOKET, author of The Big Life and former editor in chief of Seventeen
Youre Not Lost is an encouraging and insightful guide to exploring the power of your own inner voice. Maxie invites readers to lean into their own innate wisdom and challenges them to rewrite their narrative about self-confidence. With thoughtful questions and inspired worksheets, this book will help you figure out how to take the next step, even when youre not feeling confident about whats next.
L ATHAM T HOMAS, womens wellness maven and bestselling author of Own Your Glow
I wish I had this book when I was in my twenties, but anyone going through a career transition will benefit from Maxies tell-it-like-it-is advice too. She reminds us that sometimes you need to start small, avoid getting overwhelmed by outside voices, stop chasing unrealistic goals, and focus on what matters most. Its a modern road map to a happier and more satisfying career path.
F RAN H AUSER, author of The Myth of the Nice Girl
Youre Not Lost is the pep talk you need when you have no idea whats next. With reminders that youve totally got this to worksheets that help you sort it all outMaxie gives you all the encouragement you need to feel inspired and ready to take on the world!
J ACLYN J OHNSON, CEO of Create & Cultivate and author of WorkParty
Whether youre totally lost about what you should do with your life or just slightly bewildered about next steps, Maxie McCoys book is packed with inventive and refreshing ideas to energize you and get you on your way.
K ATE W HITE, New York Timesbestselling author of The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success
THIS book is what I was missing earlier in my career! Dream careers are a wild journey, and the first definitive step to venturing forward on yours is ingesting a dose of Maxie-infused confidence. Youre Not Lost contains all the kick-self-doubt-to-the-curb tools you need to boldly stride forward to wherever your wildest hopes and unleashed ambitions ultimately lead you.
K ELLY H OEY, author of Build Your Dream Network
Maxie McCoy reminds us that confidence doesnt require control of circumstances, that climbing the ladder doesnt require us to stabilize it too, and that arriving at a worthwhile destination doesnt mean we have planned every detail of the travel itinerary in advance. We can go along for the ride, enjoy the journey, and cross bridges as we come to them, knowing that its not the luggage we carryeducation, credentialsbut we, ourselves, who are the difference makers.
W HITNEY J OHNSON, author of Disrupt Yourself and Build an A-Team
If youre looking for whats next, Youre Not Lost will help you figure that out. Full of exercises and worksheets, this is a guide for millennial women that will get you thinking about your future and believing in your ability to achieve it.
T INA W ELLS, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group and author of Chasing Youth Culture and Getting It Right
Everyone feels lost at some point, but not everyone knows what to do about it. Within the pages of Youre Not Lost, Maxie has given us a clear guide for dealing with those lost feelings. Focused squarely on reminding women of their power and encouraging them into action with memorable interviews, fresh advice, and fun worksheets, this is the perfect guidebook to figuring out whats next for you.
L AUREN M AILLIAN, author of The Path Redefined: Getting to the Top on Your Own Terms
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Copyright 2018 by Maxie McCoy
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Ebook ISBN 9780525504481
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To
The Real McCoys...
In a sky full of blessings, youre my brightest star.
Contents
Primer
Youre the one youve been waiting for.
B YRON K ATIE
I T MATTERS how things start.
So, I want you to know this before we begin. There is an escape route from this quicksand of confusion youre feeling, the one that threatens your ability to move forward. Even though it doesnt feel like it, there is. Whether its been months or years of meandering through the dark, I know that the daily search of Where the hell am I going? wears even the strongest woman thin. When youre constantly questioning where youre supposed to be and how the hell youre supposed to get there, the quicksand gets even quicker.
One thought multiplies itself like some virus until the bombardment of questions just wont stop:
Is this job the right one?
Did I make the right decision?
Why am I not farther along by now?
Why cant I find something that even halfway fulfills me?
Where should I put down roots and live?
Am I supposed to be doing this for the rest of my life?
Should I be doing something else? Or more?
Am I meant for anything worthwhile?
Will it always feel like this?
Will I ever get there? And where isthere?
Im so lost.
With each question and doubt, you struggle a bit more, further distancing yourself from the direction youre desperate for. When this happens, its easy to lose hope that youll ever find your way out and get back to knowing (or having some sense of it at least) that youre on the right track.
Wanting just a little bit of clarity about where life is going is not too much to ask.
This barrage of doubt often leaves you with But how did I get here? How can someone who has worked this hard and piled up a treasure chest of achievements... someone who took all the right classes... someone whos working hard to create a career (even if its sucking the soul right out of you)... someone who prides themselves on having it all together... feel so not together?
Because what youre feeling is normal. In fact, Im not sure Ive ever met someone who hasnt felt lost at some point. What you must remember in order to pull yourself out of that place of self-doubt sooner rather than later is that youre not alone. Which is hard to remember when everyone on Instagram seems like theyve got their shit