My Latest Work Slump - And How I Got Out Of It

A few years ago, I thought my days as a business owner might be numbered.

Careers for Social Impact was thriving, but I wasn't. I was in a work slump.

Luckily, I was able to work my way out of it, and I want to share what that process looked like, what I learned, and how that impacts the work we do with our clients. 

I’m sharing this because I want you to know that I’ve been where you are, and that everyone goes through times of career stagnation, frustration, or uncertainty.

Yes, even career coaches. Even me. 

The Slump

For all of us, there are times when work is going great, times when it’s really hard, and times where it’s just “meh”.

It’s important to recognize that this is a normal part of the cycle that we all go through in our careers.

And it's also important to pay attention to how you’re feeling about work and listen to what those feelings are telling you. That way, when the “meh” starts to feel more like consistent frustration or unhappiness, you can do something about it, ideally before it gets to a critical point. 

The good thing is there ARE things we can do when work isn’t working for us. I needed that reminder a few years ago, when I realized I’d lost the spark and motivation I used to have for my work. 

Careers for Social Impact was born in 2014 out of another period of uncertainty in my career. And while there were absolutely some difficult moments in those early years of going out on my own, for the most part I felt energized by my work and lucky to be building a business that fit my strengths and allowed me to partner with clients who were doing important and impactful work. 

But about seven years in, I noticed a sense of stagnation and unhappiness creeping in.

Something felt off, and I wasn’t energized by my work in the same way. My inner voice was telling me something needed to change, but I wasn’t sure what it was, and I was too busy to listen closely to it. 

Ironically, these feelings intersected with what was our most “successful” year to date. We’d hosted our biggest event ever, expanded the size of our programs, and grown from just me to a larger team. 

But despite all of this, I felt like something was off. And that inner voice kept getting louder and louder. 

I interpreted this to mean that I didn’t want to run a business anymore, and that it was time to go back and get a “real” job.

Coaching and Insights

Luckily, I decided to seek out partnership and support as I thought about this big transition before I took any drastic actions. I started working with my own coach to help me explore what I was feeling, and what to do about it. 

Working with my coach led me to a few important realizations:

• A big reason I was unhappy was that I was focusing on other people’s measures of success, instead of my own. I had decided that I needed to grow our programs and team because that’s what I thought successful businesses did, not because it was what I really wanted.  

• Another thing that inner voice was trying to tell me was that I was hungry to learn new things. I realized that it had been years since I had invested in my own development, and that I was craving learning, growth, and new challenges. 

• Finally, I realized that while going back to working for someone else seemed to be an obvious answer to my feeling of stagnation, it wasn’t the only answer. I could experiment with making other changes in my work and life that could help me feel happier and more fulfilled, before making that kind of shift. 

I don't think I would have come to these realizations, and they certainly wouldn’t have stuck, if I hadn’t sought out coaching. 

Taking Imperfect Action

Working with a coach also helped me take action to realign my work with what was most important and energizing for me. 

It made sense that after more than seven years as a business owner I was ready for something new, but I had to be willing to take some risks and try new things to figure out what that was. 

So I took actions that felt both exciting and scary (more scary to be honest), including: 

• Taking a ten-week sabbatical. This gave me space to think and reflect, and to recover from some pandemic-induced burnout. Transparently, when I took this break I wasn’t sure if I would come back to the business. But with some distance and perspective, I realized there was a lot I still loved about this work, and that I could reinvigorate my energy for it if I made some changes. 

• Making shifts in my work. One of the biggest benefits of the sabbatical was that it forced me to STOP doing everything and then intentionally choose what to continue. I have a hard time stopping things once I’ve committed to them, especially when they may work well for others but aren't working for me. This pause gave me the permission I needed to take everything off my plate, decide what I wanted to put back on, and let go of the things that were most draining for me. 

• Testing new ideas. I brought a spirit of experimentation into my work and life, trying things in small doses to see what happened. At work, this meant piloting new programs, delegating more, and taking the first step toward getting my coaching certification, something I had considered for years but never prioritized. I started with just the first class as a test to decide if I wanted to continue (I did!). I also tried new things outside of work, like taking classes just for fun and shifting my schedule to create more space for personal and family priorities. 

While in hindsight it seems clear that these actions helped me work through my slump, this aspect of the process felt much less clear as I was going through it.

I didn’t know how things would go or where they would lead, and navigating through that uncertainty felt scary and risky. But I kept reminding myself that it was necessary if I really wanted things to change.  

Lessons Learned

This process helped remind me that we all navigate times of uncertainty and exploration throughout our careers, and that this is a natural part of the cycle of career growth.

Here are some of the key lessons I took away from my experience, and how they guide our work with clients seeking greater career clarity and alignment. 

• Small moves can make a big difference. Sometimes when we’re unhappy at work, making a big change like leaving a job is the right decision. But it’s not the only path, and often smaller changes can have a big impact on our satisfaction. We encourage our clients to design “career experiments'', or small tests that help them try out new career ideas or interests. Experimentation can both improve your current work situation and help you learn about other career paths you may want to explore.

• Look at your whole life, not just your work. The changes I made outside of work were a big part of boosting my happiness. For example, one of the best things I did for myself was starting to take improv classes. Carving out this time to do something new that was just for me became a huge source of fun, community, and personal growth. Be sure to look at your life holistically as you go through this process, to see if you can identify opportunities for more growth or fulfillment outside of work too.    

• Trust yourself. This has been one of the biggest areas of growth for me. Deep down, we each know so much about what’s right for us, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. But it can be hard to stay focused on what you really want amid external pressure and internal self-doubt. Find ways to stay tuned in to your inner wisdom and to trust what it’s telling you, even when that feels uncomfortable, inconvenient, or scary. For me, journaling and talking with my coach and trusted friends were key ways to do this.

• Change takes time. The process I’m describing unfolded over several years. It’s important to remember that making a career shift doesn’t happen overnight, and that even if it sometimes feels like you’re taking small steps, you’re still moving forward. Find ways to acknowledge and celebrate the actions you take along the way, even if you’re not yet clear on your final destination.

• We all need support. Navigating change and uncertainty is often very uncomfortable, and it can be easy to avoid or ignore that voice that’s telling you something’s not right. Getting partnership and accountability can make all the difference in staying the course, even when it’s hard. That’s one reason I work with my own coaches consistently, and why I believe so strongly in the work we do with our clients at Careers for Social Impact. 

What’s Next

Going through this process confirmed that coaching is the right work for me. And it helped me shift and deepen my approach and build new tools to help my clients design careers that are meaningful, fulfilling, and integrated with all the other aspects of their lives.

I know that this won't be the last time I need to realign my work. As we grow and change, our priorities shift, and what may have fit us perfectly in the past no longer does.

Knowing and expecting this can help us build the self-awareness and seek out the support we need to navigate moments of career uncertainty. And with that knowledge, we can keep designing our careers to match who we’re becoming.

If you’re navigating a work slump or wondering what’s next in your career, we'd love to help you reconnect with what energizes you! Learn more about our coaching programs and contact us to discuss how we can work together.