90. Stop Waiting For Permission

Episode 90: Stop Waiting for Permission

The Career Clinic Podcast

Host: Ronnie Dickerson Stewart

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Episode Overview

Welcome to Week Four — the final week — of The Career Clinic Podcast January Intensive Series.

This week brings together the core themes of the series: agency, design, decision-making, and forward movement.

In Episode 90, Ronnie names a pattern she sees repeatedly among capable, accomplished people: waiting for permission.
Permission to apply.
Permission to pivot.
Permission to leave.
Permission to want something different than what once made sense.

This episode is a grounded conversation about reclaiming agency, understanding the cost of waiting, and learning how to move forward with intention — even when certainty isn’t available.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why permission rarely arrives — especially later in your career
✔️ How “being prudent” quietly turns into self-delay
✔️ The difference between strategic patience and stalled movement
✔️ Why certainty almost never comes before action
✔️ How external validation slowly erodes leverage
✔️ What it looks like to design your next chapter on purpose

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Why We Wait for Permission

Ronnie breaks down common reasons people get stuck waiting:

• Wanting certainty before moving

• Seeking validation from others

• Believing there is a “right” way to want success

• Fear of undoing credibility already earned

• Feeling bound to past decisions

At a certain point, waiting stops being thoughtful — and starts limiting momentum.

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The Real Cost of Waiting

This episode names what waiting often costs:

Time
Time spent waiting is time not spent building toward what matters now.

Opportunity
Movement creates learning. Waiting delays it.

Leverage
The longer you wait, the more approval starts to matter.

Agency
Over time, waiting teaches you to defer your own judgment — and that’s hard to reverse.

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A Personal Story on Self-Permission

Ronnie shares her own experience leaving a successful corporate career to build OhHeyCoach — not impulsively, but intentionally.

She talks through:

• How long the decision took

• Why permission never came

• What planning actually looked like

• Why clarity followed action, not the other way around

The takeaway is practical: permission is something you give yourself — after thought, reflection, and design.

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How to Stop Waiting and Start Designing ✍🏾

1. Name the Permission You’re Waiting For
Be specific. Vague waiting is harder to move through.

2. Ask: “What Would I Do If I Already Had Permission?”
This question surfaces clarity quickly.

3. Design the Thing You’re Waiting On
Draft the role, the pivot, the next chapter — even if it’s rough.

4. Identify the First Two Steps
Not the full plan. Just the next right moves.

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What This Episode Is — and Isn’t

This is not a call to be reckless or impulsive.

It is a reminder that:

• Thoughtful decisions don’t require unanimous approval

• Readiness often follows movement

• You are allowed to evolve beyond old definitions

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What’s Coming Next

The next episode continues this theme with a focus on negotiation as self-advocacy — reframing negotiation as a life skill, not just a workplace tactic.

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Links & Resources 🤎

📩 Join the OhHeyMonday Newsletter
Weekly reflections, tools, and leadership guidance
👉🏾 www.ohheyjoin.com

📝 Ask OhHeyCoach
Submit a question for a future episode
👉🏾 https://form.typeform.com/to/ja89DHpT

🤝 Work With OhHeyCoach
Executive coaching, leadership development, and career design
👉🏾 www.ohheycoach.com

📬 Contact
[e-mail]

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Final Thought 🤎

You don’t need permission to think clearly, plan thoughtfully, or move forward with intention.

You are allowed to decide — and design — what’s next.

I’ll see you in the next episode. 🤎