You're stuck in a career rut. How can you break free and reach your full potential?

Tips for Breaking Out of a Career Rut -Lean Into Your Hobbies. One way to break out of a career rut is to place more emphasis on your hobbies. ... -Find New Interests. ... -Accept the Need for Change. ... -Identify Your Obstacles to Change. ... -Reach Out to Your Network. ... -Boost Your Self-Confidence. ... -Build Your Skills. ... -Seek Out a Mentor. -Join a Community -Research Interesting Industries and Companies

Understanding what truly matters to you is the cornerstone of career satisfaction and growth. Reflect on what you're passionate about, what drives you, and the impact you want to make through your work. Are you seeking financial stability, the ability to make a difference, or perhaps a better work-life balance? Setting clear, actionable goals that align with your values will provide a roadmap and keep you motivated. Early in my career, I realized that creativity and continuous learning were non-negotiable values for me. This clarity helped me pivot from a monotonous job to a dynamic role where I could innovate and grow. Regularly revisiting and refining these goals has been crucial in my journey toward professional fulfillment.

As you explore your goals, one issue may surface that could be responsible for the career rut - misalignment of goals. For example, someone who knows a change to a desired career would need more time and dedication but they also value family time and do not want to give up on that. Such misalignment can lead to a lot of stress and indecisiveness.

As important as finding (and writing down) your values is, you have to take a careful look if there are any conflicts in your values. With goals too it’s not only important to know where you want to go but also where you currently are.

First look to yourself. Analyze the causes that led you here. The reasons that led you to be arrested. Then, review your values (depending on the stage of life they can change), create new goals and create a plan to achieve them. The coach is the right professional to help you get out of this situation, so that you feel more connected with yourself and your career. This happened to me when I became a mother. Some values changed, so I reprogrammed my career path to be more aligned with them.

Another tool that has proven to be extremely powerful in attaining clarity and breaking the rut is exploring secondary gains. As discussed above, there may be limiting beliefs holding you back. Through exploring secondary gains, deeper themes may emerge about why someone is not able to take a step forward. For example, seeking a change in career may mean stepping out of one's comfort zone and for them their comfort zone is essential to feel safe because they have a limiting belief around 'I'm not good enough' or 'success does not come easy to me'. Life coaches can coach them to identify these gains and make a conscious choice about what they want to do about it and how they can get the change if they really want it.

Research is your ally. Investigate new industries, roles, and skills that align with your interests and values. Don't limit yourself to your current field or skill set; the future of work is fluid and multidisciplinary. Networking, online courses, and industry events can provide insights and open doors to opportunities you might not have considered.

There’s a difference between having limiting beliefs and not knowing what’s possible. One of the best ways to explore opportunities is to talk to other people. You don’t just get information but might learn about career opportunities too.

When feeling stuck, this is almost always a fantastic signal to yourself that you're about to / are ready to grow. It doesn't take a total career or job change to help you feel unstuck. Often it's a case of paying close attention to what it is you want to be different and why. Imagine you don't know what you want for dinner. You look in the fridge and feel uninspired. So take a moment, think about what you've had this week and what you've been looking forward to. What would your best self want for dinner? By starting to reframe the problem, new opportunities will appear that you hadn't seen before. It's the same when we're in a career rut. It's a signal to loosen the grip on the stuckness and something small will appear - then you start.

Guidance from someone who has been there can be transformative. A mentor or coach can offer invaluable advice, introduce you to their network, and help you navigate challenges. They can also hold you accountable and encourage you when the going gets tough. Finding a mentor who shared my values and had achieved what I aspired to in my career was a game-changer. Their insights and encouragement played a pivotal role in my professional development and confidence.

If you are stuck in a career rut, fill the rut with new skills and educate yourself. This will help you expand sideways. I moved sideways to sales training when I was stuck in soft skills training. You may even dump the rut by either changing your career or by choosing another company.

The blind spots that can be present when you are in a rut are significant. Working with a coach or mentor can shine a light on these blind spots allowing you to take different actions. As opposed to spinning the same thoughts, feelings and actions that led to the rut in the first place.

There’s a saying that a bottled wine can’t read its label. We are all used to our experiences, ways of thinking and beliefs. That’s why it is important to get feedback and new inputs from a coach. A great coach supports you focusing on what’s important to you and getting there.

Turning plans into action is where the magic happens. Start with small, manageable steps towards your goals. Celebrate your successes, learn from setbacks, and adjust your strategies as needed. Keeping a journal or spreadsheet to track your progress can help you stay on course and maintain momentum.

Take massive, focused action. When you know what you want and why you want it come up with an action plan and set priorities. Document your decision making process and your progress. Keep your focus but adjust along the way.

Get out of the rut ? It's a realisation that as I got into the rut on a day to day basis, should also get out the same way. Change the things but by bit, 1% improvement every day. Some days, 5%. Start take care of yourself. Physically, mentally, emotionally, Spiritually, but by bit internal improvements, just quiet persistence. New habits were created. New channel of thoughts. Empowering thoughts that led to empowering choices and actions.

To break free from a career rut, encourage to expand your skill set, actively network, and draw inspiration from success stories. Engaging in side projects or hobbies, prioritising self-care, and assessing your work environment can reveal new paths. Emphasise adopting a growth mindset, setting achievable short-term objectives, and regularly reflecting on accomplishments to build confidence. These strategies can unlock potential and open doors to fulfilling your career opportunities, in addition to all those pointers listed above.

I have been there and felt that, and well even now I do feel the same. Below are the few things I do to not feel so and constantly keep growing. - Follow great leaders be it in the office or some entrepreneur and learn mindsets. - Keep working hard and always try to plan on how you can outwork others. Coming from an agency background, if you can do the work of 2 people single handedly, there is no doubt about the fact that you are gonna improve. - Have ownership of things. The only thing especially in a job that's gonna separate you from the rest is ownership because 90% of people just work for money and not give quality output to whoever they work for! - Lastly, avoid politics and focus on work. Let it speak for you!

Maintain a growth mindset and be adaptable. The path to reaching your full potential is rarely linear. Embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Staying open to feedback and being willing to pivot when necessary can lead to unexpected and rewarding career paths. I've learned to see feedback not as criticism but as a gift that fuels my growth. Adopting a flexible approach to my career has allowed me to thrive in rapidly changing industries.

Consider all priorities in your life when making career decisions. What roles are playing your relationship, your financial situation and your health for example? You have to keep a clear picture of what you want for your whole life when you are in a career rut.