6 Signs That You Are Stuck In Your Job

Do you have the dream that you’re running and your legs are moving in slow motion?  Yeah, the one where you’re not getting anywhere?  Or the dream where you’re under water and you’re moving around and you see the light…but moving towards it isn’t coming fast enough? Or the one where you’re in a meeting and you’re on a task force for a new  product and the two directors of “slightly” different product lines are standing up and screaming firmly stately their opinions to each other as if there is no one else in the room?  Oh wait that last one could have been real.  Those would all be nightmares from which you wake up in a sweaty panic.

Doesn’t take Jung to tell you you’re stuck in your life somewhere.  But where?  Take a strong look?  If you find yourself avoiding looking directly at your career then you might want to consider the step from Prochaska’s change model of pre-contemplative state of “thinking about, thinking about it.”   You don’t have to “do” anything about it right now.  In fact I suggest you really create a strong plan before any action step that others can see.

6 signs that you are stuck in your job – or your career fizzled to a slow burn….

1. You have those dreams/nightmares and you’re not getting the rest you need to face reality.
2. People around you are getting promoted.
3. Your boss hasn’t been promoted or considered for a different role in say, well, ever, or as long as you’ve been there.
4. You hate going to bed because you’ll have to wake up and do it again.
5. You haven’t been promoted in more than 4 years.
6. People around you are leaving and seemingly happy about it.

and since I was on a roll there are 6 bonus signs…

1. You’re being overlooked for plum projects.
2. You don’t even hear about task force projects until the new process is implemented.
3. You’re late to work, you can’t focus, your work isn’t as sharp as it used to be
4. You’re avoiding people, places or projects in your job.
5. You’re checking the job boards daily, weekly or moment by moment.
6. Mentor, what mentor?

Seriously, what is it going to take before you actually step into your own reality show and do some editing?  I have been there and it was shocking to me when I woke up, walking into my office late and sloppily dressed to a meeting with people from out of town sitting in my office.  What happened to me?  I had let myself (and my career) down significantly.

The first step to recovery is awareness.   What will you do next?