You’re reading this article because you feel stuck. Like you’re spinning your wheels and unsure what to do next. It’s not because you’re unqualified. It’s not because the opportunities aren’t out there. And it’s definitely not because you don’t have something powerful to offer.
You’re stuck because of how you’re moving through your day-to-day life.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, and I definitely don’t want you to beat yourself up about it or sink into an even deeper funk.
I know this feeling all too well because I’ve been there. For a long time, I let my comfort zone convince me it was enough. I stayed in jobs wayyyy too long, kept to myself, overthought everything, and waited for clarity to just… arrive.
But clarity doesn’t come when you’re waiting. Clarity comes when you’re moving. And lately, I’ve made a point to do exactly that.
So here’s what I’ve learned, and what you might need to hear.
1. Low-Vibration Conversations Keep You in a Loop
Let’s start with the company you keep.
If your regular conversations revolve around complaining, venting, or rehashing the same fears with people who are equally stuck, you’re not getting support. You’re falling deeper into a rabbit hole, and you’re dragging each other down.
What you need are people who will challenge you, hold you accountable, and spark new ideas. People who want to take action, not just talk about why things aren’t working.
I tell my friends, mentees, and clients all the time: you’ve got 10 minutes to vent, then we figure it out. If you stay in conversations that reflect your current limits, you’ll never reach your next level.
2. Overthinking Is a Hidden Form of Procrastination
You don’t need to ponder for hours whether you should attend that event. You don’t need to debate endlessly over which soda to pick or how to phrase the perfect outreach message. Just decide.
Just go. Just start.
Your brain is tired not because you’re doing too much, but because you’re spending too much energy on small decisions and mental loops. Simply put, you’re brain is going through it’s own version of the olympics. Running 100 meter brain dashes, competing in brain gymnastics, and swimming laps towards a dead end.
I used to overanalyze everything. But lately, I’ve made a conscious decision to release that perfection pressure and simply move. Let ChatGPT write the first draft. Say no without overexplaining. Choose the option that’s good enough, and then go do the thing.
3. Your Comfort Zone is Killing Your Momentum
Let me be honest: I was one of those people who stayed home way too much.
My house was cozy. I convinced myself I could build everything I needed from behind my laptop. But once I made a decision to start showing up physically, everything shifted.
I didn’t change my whole schedule. I just started saying “yes” on purpose to opportunities that were already around me, and each step led to something new and unexpected.
Let me show you what I mean:
Attended a free conference (that I almost skipped)
→ Opened the door to real-time insight into how career counselors operate, what they need, and how my AI platform (Career CoPilot) could directly support their efforts in workforce development.
Attended a local city resource workshop
→ Introduced me to my city councilwoman, the head of urban planning, and local nonprofit leaders, which unlocked conversations about grants, funding, and city initiatives I could partner with.
Attended a hike with a youth STEM organization
→ Sparked a new opportunity to dive deeper into the topic of career exploration and community engagement for the next generation.
Attended a several local happy hours and networking events in 1 week
→ Reconnected me with new people in my neighborhood, while also meeting decision-makers and community advocates who are now interested in collaborating on education and workforce projects.
Attended a meet-and-greet with a local education company
→ Helped me understand how substitute teachers are supported, and how my work in career coaching and AI could be positioned as a resource in their system.
These weren’t all perfectly tailored to my niche. Some weren’t even meant for professionals in my industry. But I showed up with curiosity, and that changed everything.
I didn’t walk into these events with a pitch. I walked in with presence. And I left with purpose.
4. You’re Missing the Abundance That’s Already Around You
This world is an interconnected web of opportunity. Someone out there right now needs what you have. And you might be the missing link in their vision.
But if you’re not visible, if you’re not in rooms, if you’re not speaking up about what you care about… how will they ever find you?
I didn’t know how much my local city cared about workforce development until I met the people making the decisions. I didn’t know what funding options were available until I sat in a free conference and asked questions. I didn’t know what partnerships were possible until I showed up.
Abundance isn’t just a mindset, it’s a strategy. But it requires motion.
5. You Underestimate What Sustainable Growth Actually Takes
Pursuing a new path, launching a side project, and changing careers, aren’t just creative exercises. They’re full-body investments. And if you’re not mentally prepared for that, you’ll interpret normal challenges as signs that you’re doing something wrong.
These are the 8 elements you need to actual build and sustain your growth:
- Time: Growth doesn’t happen overnight. You need space to learn, try, fail, and try again.
- Energy: The energy to advocate for yourself, to stay curious, to face rejection, to keep going.
- Money: Growth often comes with a price tag. It’s not about spending recklessly, it’s about investing wisely.
- Systems: You can’t build a life of intention on a foundation of chaos. Systems create structure. And these systems turn ideas into action. Create them before you burnout.
- Focus: To grow, you need sustained attention on fewer things. Focus is how you go from dabbling to mastering.
- Skills: Skills can be learned. But you have to be willing to be a beginner again, to practice in private before you perform in public.
- Curiosity: Curiosity is what keeps you exploring when results aren’t immediate. It keeps the journey playful instead of punishing.
- Passion: Passion reminds you why you started. It grounds you in your “why” when the “how” feels unclear.
Growth isn’t just a mindset shift, it’s a lifestyle shift.
Keep showing up. The foundation matters.
What You Can Do Right Now
This isn’t about making a grand leap. It’s about taking one intentional step towards you dreams and goals, today.
Here’s what you can try:
- Audit your conversations: Are they helping you grow, or keeping you comfortable?
- Say yes to one event this week: A workshop, a free local conference, a volunteer opportunity.
- Set a “decision timer”: Give yourself 1 minute to decide and move.
- Talk about your passion more: Even casually. You never know who’s listening.
- Volunteer with boundaries: It’s a great way to give, learn, meet people, and stay in momentum.
Final Thought: Your People Can’t Find You If You Don’t Show Up
There is no perfect plan. But there is progress, and it comes from motion.
If you keep waiting for clarity before you act, you’ll stay stuck. But if you act, even without perfect clarity, you create space for clarity to find you.
So show up. Speak up. Step outside. Your next opportunity might be waiting at the next event you almost didn’t attend.
You don’t need to change everything overnight. Just move differently today.
