By guest author Derek Goodman
Feeling stuck in your career can be frustrating and discouraging. You might be showing up, doing the work, and meeting expectations, yet still feel like nothing is moving forward. Whether it’s been months or years of this standstill, it’s possible to change direction and find new energy and momentum. Breathing life back into your career starts with recognizing where you are and believing that you can take control again.
Figure Out What’s Holding You Back
Before making any changes, take time to reflect on why your career feels stalled. Maybe you’re in an industry that offers limited advancement or your current employer doesn’t provide growth opportunities. A lack of motivation could also be a sign that you’re not doing something that aligns with your goals anymore. Or maybe your skillset hasn’t kept up with changes in your field, making it harder to compete for higher-level roles. Pinpointing the reasons helps you make smarter decisions moving forward.
Earn a Degree and Grow Your Career
Going back to school can give your career a serious push in the right direction. With online degree programs, you can study and improve your skills while still working. Earning a business management degree, for example, can help you build leadership, operations, and project management skills that open doors in a wide range of industries. To discover more about how education can change your path, explore programs that match your goals and interests.
Set Goals That Make Sense
Once you know what’s not working, map out where you’d like to go instead. Start with one or two short-term goals—like finishing a course, networking more, or updating your resume—and build up to long-term goals that excite you. These might include switching industries, landing a leadership role, or launching a side project that eventually becomes your full-time job. Your goals should feel possible, even if they stretch you, and they should connect to what you genuinely care about.
Talk to People Who’ve Been There
You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. A mentor can give you advice based on their own experience and help you avoid common mistakes. Peers in your industry can also offer a fresh perspective or connect you with opportunities you didn’t know about. The more you talk to people doing the kind of work you want to do, the more insight you’ll have into how to get there. Conversations can open doors that hard work alone sometimes can’t.
Check In With Yourself
Sometimes the problem isn’t your job—it’s that you’re burned out. Maybe you’ve been pushing hard for years without rest or your personal life has shifted in ways that affect your focus and energy. Ask yourself how you’ve been feeling lately, not just professionally but mentally and emotionally too. It’s okay to pause, rest, or even pull back for a bit if it helps you come back with more clarity and purpose.
Try Something on the Side
You don’t need to quit your job to try something new. Taking on a freelance gig, volunteering, or starting a side project can help you explore other interests and develop new skills. It’s a low-pressure way to test out different industries or work styles without making a huge commitment. Over time, these small steps can build into something bigger and give you the confidence to shift direction if that’s where things are headed.
Build Your Confidence
Fear can hold you back even when opportunities are right in front of you. Maybe you hesitate to apply for a job you want or worry about not being good enough to switch fields. Self-doubt is normal, but it shouldn’t decide what you do next. Start with small challenges that make you slightly uncomfortable—like leading a meeting, applying for a stretch job, or sharing your ideas more openly. The more you act in spite of fear, the more it fades.
A stunted career does not have to be permanent. With new goals, better skills, and more support, you can rebuild your confidence and carve out a path that feels right. The journey may not be fast or easy, but each step forward gets you closer to something better. You are the one writing your career story—if it needs a new chapter, this is the time to start.
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About the author: Derek Goodman is an entrepreneur. He’d always wanted to make his own future, and he knew growing his own business was the only way to do that. He created his site Inbizability, to offer tips, tricks, and resources so that you realize your business ability and potential now, not later.
