The Mid-Career Makeover Show
The show where mid-career professionals learn how to take control of their story, elevate their career brand, and unlock the success they deserve. Through actionable insights, expert advice, and inspiring stories, we help you navigate your next career chapter with confidence and purpose.
The Mid-Career Makeover Show
How to Get Unstuck in your Career
In this episode of The Mid-Career Makeover Show, host LaVonne James dives deep into the real reasons mid-career professionals feel stuck—and what it actually takes to get unstuck.
LaVonne unpacks the psychological and emotional underpinnings of career stagnation—from status quo bias to imposter syndrome—and walks listeners through five powerfully reflective questions designed to spark clarity and action. Whether you're battling burnout, overwhelmed with options, or shackled by “golden handcuffs,” this episode helps you pinpoint what kind of “stuck” you’re in—and how to take your first bold step toward reinvention.
This episode isn’t just motivational—it’s tactical. With LaVonne’s guidance, you’ll gain:
- A breakdown of five psychological biases that sabotage progress
- A step-by-step clarity exercise that reveals your hidden career desires
- A personalized approach to identifying the type of stuck you’re facing
- Practical actions you can take this week to regain momentum
💡 Key takeaway: You’re not broken—you’re in a season of discovery. And you have the power to edit your story as many times as you need.
For more career inspiration, visit yourbreakthrough.app
Thank you for listening! For more information on mid-career transformation, visit AI4CareerSuccess.com. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Now your child's behind ya. But wisdom thing again. Pat turn on fire. You've got stories to tell and dreams to inspire. Rise above the noise.
SPEAKER_00:Take your place, hide. The Mid Career Makeover Show. This episode of the Mid Career Makeover Show is sponsored by the Brand Breakthrough System.
SPEAKER_04:Tired of being the best kept secret in your industry, it's time to build a brand that gets you noticed. Go from invisible to irresistible in 90 days with the brand breakthrough system. In just 90 days. Whether you're job searching, pivoting, or aiming higher, this system gives you the strategy and confidence to own your career all in just 90 days. Ready to break through? Learn more at Brandbreakthroughsystem.com. Step up, stand out, and lead. Your career is worth it.
SPEAKER_01:Are you ready to break through the noise and build a career that truly reflects your potential? In Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success. Levon McKyver James shares the proven strategies behind her brand breakthrough system. Learn how to think like a leader, craft your unique value proposition, and tell a story that commands attention. Whether you're looking to stand out in your current role or land your next big opportunity, this book is your guide to taking control of your career and your future. Don't wait for success to find you. Create it. Get your copy of Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success today and start building the brand and life you deserve. Available on Amazon.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome to the Mid-Career Makeover Show. I'm Lavon James, your guide to navigating the twists and turns of mid-career growth, reinvention, and success. If you're feeling stuck or unsure about your next move, then this episode is for you. Today, we're diving deep, psychologically, emotionally, and strategically, into what it means to be stuck in your career and more importantly, how to find clarity and take action. So whether you're feeling stagnant, questioning your purpose, or just unsure about the next step, grab a cup of coffee, find a quiet space, and let's get to work on getting you unstuck. Let's start with a tough question. Why do we get stuck? The feeling of being stuck is often psychological before it is situational. Yes, you might have a job that isn't fulfilling, a boss that doesn't appreciate you, or an industry that feels like it's leaving you behind. But those are external manifestations of an internal struggle. Feeling lost in your career is often a battle between who you are versus who you think you should be, what you want versus what you've been conditioned to want. Your comfort zone versus your potential. When we hit mid-career, we are often carrying years, sometimes decades, of expectations from our families, our industry, and even our younger selves. We wake up one day and realize this isn't what I expected my career to feel like. And that realization is terrifying. Because if we acknowledge that we're unhappy, then what? Our brains are wired to keep us in familiar patterns, even if those patterns are unfulfilling. Why? Because the unknown is scary. It triggers fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. This is why people stay in careers they hate, relationships that drain them, or cities that no longer feel like home. But here's the hard truth: the fear of change is often greater than the change itself.
SPEAKER_01:Are you ready to break through the noise and build a career that truly reflects your potential? In Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success, Levon McKyver James shares the proven strategies behind her brand breakthrough system. Learn how to think like a leader, craft your unique value proposition, and tell a story that commands attention. Whether you're looking to stand out in your current role or land your next big opportunity, this book is your guide to taking control of your career and your future. Don't wait for success to find you. Create it. Get your copy of Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success today, and start building the brand and life you deserve. Available on Amazon.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome back. We're discussing what it means to be stuck in your career. So psychologists have identified key cognitive biases that make change harder and staying stuck seemingly easier. One of these biases is the status quo bias. That's when you prefer things to stay the same, even when they're not serving you. Loss aversion is another cognitive bias. That's when the fear of losing what you have is stronger than the desire to gain something better. And then there's imposter syndrome, which is feeling like you don't deserve to move forward. If you recall, we covered overcoming imposter syndrome in a previous episode of the mid-career makeover show The Good News. These biases can be unlearned. Let's break it down. To unlearn status quo bias, start by challenging your autopilot thinking. Ask yourself, am I staying in this role because it's truly right for me, or just because it's familiar? Instead of defaulting to this is how things are, try small experiments with change. A new skill, a networking call, a side project. The more you step outside your comfort zone, the more your brain adapts to change rather than resisting it. With loss aversion bias, the fear of loss is powerful. But so should be the fear of staying stuck. If you're trying to overcome loss aversion bias, flip the script by asking, what's the bigger risk? Losing what I have or never going after what I truly want. Instead of focusing on what you might lose, visualize what you stand to gain. A better job, more fulfillment, a career that excites you again. Make a reverse pros and cons list. What do you lose by not making a move? For imposter syndrome bias, I know rewiring imposter syndrome can be difficult, that's why I devoted an entire episode to it. But if you've ever felt like you don't deserve to move forward, remind yourself success isn't about perfection, it's about growth. When self-doubt creeps in, reframe your inner dialogue. Instead of I'm not ready, tell yourself, I'm learning as I go. Keep an achievement journal. Every time you doubt yourself, read it. And remember, the people you admire once felt like impostors too. The bottom line, your brain can be retrained. These biases are habits of thinking, not life sentences. So, which bias one do you struggle with most? Think about it. Name it, challenge it, and take one step, just one, toward proving that your next move is possible.
SPEAKER_04:Tired of being the best kept secret in your industry? It's time to build a brand that gets you noticed. Go from invisible to irresistible in 90 days with the brand breakthrough system. In just 90 days. Whether you're job searching, pivoting, or aiming higher, this system gives you the strategy and confidence to own your career all in just 90 days. Ready to break through? Learn more at Brandbreakthroughsystem.com. Step up, stand out, and lead. Your career is worth it.
SPEAKER_01:Are you ready to break through the noise and build a career that truly reflects your potential? In Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success. Levon McKyver James shares the proven strategies behind her brand breakthrough system. Learn how to think like a leader, craft your unique value proposition, and tell a story that commands attention. Whether you're looking to stand out in your current role or land your next big opportunity, this book is your guide to taking control of your career and your future. Don't wait for success to find you. Create it. Get your copy of Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success today and start building the brand and life you deserve. Available on Amazon.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome back to the Mid-Career Makeover Show, where we are talking about overcoming the feeling of being stuck in your career. In order to overcome stagnation, we must recognize the roots of emotional stagnation. Sometimes feeling stuck is not about your job at all. It's about emotional patterns you haven't addressed. Maybe you fear disappointing your family. Maybe you struggle with self-worth. Maybe you are so accustomed to overworking that you don't know what a fulfilling career even looks like anymore. If you feel stuck, don't just analyze your job. Analyze your emotional relationship with work. Ask yourself, what emotional payoff am I getting from staying stuck? Even frustration can become a comfort zone if it's all you've known. What does stuck look like for you? Let's personalize this. I want you to ask yourself, what part of my career feels the most frustrating? What do I want that I don't have right now? What story am I telling myself about why I can't change? Take a moment to answer these. It's important.
SPEAKER_03:This is your way to go away. Better not go away.
SPEAKER_00:Now let's talk about the different forms of stuck, because not all stuckness is the same. The identity crisis. Stuck is when you've been in your industry for years, but it no longer excites you. You don't know if you want to stay, but you also don't know what else you do. You feel like you're losing a piece of yourself. The fear-based stuck is when you have an idea of what you want, but fear is stopping you. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of losing financial stability. There's also the overwhelm stuck, and that's when you have too many options. So instead of making a decision, you make none. You analyze, research, and talk about change, but you never move. The burnout stuck is when you're so exhausted that you don't have the energy to think about the future. Your only goal is to survive the work week. You don't need a new career, you need a break. And then there's the golden handcuffs stuck. Here. You make good money, but you're miserable. You feel trapped because your lifestyle depends on your current salary. Which one resonates with you the most? Because knowing what kind of stuck you are helps you know how to move forward.
SPEAKER_04:Tired of being the best kept secret in your industry? It's time to build a brand that gets you noticed. Go from invisible to irresistible in 90 days with the brand breakthrough system. In just 90 days. Whether you're job searching, pivoting, or aiming higher, this system gives you the strategy and confidence to own your career. All in just 90 days. Ready to break through? Learn more at Brandbreakthroughsystem.com. Step up, stand out, and lead. Your career is worth it.
SPEAKER_01:Are you ready to break through the noise and build a career that truly reflects your potential? In Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success, Levon McKyver James shares the proven strategies behind her brand breakthrough system. Learn how to think like a leader, craft your unique value proposition, and tell a story that commands attention. Whether you're looking to stand out in your current role or land your next big opportunity, this book is your guide to taking control of your career and your future. Don't wait for success to find you. Create it. Get your copy of Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success today, and start building the brand and life you deserve. Available on Amazon.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome back to the Mid Career Makeover Show. Now that we know what stuck is, let's discuss how to get unstuck. The first step to getting unstuck is clarity, because you can't move forward if you don't know where you're going. Let's do an exercise. Grab a notebook and write your answers to these. Number one, what are three career moments that made you feel deeply fulfilled? Three career moments that made you feel deeply fulfilled. Number two, what do people come to you for advice about? What do people come to you for advice about number three? If you could start over with no fear, what would you do? If you could start over with no fear, what would you do? Number four. If you stay on your current path for five more years, how does that feel? If you stay on your current path for five more years, how does that feel? Number five, what's one thing you've always wanted to do but never pursued? What's one thing you've always wanted to do but never pursued?
SPEAKER_03:This is your way through. Here lays the doubt, bend.
SPEAKER_00:These questions are designed to bring self-awareness and clarity by helping you identify patterns, values, and inner desires that may be buried under routine, external expectations or fear. Let's break down how each one helps you gain clarity in your career. Number one. What are three career moments that made you feel deeply fulfilled? This question is important because the answer identifies what truly energizes and excites you in your work. It helps you recognize certain themes. Do they involve leadership, creativity, problem solving, helping others, or learning new skills? The answer to what are three career moments that made you feel deeply fulfilled helps to show where you felt aligned with your purpose, helping you move toward more fulfilling work. For example, if your fulfilling moments all involved mentoring junior employees, maybe leadership or coaching should be part of your next career move. The next question, number two, what do people come to you for advice about? Your answer to what do people come to you for advice about reveals your natural strengths that others already recognize. It also shows the areas where you add value effortlessly. These might be hidden talents you take for granted. The answer to what do people come to you for advice about also helps determine career directions. If people ask for help with strategy, maybe you have leadership potential. If they seek emotional support, you might excel in a people-oriented role. An example could be: if colleagues constantly ask you for writing advice, but you're working in finance, maybe a shift toward content strategy, marketing, or communications is worth exploring. Let's go to question number three. If you could start over with no fear, what would you do? The answer to this question allows you to acknowledge dreams you've dismissed due to fear, financial constraints, or societal pressure. It can highlight a direction you secretly crave but have been afraid to admit. For instance, if your answer is start my own business, that doesn't mean you should quit tomorrow. But it might mean exploring a side hustle or taking small steps toward independence.
SPEAKER_01:Levon McKyver-James shares the proven strategies behind her brand breakthrough system. Learn how to think like a leader, craft your unique value proposition, and tell a story that commands attention. Whether you're looking to stand out in your current role or land your next big opportunity, this book is your guide to taking control of your career and your future. Don't wait for success to find you. Create it. Get your copy of Think Like a Leader to build a career brand that accelerates your success today and start building the brand and life you deserve. Available on Amazon.
SPEAKER_00:So back to asking questions to help you get unstuck in your career. Our next question is: if you stay on your current path for five more years, how does that feel? The answer to this question forces you to confront the reality of staying stagnant. It helps separate temporary frustration from deep dissatisfaction. Think of it this way: if five more years sounds unbearable, change is necessary. Now, also your answer to if you stay on your current path for five more years, how does that feel? Allows you to visualize the long-term consequences of inaction. To give an example, if your reaction is dread, then it's a sign you need a shift. Whether that means a new role, a new company, or a complete career transition. Last question, what's one thing you've always wanted to do but never pursued? The answer to this question uncovers long suppressed ambitions that could lead to your next breakthrough and helps you differentiate fleeting interests from persistent passions. To give an illustration, if you've always wanted to be a speaker or writer, maybe it's time to start a LinkedIn newsletter or volunteer for a speaking engagement. In the end, clarity doesn't come from thinking, it comes from action. And sometimes the best way to find your next step is to experiment with small changes rather than waiting for a perfect answer. So let's take the first step. What is one small thing you can do this week to break out of your stuckness? Here are a few ideas. Talk to someone in a job you admire. Update your LinkedIn or resume to reflect the job you want, not just the job you have. Take an online course in something you're curious about. Send an email to someone you haven't networked with in a while. Ask your manager for a new project or responsibility. Even the smallest action can be a catalyst for something bigger.
SPEAKER_03:This is your way through.
SPEAKER_00:Most of us think about our careers as a straight path. Step A leads to step B, which leads to step C. But in reality, careers are messy, nonlinear, and full of pivots. Reframing your career means letting go of the idea that you have to follow a single script. You get to edit your story as many times as you want. So I'd like to end with an affirmation. Repeat after me. I am not stuck. I am in a season of discovery. Every experience, even this one, is leading me to where I'm meant to be. Thank you for joining me today on the Mid Career Makeover Show. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And don't forget to subscribe, leave a review. Until next time, dream big, take bold action, and own your success, because the best is yet to come.