Feeling Stuck in your Career?

Often I hear from clients that come to see me is that they feel 'stuck'. They feel stuck in their job or career and they have no idea what to do about it.

I thought this would be a great topic to write about because it can happen to many of us...and not just in our career. But in other areas of our life as well. I'll focus on the work side of things but many of these ideas can be applied elsewhere.

1. First off, if you're feeling 'stuck', ask yourself what IS working now? I encourage you to write these thoughts down. Write all that you can think of about what IS working now.

Next, ask yourself what is NOT working now? Write all that you can think of.

 Part of feeling stuck is this overwhelming sense that you are in a routine and everything about it suddenly feels like it doesn't fit anymore. Or that NOTHING is working anymore. That usually isn't the case.

By asking yourself the above two questions, you may begin to notice that there ARE in fact things that ARE working for you in your situation.

This can bring another level of insight to your situation and may help you hone in on what the issue is.

2. Inject something new into your situation:

From simple things like adjusting your morning routine, eating lunch somewhere different (ie not at your desk), to using your lunch to meet with a colleague you'd like to get to know or someone from a different department. Or, spend time on a hobby or develop a new hobby after hours.

Injecting variety into your work day creates interest and mental stimulation that can get your brain firing differently. This helps provide you with different perspectives, creative thinking and adds spark to your day.

3. Have a conversation with your Manager:

If you've identified that you're feeling bored in your role or you simply need to be doing something different, but not ready to make a full role change, then maybe it's time to engage your manager. Don't go in saying your are bored or need change. Take the approach that you are interested in working on a new challenge. Ask if there are any projects coming up and share that you would be willing to support one.

Is there a part of the company you would like to learn more about? Ask your Manager if there's a contact in a different department that she/he could suggest you meet with to learn more about a particular function. Would she/he support a half day or a full day to job shadow that person?

Even if you aren't bored but just need a change in the work you do, this can be very effective in building new skills, developing a new perspective on the work you do and generally learn more about other areas of the business.

Feeling stuck can also mean that your intuition is telling you that the way things have been going is not the way they can stay for much longer. This doesn't always mean a career change or a job change is needed, it only means that something may need to shift for you in how you are approaching your work. It could be anything from a mental shift or it may require more action-taking.  The key is realizing you do have options and honing in on what the problem is can be half the battle.

I hope these ideas support you in getting 'un-stuck' and more in-sync with the work you do. 

I would love to hear your ideas about what has worked for you.

NOW is YOUR time.

Ariana

PS. If you'd like to explore how these ideas can help you in your business or career, I invite you to a Career Exploration consultation. We'll look at what you'd like from your work, what's standing in your way and your next best step to take to get you closer to your goal. Reach out to me at ariana@emergingoutcomes.com or book a complimentary consultation here.