Feeling Stuck in Your Job?

By: Rachel Wei // Feb 4, 2019

Walking into the office yet again, something doesn’t feel right.

You double check your bag to make sure you didn’t forget your laptop or worse—your phone. Seeing your marbled case peeking through and your phone safely tucked away, you let out a sigh of relief. But then you become puzzled—if you didn’t forget your laptop, why do you feel so unsettled heading to work? Then, the truth dawns on you: you’re simply dreading another day doing something you no longer enjoy.

I don’t think anyone likes the growing feeling that the job or project you’re pursuing and have invested so much time and energy into isn’t as exciting as it was a few months, or even weeks ago. I thought this was it, you think. Well, even if it isn’t, it’s too late to switch to something else. While this is often our go-to reaction when we realize how stagnant everyday life has become, and our passion for our current endeavors have dwindled, we don’t have to just sit back and accept it. We can use this opportunity to find ways to discover and pursue new passions.

Feeling stuck in a job happens to almost everyone.

Sometimes, it is a problem of fit, interest, or a lack of motivation to complete something you simply don’t care enough about. The good news is, we are more than capable of discovering new passions even while we’re still holding down that not so interesting job. Today, there are a plethora of resources that can help us discover new passions, whether professionally or personally. There are tons of blogs, articles, online communities, videos, and books that are easy ways we can explore new topics and potential areas of interest.

This summer, when I was trying to decide whether I really wanted to pursue a career in medicine, I read memoirs about the residency experience and watched hospital vlogs to help me gauge whether I was really passionate about becoming a doctor. With similar resources easily available for everything ranging from how to become a social media influencer, what law is really like, and how to become an entrepreneur, we shouldn’t feel like we’re ever truly stuck; it’s in our hands to embark on the path to discover a new passion if we’re feeling stuck.

Another way to seek out new passions and break out of a stagnant job is to ask friends, family, and colleagues who are in different careers about their jobs. Asking to conduct informational interviews with professionals who hold jobs you are interested in is also an option to explore a potential area of interest if you don’t know someone in the field. In addition, many professionals, including lawyers and doctors, have YouTube channels that can be a quick and entertaining way for you to explore whether those fields are of interest to you. Yet another option is to go old school and pick up a book or two about something new and appealing; reading can also be a great way to branch out and explore new areas of interest.

Feeling stuck and unsatisfied with your current job isn’t anything to feel guilty or ashamed about.

Recognizing a lack of excitement in your everyday life and knowing that wanting to pursue something you’re passionate about and find meaningful isn’t wrong, it’s the first step in breaking out of a stagnant career. Once you acknowledge your feelings, recognizing that it’s within your ability to discover new areas of interest and pursue then is the next step to finding a new passion. So, the next time you are starting to question whether what you’re currently pursuing is really your passion, go ahead and use the resources in your life and those offered online to find out how you can pursue something fulfilling to you.