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CA warns: Too much stability can cost you your career and make risk feel immoral. Here's why
ET Online | February 1, 2026 11:38 AM CST

Synopsis

CA Abhishek Walia argues that an excessive pursuit of stability early in a career can hinder long-term growth. This over-emphasis on safety can lead to skill stagnation, reduced options, and a fear of necessary risks, ultimately resulting in a plateaued career. He suggests that some early-career instability can actually foster faster learning and adaptability, building valuable momentum.

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According to CA stability feels comforting on the surface and gives the illusion of control and progress. (Istock- representative image)

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Stability is often sold as the ultimate life goal. A secure job, steady income, safe investments, and a predictable routine are seen as signs of success and responsibility. But CA Abhishek Walia believes this obsession with stability may be quietly hurting careers in the long run. In a recent LinkedIn post, he explained how chasing too much safety too early can slow growth, reduce options, and make even small career risks feel wrong, eventually leading to stagnation that many people don’t see coming.

Stability to over-stability

According to CA Abhishek Walia, stability feels comforting on the surface. It gives the illusion of control and progress. But the problem begins when stability turns into over-stability. When people feel too secure, they often stop pushing themselves. Skills stop getting upgraded. New roles stop being explored. Small career bets that could open future doors are avoided. Learning uncomfortable or unfamiliar things feels unnecessary, or worse, risky.

Overstability and risk

Walia points out that this mindset slowly changes how people view risk. Instead of seeing risk as a tool for growth, it starts to feel immoral or irresponsible. Staying put feels like the “right” thing to do, even when growth opportunities exist elsewhere. Over time, this leads to a dangerous outcome. Ten years later, many realise their income has plateaued, their skills are outdated, and their career options have quietly disappeared.




He stresses that some instability early in life is not something to fear. In fact, it is fertile. Early career uncertainty often pushes people to learn faster, adapt to change, and discover what they are truly capable of. Taking calculated risks, switching roles, experimenting with new skills, or stepping into uncomfortable spaces builds momentum that compounds over time.

CA Abhishek Walia’s core warning is simple but powerful. Too much safety, too soon doesn’t protect your future. It slowly kills momentum. Stability has its place, but when it becomes the only goal, it can quietly cost you the very growth and freedom you were trying to secure.


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