Are You Stuck at Work or Ready for Something Different?

If you are feeling a little stuck at work, pause and ask yourself.

What exactly am I stuck in?

Over the past year, I have heard many versions of this from people I coach. I’ve started noticing two broad kinds of stuck.

Externally stuck. And internally stuck.

Externally stuck (When circumstances hold you still)

Promotion freeze - You’re ready, but the system isn’t moving.

Promotion delay - You’ve done the work, but timelines keep slipping.

Retirement mindset - You’ve decided you’ll retire here, and now everything feels repetitive.

Leadership misalignment - The new direction doesn’t match who you are at your core.

Organizational uncertainty - You don’t know what’s next, not even whether to extend your home lease.

Past baggage with leadership - You know you can’t grow here because history keeps repeating.

These situations can be genuinely difficult because so much of what needs to change isn't entirely in your hands. And yet, I often notice that people don't want to do much about it.

Because there is still hope. Maybe things will change. The promotion freeze will end. Leadership will change. Things will go back to how they were.

And sometimes they do. But, sometimes they don't.

Then there is internal stuck.

Responsible but unfulfilled - You took this job to be “responsible,” but it was never your dream.

Dormant dream - There’s an idea inside you that keeps whispering.

Calling in your heart - You know something else is meant for you.

Ten‑year misfit - You haven’t enjoyed your job for a decade.

Identity mismatch - You’re a lawyer who doesn’t enjoy being a lawyer. You may or may not know what else you want.

Hidden identity - You’re an author at heart, but your 10‑hour workday leaves no space for writing.

Internal stuckness is a signal. It’s your inner world asking for alignment.

You have far more agency here if you’re willing to tell the truth about what you want now and take one courageous step at a time without rocking your boat too much.

So, when you feel stuck, ask yourself:

Am I waiting for my circumstances to change, or am I being called to change something myself?

That question might be where getting unstuck begins.