Feeling Stuck in Your Career? How to Start Moving Forward (Even If You’re Overwhelmed)
Tiny child’s sneakers representing the small steps that can help you move forward when you feel stuck in your career.
(Why tiny steps matter more than you think)
Many of the leaders I work with have a moment like this.
They know something needs to change.
They’ve been thinking about what might be next.
They’ve even imagined a different version of their work and life.
And yet… nothing is happening.
Not because they don’t care.
But because they’re exhausted.
Their current role is demanding.
Their days are full.
Their energy is already spoken for.
So even the idea of “figuring out what’s next” starts to feel like one more thing on an already overwhelming list.
And that’s where people get stuck.
What should you do when you feel stuck in your career?
If you feel stuck in your career, don’t start by forcing yourself to figure out your entire next move. Start by rebuilding some energy and taking one small action that gives you new information. Career clarity often develops through conversations, curiosity, and small experiments, not by thinking harder about the perfect answer.
Why It’s So Hard to Take Action When You Feel Stuck
When you’re feeling stuck in your career, the default advice often sounds like this:
update your resume
start networking
explore new opportunities
But if you’re already overwhelmed, those steps can feel too big.
So instead, nothing happens.
You stay in your head.
You keep daydreaming.
And the gap between where you are and where you might want to be starts to feel even wider.
The Real Key to Career Momentum: Teeny Tiny Steps
If there’s one thing I’ve seen make the biggest difference, it’s this:
You don’t need big moves to create change.
You need small, consistent ones.
So small, in fact, that they almost feel… ridiculous.
I sometimes call this:
“pushing the peanuts along.”
If you push a peanut one inch a month, after a year, it’s a foot further down the path.
And more importantly, you’ve created momentum.
Phase 1: Rebuild Your Energy First
Before you try to figure out your next career move, you need to replenish your energy.
Because clarity is very hard to access when you’re depleted.
If this feels familiar, you might also recognize the mental spiral that often comes with it. I wrote more about that here: When You’re Spiraling About What’s Next, Try This.
Start here:
Ask yourself:
What activities give me energy?
What consistently drains me?
Then, instead of overhauling your life, look for ways to reintroduce energy in very small ways.
Think in 5-minute increments.
(If you tend to push yourself hard even here, you might appreciate How to Give Yourself a Break (If You’re an Overachiever))
Examples
Writing gives you energy?
Try journaling for 5 minutes in the morning while you’re drinking your coffee.
Exercise feels overwhelming?
Skip the gym.
Take the stairs at the office.
Walk the dog around the block.
Move your body in a way that feels easy to start.
Love travel or novelty?
Walk a different route than you normally do.
Explore one new place in your neighborhood.
Get energy from people?
Start a one-minute conversation with someone new once a week.
Nothing here needs to be dramatic.
The goal is simple:
Begin to feel a little more like yourself again.
Do this for a week.
Or a month.
Until you feel even slightly more replenished.
Phase 2: Gentle Exploration (Without Overwhelm)
Once your energy starts to return, the next step is exploration.
This is where many people get stuck again because they set goals that are too big.
Instead, try this:
Set a goal that is so realistic, it feels almost too small.
Examples
Reach out to schedule one 20-minute virtual conversation per month with someone doing work you’re curious about
Read one article per month on a topic you’re exploring
Attend one webinar or event per month
That’s it.
Not five conversations.
Not a full research project.
Just one.
This keeps the process manageable and sustainable.
This kind of exploration is part of what I now call The Learning Space for What’s Next, a nonlinear process for figuring out what comes next without requiring yourself to have the answer first.
If you’re wondering whether you actually need a full career change or just a different relationship with work, this piece might help you sort that out: You Don’t Need to Start Over: How to Redesign Your Career Instead
Phase 3: Bring the Future Into the Present
After a few months of small exploration, you may start to notice patterns.
Something catches your attention.
Something gives you energy.
At that point, ask yourself:
“What is one small way I can bring more of this into my life today?”
And then do it.
Not someday.
Today.
Phase 4: Small Experiments (What Tara Mohr Calls “Leaps”)
This is where things start to get interesting.
Once you’ve identified something you’re curious about, you can design small experiments.
Tara Mohr calls these “leaps.”
They are:
short (1–2 weeks)
focused on learning
connected to real people (your ideal audience)
just a little bit outside your comfort zone
And importantly:
They should create a bit of energy or adrenaline.
Examples of “Leaps”
Offer to help someone with a small project in an area you’re exploring
Host a small conversation or gathering on a topic you’re curious about
Test out a skill or idea in a low-stakes way
You’re not committing to a full career change.
You’re simply gathering information through action.
That’s why I often tell clients that Clarity Doesn’t Come First. It Comes from Action.
From Daydreaming to Momentum
When you put all of this together, something subtle but powerful begins to happen.
You move from:
Thinking → to doing
Imagining → to experimenting
Stuck → to in motion
And the movement doesn’t come from one big decision.
It comes from a series of very small ones.
Why This Works
Because momentum builds on itself.
When you take one small step:
you feel a little more energized
you gain a little more clarity
you build a little more confidence
And that becomes the kindling.
The start of a very small fire.
And from there, it becomes much easier to take the next step.
A Thought to Leave You With
If you’ve been feeling stuck and waiting for clarity before taking action, you might try asking yourself:
What is one small, almost ridiculously easy step I could take this week to move things forward?
Not the perfect step.
Just a small one.
Because sometimes, the path forward doesn’t start with a leap.
It starts with pushing the peanut one inch at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I feel so stuck in my career?
Feeling stuck doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve chosen the wrong career. You may be depleted, overwhelmed, disconnected from what gives you energy, or simply ready for something different. When you’re exhausted, even exploring your options can feel like another enormous task.
How do I figure out what career I want next?
Start with curiosity rather than trying to choose your next career immediately. Notice what gives you energy, talk with people whose work interests you, and try small experiences that let you test your assumptions. The goal is to gather information before requiring yourself to make a big decision.
What can I do if I want a career change but feel overwhelmed?
Make the next step much smaller. Instead of creating a complete career-change plan, schedule one conversation, read one article, attend one event, or spend a few minutes exploring something that interests you. Small actions can create momentum without adding another overwhelming project to your life.
Do I need to know what I want before I start exploring?
No. Exploration is one of the ways you discover what you want. Conversations, experiments, new experiences, and even ideas that don’t work out can give you useful information about what fits and what doesn’t.
How can I get unstuck without quitting my job?
You can explore while remaining in your current role. Start with small conversations, experiments, classes, projects, or experiences outside your regular work. This lets you gather information about what you might want next without requiring an immediate career change.
If You Want Support Getting Unstuck
If you’re in that place where you know something needs to shift but you’re not sure how to even begin, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
One of the most powerful things you can do at this stage is not go it alone.
That could look like working with a coach.
Or it could be something much simpler.
It could be:
writing down one small thing you’re thinking about trying
or saying it out loud to another human
Because something shifts when you do that.
I’ve seen how much can change when someone takes an idea out of their head and puts it into words. Add another person who knows what you’re planning to try, and suddenly that tiny step can feel much more real.
Which means this doesn’t have to be complicated.
You don’t need a perfect plan.
You just need:
a small step
and someone who knows you’re taking it
That someone could be me.
Or it could be a friend, a colleague, or a peer who’s also exploring what’s next.
But don’t underestimate the power of simply saying:
“Here’s one thing I’m thinking about trying.”
Because that small act can be the difference between staying in your head… and starting to move.
If you’d like a structured space to think this through and identify your next small step, you can book a free exploratory conversation here:
👉 https://CoachTracy.as.me/
A place to slow down, get clear, and start moving forward in a way that actually feels manageable.
About Tracy Foltz
Tracy Foltz, PCC, is an executive and leadership coach who helps accomplished leaders, often women over 40, navigate career transitions, leadership challenges, and questions about what they want next. Before becoming a full-time coach, Tracy spent more than 20 years at Microsoft, where she coached and developed leaders while building her own successful corporate career.
