What to do if You Feel Stuck in Your Career
There's no one dimensional view to it; what it means to be stuck and what it feels like is going to vary, but for sure, it's an unpleasant place to be. The, somewhat, good news is that you're not going to be the only one experiencing it. In a study conducted by HR research firm, Workplace Intelligence and Oracle, it was found that, at least, 75% of employees, surveyed, felt stuck professionally.
Further, in the same study, 83% of persons claim that they are ready to make change, but 76% of them claim to face major obstacles in doing so. This underscores the necessity in being able to apply constructive mechanisms to become unstuck, and for this article, the focus will be on ways that are transformational, in nature, on the premise that the human element, tends to be more sustainable and permeates beyond the realm of its focus, into other areas of life.
Prevent it from spilling into your personal life
Feeling stuck in itself can be a distraction, taking your attention away from the people and things that really need you. In the aforementioned study, 70% of persons stated that the feeling of being stuck in their career has negatively affected their personal lives. With the added stress and anxiety that comes with feeling stuck, we are unable to function, psychologically, at full capacity, thus depriving the important people and things, in your life, of quality time with you.
You may find yourself feeling dissatisfied, confused and miserable because of your stuckness, but one of the ways around this is to make concerted efforts to be intentional about compartmentalization, where necessary to prevent the other areas of your life from suffering because of your professional conundrum.
Go easy on yourself
Despite the reason you’re stuck, an inwardly, compassionate stance, toward yourself, is an important and impactful approach toward becoming unstuck. It's moments like this where the voice of the inner critic is loudest and, at times, excessive.
Remember that becoming unstuck is a process. Remind yourself that trusting in that process will help to settle the mind's insecurities. Build yourself up by reflecting on your past victories, identifying what your strengths are and re-affirming that you are capable of navigating through this moment.
Take a proactive stance
Some questions to ponder here:
Where do I need to start, to create change?
Who do I need to be, to achieve the career I desire?
What's the next step that I need to take?
Further into being proactive, some impactful areas of focus, to becoming unstuck, can be looking at your goals; your action steps; ways to improve yourself, through self-evaluation and asking for help; understanding your value; and by tackling unhealthy, unsupportive thoughts.
A proactive stance also means that you create time to work on the steps that will help move you forward, and actively seeking new opportunities to transition beyond this space.
Challenge Yourself
You are not going to get unstuck by doing the same things that you were doing up until that point. It is going to take you being the most honest with yourself than you've ever been. It's a process that requires tenacity and the will to challenge your thinking, your narratives and your values. Are you really willing to call yourself out on the areas where you tend to slack off?
To challenge yourself means that you are ready to learn new ways and detach from previously held habits and conditioning. Further, challenging yourself shows up as acknowledging and accepting that you don't have all the answers. From this place, you will begin to receive direction and answers to the problem faced.