Have you ever found yourself lost in a daydream, picturing yourself acing that upcoming promotion and finally becoming the leader you were meant to be? Or perhaps you’ve envisioned yourself bravely quitting your current job to pursue your true passions and live your dream life? Maybe you’ve even imagined switching career paths entirely, embarking on a journey that truly ignites your happiness?
Then, reality hits. You’re back in your current role, not quite living that dream, and perhaps feeling far from happy in your present career trajectory.
Over the years, I’ve encountered countless individuals who express feeling trapped in their careers. They know a change is needed to unlock their happiness and break free, but they often lack the confidence to take that initial leap. My mission is to ensure that no one remains stuck in a career due to prolonged hesitation or a fleeting lack of courage.
Consider Vera, who embodies this feeling of career stagnation.
She had dedicated 17 years to the same role, starting young and quickly climbing the ladder. While outwardly successful and admired by her peers, Vera felt a deep sense of boredom, restlessness, and an inexplicable void. She couldn’t quite articulate the precise reason, but she knew she wasn’t fulfilling her true potential. She felt stuck and unsure of how to move forward.
Does this resonate with you? If so, continue reading to discover actionable strategies to escape career stagnation, break free from limitations, and ultimately thrive in your professional life. And if you stay with me until the end, I’ll share the inspiring conclusion of Vera’s story.
Here are my top ten tips to help you become unstuck, liberate yourself, and achieve greater fulfillment in your career.
1. Schedule Dedicated “Thinking Time” for Yourself
If you’re experiencing feelings of being stuck, frustrated, or dissatisfied with your career’s direction, the crucial first step is to understand why.
Perhaps you drifted into your current career path without conscious planning, and haven’t dedicated time to thoughtfully consider your passions, desired career trajectory, and how to get there.
Prioritizing time for introspection is the initial action needed to break free from feeling stuck and start progressing. Block out time in your schedule for an uninterrupted meeting with yourself. This is your dedicated thinking time.
Reflect on what truly brings you joy at work, what aspects are draining, and where you envision your career heading. Outline concrete steps to steer your career in a direction that aligns with your aspirations.
For instance, explore relevant training opportunities, evening courses, or online learning platforms. Have you considered seeking guidance from a mentor to accelerate your progress?
By scheduling this dedicated “meeting with yourself” – one of my clients humorously refers to it as her ‘meeting with Marvin’, inspired by the brilliant yet melancholic android from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – you signal its importance to yourself and your colleagues. It also safeguards this precious time slot from being filled with other meetings.
2. Nurture Your Professional Network Before You Need It
In career advancement, who you know often outweighs what you know. Don’t wait until you feel trapped in your career to start expanding your network. Begin building and nurturing it now.
Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, highlights that you are significantly (58%) more likely to find a new job through your weak ties than your strong ones. Your strong ties are those within your close circle, whom you interact with frequently. Weak ties are acquaintances or friends of friends. They operate in different circles, connect with diverse individuals, and are more likely to expose you to fresh and unexpected opportunities.[^1]
When I was in the initial stages of establishing my company, Lucidity, I made it a point to attend every relevant networking event. I engaged in countless coffee conversations with a wide range of people to understand their work, seek advice, identify their challenges, and explore potential collaborations and connections.
This proactive networking proved invaluable. When I launched my business, I informed my network about how I could assist them, and soon, I secured my first clients.
Actively cultivate and nurture your networks, focusing on how you can provide value to others. This is where your next career opportunity is most likely to emerge.
3. Surround Yourself with Individuals Who Inspire You
According to Tim Ferriss, ‘You are the average of the five people you most associate with.’ The people we surround ourselves with significantly influence our mindset and actions, and these associations can shift depending on our current goals and aspirations.[^2]
For example, if you aim to improve your fitness, spending time with individuals who are passionate about exercise will naturally motivate and encourage you to elevate your own fitness game.
Similarly, if you aspire to a promotion, a career change, or launching your own business, seek out individuals who are already excelling in those areas. They possess invaluable insights into breaking free and achieving success, and they will inspire you to raise your own standards and performance.
4. Develop Your Personal Brand with Intention
Jeff Bezos famously defined personal brand as ‘what people say about you when you’re not in the room.’ People will inevitably talk about you, so it’s wise to be deliberate about shaping the narrative you want them to convey!
Your personal brand is not about fabricating a persona or pretending to be someone you’re not. It’s about showcasing the best, authentic version of yourself. It’s about recognizing your strengths and consciously shaping how you want to be perceived by others.
What do you want to be recognized for? By consciously considering how you present yourself and clarifying your career aspirations, you significantly increase your chances of attracting relevant and desirable opportunities.
Once you’ve thoughtfully considered your personal brand, ensure it’s reflected in your online presence. Is your LinkedIn profile current and compelling? If you don’t have one, create one. Make sure it effectively communicates your professional identity and is consistent with your other social media profiles.
Consider exploring resources like “5 Steps to Master Networking Skills and Perfect Your Personal Branding” for further guidance.
5. Embrace Accountability to Drive Progress
Accelerate your career goals, foster growth, and enhance learning by making yourself accountable. Share your goals and timelines with others and enlist their support in holding you accountable.
For example, you might aim to secure a promotion by the year’s end, decide on a target industry for a career change by the end of the month, or develop a concrete new business idea before your next payday. Whatever your ambitions, share them with a trusted friend, colleague, mentor, or mastermind group.
When we articulate our goals and intentions to others, they become our accountability partners. This external accountability significantly increases our likelihood of making faster progress and staying committed to our objectives.
6. Ensure Your Values Align with Your Company’s Culture
All the professional development, goal setting, and networking in the world won’t bring you career happiness if you’re working for an organization whose core values fundamentally clash with your own.
Reflect on what truly matters to you in a job. For instance, does your company’s product or service contribute positively to people’s lives? Are you deeply aligned with your company’s ethical standards and commitment to social responsibility? Does the company culture foster an environment where employees can be authentic and thrive? Or perhaps flexible work arrangements and generous vacation policies for employees with families are priorities for you?
Some companies prioritize employee well-being as a core business principle, while others prioritize profits above all else. If you perceive a disconnect between your personal values and your employer’s core values, it could be a significant contributing factor to feelings of being stuck and unhappy.
It’s crucial to analyze this potential misalignment and determine if the issue lies with the specific job role itself, or if it’s a broader issue related to the organization or industry you’re in.
7. Venture Outside of Your Comfort Zone Incrementally
Your comfort zone represents your safe and familiar space. However, for any meaningful change or growth to occur, you must intentionally step outside of it.
It’s inherently easier to maintain the status quo and continue grumbling about career stagnation than to confront the fear of the unknown associated with change. Human nature often leads us to tolerate the familiar discomfort of the “devil we know” rather than risk encountering a potentially worse “devil we don’t.”
This holds true even when the “devil we know” is a boring, unfulfilling job. We are wired to perceive change as potentially leading to a less desirable outcome.
If you feel stuck, it might be that fear and a lack of confidence are holding you back.
To progress in your career, start taking small, manageable steps outside your comfort zone. Identify the specific fears that are preventing you from making a change. Then, address those fears through gradual exposure and action.
For example, if you recognize that advancing to your desired role requires public speaking, but public speaking terrifies you, start small to build confidence. Begin by speaking up more in team meetings, and progressively increase your exposure to public speaking situations.
You might also consider establishing or joining a group dedicated to comfort zone challenges. One of my clients, recognizing that a lack of confidence was hindering her team’s progress, created a ‘get out of your comfort zone club.’ In this supportive environment, team members challenge and encourage each other to regularly step outside their comfort zones.
They’ve experienced significant personal and professional growth, tackling diverse challenges ranging from public speaking and presenting to trying new foods and taking on complex projects.
8. Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity
Failure is an inherent part of life and the learning process. A New York University study revealed that toddlers learning to walk average 2,368 steps and fall 17 times per hour.[^3]
The reality is that we rarely get things perfect on the first attempt. We encounter failures, we learn from them, we recover, and we try again.
In my experience, while the concept of learning from failure is widely accepted in theory, openly embracing and discussing failures to facilitate personal growth is often much more challenging in practice.
We naturally dislike admitting failure. We often have a “fight or flight” response to it. It’s a common initial reaction to wonder, ‘Can I get away with it if I don’t tell anyone?’ We fear criticism, losing face in front of peers, managers, or subordinates, and even potential job loss due to perceived failures.
However, if we are committed to progressing in our careers, breaking free from stagnation, and achieving our goals, we must cultivate a mindset that embraces learning from failure.
Reframe failure by viewing every endeavor as a test. In a test, there are no absolute failures – you simply gain valuable data about what worked and what didn’t. Think of Thomas Edison’s approach to inventing the lightbulb, when he famously said, ‘I’ve not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’
9. Cultivate Resilience for Career Longevity
Resilience is the ability to navigate challenges and setbacks effectively, to bounce back from adversity, regroup, and persevere.
Breaking free from career stagnation, pursuing a different path, and achieving your desired outcomes inevitably requires resilience. Resilience also encompasses the capacity to consciously choose your responses to unexpected life events and to adapt and thrive amidst constant change.
Given the rapidly evolving world we live in, where uncertainty is the only constant, adaptability and resilience are essential life skills and invaluable career assets.
In her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth’s research demonstrates that perseverance consistently outperforms talent when it comes to predicting success. You can also assess your own level of grit using the Grit Scale.
To delve deeper into developing resilience, explore resources like “What Is Resilience and How to Always Be Resilient (Step-By-Step Guide).”
10. Don’t Hesitate to Seek Support and Help
Asking for help can be challenging, as it can make us feel vulnerable.
No one individual possesses all the answers or expertise. That’s why building a support network of people we can turn to for help is essential. These individuals can provide support during setbacks, offer guidance, and also celebrate our successes.
My advice is to proactively create your personal support network. A helpful tool for this is called a ‘Me Map.’ Here’s how to create one:
How to Build Your “Me Map”
- Identify Your Support Needs: Write down all the areas where you might require support. This could include career progression, interview preparation, networking, business plan development, learning from failures, etc.
- Map Your Support Network: Next to each area, list the names of individuals you currently turn to or could potentially turn to for support in that specific area.
- Connect and Nurture Relationships: Make a conscious effort to connect and regularly engage with these individuals in your support network.
Final Thoughts: Vera Wang’s Inspiring Career Transformation
Remember Vera, who felt stuck in her career? After 17 years as an Editor at Vogue, she made a bold career pivot and joined luxury fashion designer Ralph Lauren for two years. Then, at the age of 40, she resigned to pursue her passion and became an independent bridal wear designer.
That’s right, I’m referring to Vera Wang, one of the world’s most influential bridal wear designers.
If Vera had ignored her inner voice urging her to switch careers and break free, if she had remained within her comfort zone, or allowed the fear of failure to paralyze her, she would have missed the opportunity to fulfill her true purpose and share her extraordinary design talent with the world.
You too can break free from career stagnation and cultivate happiness in your professional life by implementing the tips outlined in this article. Start small by incorporating three new strategies into your routine this week, and gradually add more as your comfort zone expands and your capacity grows.
Remember, regardless of how stuck you may currently feel, it’s never too late to initiate change and create a career that truly aligns with your desires and aspirations.
Join the Lucidity Network Community
The Lucidity Network is a supportive community designed to empower individuals who feel stuck in their work life to break free, gain clarity, and build careers that bring them genuine happiness and fulfillment.
The Lucidity Network fosters a generous and collaborative environment where members support each other in achieving career happiness. Members gain access to regularly updated training materials, expert-led webinars, group coaching sessions, a business book club, and mastermind groups. All of these resources within the Lucidity Network are designed to address the 10 points discussed above, helping you get unstuck, take control of your career, and create a work life that is a source of joy and purpose. Don’t miss the opportunity to shape your work life into the fulfilling and happy place you deserve. For more information and to join the Lucidity Network click here.
A version of this blog was originally published by our partners at Lifehack.
[^1]: Grant, A. (2013). Give and take: Why helping others drives our success. Penguin.
[^2]: Ferriss, T. (2010). The 4-hour body: An uncommon guide to rapid fat-loss, incredible sex, and becoming superhuman. Crown Archetype.
[^3]: Adolph, K. E., Vereijken, B., & Denny, S. (2012). Learning to walk. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21(4), 260-266.
