How to reinvent your career when you’re feeling stuck

Everyone one at some point has wanted to press eject on a job that has become totally unfulfilling. The general advice when you’re feeling stuck is “just go find something better” but that’s sometimes easier said than done.

If you know you aren’t happy with what you’re doing, but don’t know what do next, you are not alone. Don’t beat yourself up. Just take a deep breath and decide it’s time to take action, on your terms.

1. Don’t waste time looking back
Don’t over analyze what went wrong in the past or how you became stuck in the first place. Instead, just look ahead. Focus on what you can control and the steps you can take to move forward. Remember this is just one moment in time in your career. You can, and will, get past it.

2. Start having fun
Now is the time to have some fun with your career and reconnect with what really excites you. Grab a piece of paper, sit in a quiet spot and spend 20 minutes writing down anything and everything you’d like to experience at work. There’s no right or wrong with this, it’s totally fine to capture the big stuff, the little things, anything and everything. Just throw it all down. Then put it away and look at it again 24 hours later.

3. Figure out what really matters
Pick three or so things that immediately jump out. These are the things you’d like to start working towards right now. Write those three things down.

Then, start to think through what steps you need to take to make these things happen. You get to decide when and how you will take these steps. Write that down too.

4. Celebrate the mini milestones
Don’t obsess over your to do list or stress out about things you haven’t crossed off yet. Instead, start an “I’m on my way!” list. At the end of each week jot down the really great stuff you accomplished or something new that you learned or experienced as part of that journey.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, career paths aren’t a linear trajectory. Bumps in the road, setbacks, dips, curveballs and acceleration are all part of the course.

And there you have it. You have created a plan for reinventing your career. The rest is up to you. Believe in yourself and you will find the way to become unstuck, because you know yourself better than anyone.

Post by Octavia Goredema @OctaviaGoredema