My Career Journey From Stuck to Unstuck (and My Rock Bottom)

Posted on the 30 August 2013 by Classycareergirl @classycareer

Last night I shared my get unstuck journey on my free training call.  If you haven’t listened to it yet, you can get the recording here. The below article is part of the training call.  Please read my story if you are feeling stuck in a job you hate right now. Please read my story if you are sick of being in a career that isn’t going anywhere and ready for a change.  I believe that now is your time. Read on to find out why and then join me in my 90-Day Get Your Career Unstuck Group Coaching Program that starts September 1st! Click here to read more about the program.

I have been in your shoes. I remember what it was like when I was stuck in a job I hated. I wasn’t happy and fulfilled in my career and it was keeping me up at night.  I was so stuck and I would apply to jobs over and over again online with no luck. I blamed the economy and was frustrated that I wasn’t doing all that I was capable of. I just didn’t fit in my job.  I mean I was doing well and getting promoted but something was just off.  It just didn’t fit me.  I would job search in the morning, on my lunch break and then when I would come home from work. This might be what you are going through as well.

I got my MBA because I thought that would help me get a new career but I was still in the same position at graduation. Same job and totally stuck. I was an introvert so applying online was really easy but I was NOT getting any results. My resume was pretty good I knew because I had my career counselor review it so I was pretty confident in it but no results over and over again.  At one point I was just applying to any old job that I could find online because I was DESPERATE!  And I think employers knew that because I had no luck.

For years, I was stuck in a job I hated. 

I would literally come home crying to my husband and some weekends I just couldn’t relax because all I could think of was work and how I needed to get out of there and how I dreaded Monday and didn’t want to face what was on my plate on Monday morning. It was impacting my relationships because my work life was off. I couldn’t attend happy hours or social events because I had to work or I was crying about work.  I was just barely holding on.

The only thing keeping me holding on was that I had picked up a side project that helped me realize what I was passionate about. I was able to teach a “Navigate Your Career Class” as an Adjunct Instructor at my company that I LOVED. I helped people review their personality assessments and figure out how to navigate within the company into roles that they loved so they could be happy at work.  It was on my own time and I didn’t get paid for it. I had to put a lot of extra hours in but it didn’t matter. It was work that fit me. And then I realized, I wasn’t in a full-time role that fit my interests, personality and motivations.  It was such a lightbulb because I finally was learning more about myself. I was learning the things I liked and didn’t like and was starting to get that clear direction of where I needed to go next. But another year went by and I was still be in the same position.

I got comfortable. Nice salary.  Promotions. 

But something was just off.  I was in limbo.  I was just making it through the days.  Living for the weekends. Letting life pass me by.  Just saying whatever I guess this is just how my career will go. I didn’t get the wonderful opportunities that I knew I could do. I will just settle with what I have now. A job is just a job and it pays the bills. I just have to keep doing it because I don’t have another choice. I just didn’t care.

It’s so sad to think of this time in my life because I just let go. 

But there was this whole other side door opening that I wasn’t aware of.  There was this door of happiness. The door to work I loved and complete personal fulfillment.  Living a life of purpose and making a difference. A career that totally fit me in this door over here.  But, I didn’t know that then just like you don’t know what is through that door for you right now. There was a step or a major leap that I needed to take. But,  I almost didn’t take that step until I had a major life tragedy. And this is the part of the story that I have really never shared on any of these free trainings I have done in the past.

There was one day when my entire life changed.  And you could say that it was either the worst day of my life or best day of my life.  I don’t know if you are at rock bottom yet and I surely hope that you are not because I would never wish for this rock bottom on anyone.

But, after years of putting up with a job I hated, I hit rock bottom.

I was in a hospital emergency room with my husband in the middle of Seattle at midnight. It was after a wedding that my husband was the best man in.  We went straight from his best man speech to the hospital to find out I was miscarrying my first baby.  Now ever since I initially found out I was pregnant I was just emotional, stressed and hating life because of my job.  I am not going to get into the studies of whether stress even causes something like that. But I do know that my body was not in balance and something was very off.

And when this doctor told me that I was miscarrying, I was in shock but instead of mourning my baby at that moment. All I could think of was my job.  The first thing out of my mouth to my husband and the scared doctor was “I hate my job. I need a new job.” Yes, irrational considering what was going on in my life.

I was so terribly stuck that the first thing I thought of in a major tragedy was my job!

Ever since that moment I have had this fire in me. I have had a purpose. And I beg of you not to let as much time go by stuck in a job that isn’t the right fit for you as I did.  Please, if you are feeling discontent in your current role, it is time. You don’t need to hit rock bottom and have a major life tragedy like mine to give yourself a jolt to make a change. This is the jolt.  I am here to tell you that I know you can feel it if I am talking to you, your time is now.  That is why you are reading this article. That is why I am doing what I do with my life.

I believe with all of my heart that the situation of my life circumstances has led me here to lead you through your next open door – your next career move.

I believe that you’re ready for something bigger in your life. You’re on the verge of something big, aren’t you?  So join me in my Fall Get You Career Unstuck 90-Day Group Coaching Program so that you can finally find work that is fulfilling, exciting and challenging.

Click here to learn more about the 90-day get unstuck program.

My goal is to get you unstuck and into a career you love in 90 days. And that means putting in the hard but very rewarding work the last few months of 2013 so 2014 can finally be your year!  My 90-day program gives you step-by-step weekly videos to get unstuck and find a career you love. Plus, you will be on LIVE access calls with me two times a month so you can get personalized support and advice.  Also, this program includes plenty of success guides and checklists to get you headed in the right direction ASAP. I will personally walk you through my Get Unstuck system so that you can figure out your dream job and then get that job in 90 days.  We will cover networking strategies, resume development, social media and much more in my premier Get Your Career Unstuck Course starting September 1st!

Click here to learn more and join us today!

I hope to see you in the coaching program and that I get to help you get unstuck in the next 90 days!

Anna Runyan

P.S. Make sure you make your decision to join us soon because only the first five people who register get a free 1-hour coaching call with me! ($250 value).  Also, the price increases on September 1st so make sure you sign up today!

Click here to learn more and join us today so you can get this bonus!

P.P.S. There are no excuses. If you listened to my training call or read the above article, you know that I am opening a door for you and that you need to take the leap just like I did.  I believe in you and I know you are right on the verge of something big.  You know it too. Trust your gut and make change happen this fall.  You dream career and life is waiting and I am going to help you get there.