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How to Transcend Being Stuck in Your Career

The good news is that feeling stuck means you’re not in survival mode. When you’re focused only on surviving, you’re not very picky. The bad news is that when money is no longer a primary motivator, it’s not always obvious what the core issue is that is blocking your job satisfaction. The anxiety, frustration, and crankiness that accompany feeling stuck can be indicators that you must do something to get unstuck. If you don’t, illness and even depression could be next.  

General unhappiness – Happiness is often fleeting. I believe people require a deeper sense of joy and peace that is more permanent. For example, the long commute to work or the negative energy of co-workers could certainly contribute to a lack of happiness at work. But if a person feels valued and is able to develop or utilize all of their natural strengths or be true to their psychological type, they may feel a deeper sense of enjoyment in their work.

Lack of Confidence – Sometimes what is standing in the way of feeling joy at work is the lack of confidence to deal with a difficult boss or co-worker or to ask for the professional development, raise or promotion you want. This can leave you feeling disempowered and helpless because there’s a gap between your current situation and where you want to be and you don’t know how to resolve it. Many of us have authority complexes. All the boss has to say innocently is “Can you come into my office?” and our palms start sweating and we feel like little children waiting to be scolded by our father. Many of us also have a tendency to avoid conflict instead of facing it head on.

What about my passion? – There is a strong message out there to follow your bliss and only do work you’re passionate about. Of course, this has to be balanced with earning the money you need to pay the bills. I believe that making sure that some amount of time is devoted every day to what you’re passionate about, even if it doesn’t generate money, it can help bring joy to your life.

Getting Unstuck

I have found that the path to getting unstuck goes hand in hand with getting to know yourself. Here are some ways to accomplish that challenge and build your personal insight and self-awareness:

Learn about your natural strengths and then consider whether you are able to develop and utilize them in your current role. A great resource for this is called “Clifton Strengths”.

Consider your psychological type and whether you are able to be your natural self in your current role and work environment. I recommend using Meyers-Briggs to help discern between your personality characteristics and a job that compliments those or not.

Dig Into Your Complexes. The foundation of how you relate to people and to the world was laid down in childhood. Even if you had a wonderful childhood, you may have developed ways of relating to others that might be getting in the way now. Deference and extreme admiration of your father may have translated to an inability to question authority, even when it is necessary. An unintended message of perfection may have turned into a self-imposed glass ceiling. Being eternally optimistic may have become a denial of reality and a feeling of being on a hamster wheel, expecting a different result without taking a different action. Just another way people find themselves stuck.

However you got to your “stuck” place, there is a way out through thoughtful insight and healthy decision-making and action. Your life’s work is too important to stand idly by.

Deborah Lukovich is an expert in depth psychology and is hosting an Art of Careers Workshop on Monday, April 22nd at 6:30pm. Explore the new path you could take within your career by joining us.