The Career Myths That Are Keeping You Stuck (And How Running Taught Me to Break Them)
Running is good for your knees.
With a regular running practice, it can strengthen your knee joints and can protect against developing osteoarthritis in later life.
There are studies upon studies that show this to be true.
And yet, the myth of running being bad for your knees is persistent, maybe among those who don't run.
The Career Myths That Keep Us Stuck
The same principle that applies to running myths applies to the career beliefs we've never questioned. You already have the wisdom to see through these myths—you just need permission to trust what you know.
When I was at the Wall Street Journal, I carried a collection of career myths like stones in my pockets. "Journalists can't transition to other fields." "Starting over at 40 means losing your credibility." "Real professionals stay the course." These weren't just thoughts—they were chains that kept me tethered to a desk when my soul was already halfway out the door.
The thing about myths is they feel like protection, like a warm blanket. They give us reasons to stay still when movement feels risky. But here's what my running practice taught me: The very thing we think will hurt us often becomes our source of strength.
What Happens When You Test the Myths
Think about this: Every professional who successfully pivoted their career started by questioning one "truth" they'd accepted. They didn't overthrow their entire belief system overnight. They just tested one assumption.
Which of these myths sounds most familiar to you?
The myth: "You can't leave after 40." The reality: Your experience becomes your differentiator, not your deficit—those 20 years are your competitive advantage, not your burden.
The myth: "Starting over means losing everything." The reality: You carry every skill, every connection, every lesson forward—your foundation travels with you, making you stronger in the new space, not weaker.
The myth: "Following passion doesn't pay." The reality: Alignment between purpose and work creates sustainable success. When you care about the outcome, excellence becomes natural and opportunities find you.
The myth: "Loyalty gets rewarded." The reality: Strategic moves often accelerate growth more than tenure. While you wait for recognition at your current job, someone else just negotiated a 30% increase by switching companies.
What's interesting is how these myths persist most strongly among people who've never tested them—just like those who warn about running destroying your knees are rarely runners themselves.
Building Career Confidence Like Training for a Race
When I started training for my half marathon this summer, I discovered something interesting about career myths and running myths—they kinda share the same DNA. The people most convinced that running destroys knees? They're rarely runnersthemselves. The professionals most certain that career change is impossible after 40? They're usually watching from the safety of jobs they've never left.
Think about the warnings that float around every workplace. "Stay safe." "Don't rock the boat." "Be grateful for what you have." These aren't necessarily coming from people who've tested the alternatives. They're often projecting their own untested fears, disguising caution as wisdom.
Here's what actually can happen when you start challenging career myths:
Your network grows because you're having more interesting conversations
Your skills become more valuable because you see their transferability
Your confidence blooms because you're writing your own story
Your possibilities multiply because you're no longer limited by old narratives
Your Next Small Step
You don't have to revolutionize your entire career tomorrow. Start with one myth that's been whispering (or shouting) in your ear. Maybe it's "I'm too specialized to change fields" or "Good jobs don't exist anymore" or "I should be grateful and stop wanting more."
Find one person who's proven that myth wrong. Not a celebrity success story, but someone real, and someone accessible. Shoot them a note and ask what actually happened when they challenged that belief. Listen to what surprised them. Notice what became possible.
Then take one small step to test it yourself. Update your LinkedIn with skills you thought didn't count. Have one coffee with someone in a field you're curious about. Write one page in your journal about what you'd do if that myth weren't true.
Just like my knees got stronger with each training run—not weaker—your career confidence builds when you challenge what's "always been true."
What career "truth" have you accepted without testing? What would you do differently if you discovered it was just a myth?
I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach specializing in helping mid-stage professionals gain clarity on their career journey. I’ve written a guide on how to escape the work hamster wheel. Click here to download yours.