Why smart people stay stuck in their careers

I talked about the biggest misconception I see — people believing credentials like the CFA, MBA or a “target school” will do the hard work for them.

They wait for the perfect time, the perfect title, the perfect piece of paper — and end up waiting forever.

But even for those who do move, there’s another trap that kills careers just as fast:not having a clear plan.

And this is something I see everywhere, not just in finance.

People plan their vacations better than they plan their careers.

They’ll spend weeks comparing hotels, researching restaurants, and mapping out itineraries — but when it comes to the next 5 years of their life, it’s… vague.

Just “something in finance.”

Just “something better than now.”

That’s not a goal — that’s a wish.

The truth is: everything in finance is achievable — six-figure roles, big-name firms, front-office opportunities — but not without a plan.

You don’t need to have it all figured out.

You just need direction, sequence, and strategy — a simple roadmap that tells you exactly what to do next and what not to waste time on.

Because when you don’t have that, everything feels random and difficult to do.

You end up applying to 50 roles that don’t match your skillset, over-preparing for interviews that aren’t aligned, or obsessing over another certification that won’t move the needle.

That’s not ambition and that’s not hard work — that’s chaos.

There’s a quote from Warren Buffett I always come back to:

“An idiot with a plan can beat a genius without one.”

And it’s true.

Even a simple plan executed well beats the smartest person who never decides what they actually want and how they are going to achieve it.

Because once you know your goal, the rest becomes logic:

• Which exact roles match your background?

• What skills are missing to be the “perfect candidate”?

• What’s the shortest path to get there?

And only then - the hard work starts… (but if the plan is crystal clear - maybe the work is going to be not that hard?…)

So, even if you know nothing about careers in finance, I encourage you to build a plan.

If you are a Charter Mastery student - you know that’s already covered, if you’re not - go to Google, go to my Youtube channel, go to ChatGPT - and just build a plan.

Even a simple one.

I promise, it’ll be worth it.

And as you know, the biggest element of your plan - is the clear goal itself, and this is something I’ll cover in my next message soon, so stay tuned.