When You’re Stuck in a Job That’s Slowly Sucking the Life Out of You

23/05/2025

Been There, Done That, Bought the T-Shirt 


You're not lazy. 

You're not broken. 

You're just done.

There's a special kind of burnout that comes from doing a job that no longer lights you up. You might be getting positive reinforcement and appreciation from your line manager but it doesn't really matter anymore as it is not the place you want to be.

In reality you are showing up, you're ticking the boxes and you meet the required deadlines.
But inside? You're uninspired,  dreading before the day even starts, or even coasting just doing enough to get by and you have lost the fire in your belly!

And maybe worst of all — you feel guilty for feeling this way.
Because technically, everything looks fine.
You're "successful.", you have a great job, other might kill for your job, right?

But still... something's missing...and you know it.

I Know This Feeling Too Well

I stayed in a role I'd outgrown for years.
Why?

 I was good at it. 

 I was scared of starting again.

I didn't want to seem ungrateful. 

I didn't know who I was without it.

But inside, I was restless, resentful, over-functioning and under-whelmed.
And the longer I stayed, the further I got from myself.

You're Not the Problem

Let me be very clear:
You are not 

Unmotivated    

Losing your Grit and Focus 


You are just out of alignment.
You're in a role that doesn't fit anymore and it's costing you, your most valuable asset, TIME!

Your energy. Your self-esteem. Your sense of purpose.

It's like wearing shoes that used to fit but now give you blisters every step of the way. Sure, you can keep walking but at what cost?

What We Forget to Ask Ourselves

So many of my clients say some version of the same thing:

"I don't even know what I like anymore."
"I've been doing this so long, I don't know how to leave."
"I feel stuck, but I'm afraid to change."

What we forget is that it's not about blowing everything up overnight, leaving you role and being in a more vulnerable position 
It's about coming back to who you really are, before the title, that level of responsibility, survival/ coasting mode.

That's where the shift begins.

The D.O. Model Can Help You Get Unstuck

At Discover Opportunities, we use a model that works because it's rooted in real life:

  • The Past You — the one who made choices out of necessity, not joy

  • The Present You — the one stuck in the loop of "fine" but far from fulfilled

  • The Future You — the one you haven't met yet, but deeply want to become

Through 1:1 coaching, team support, or deeper organisational work, we help people reconnect with what actually matters. We ask better questions. We hold up a mirror and we help you remember your worth.

One Client's Turning Point

One man came to me with a decorated CV and a dead soul.
He was overachieving on paper but emotionally checked out.

We started unpacking his story not the LinkedIn version, but the real one. The one where he'd given ten years to a company that didn't see him anymore he was just a the guy would will look after X,Y and Z . The one where he stayed because he was afraid no one else would value him, or didnt have the right qualifications just in house experience. 

His words that stuck with me?

"I realised I'd built a life around being useful but I was never happy."

Today, he's not just in a new role he's in a new relationship with himself.  With important elements, they are boundaries, purpose, energy and  all back inline.

You Deserve More Than Just "Fine"

You don't have to burn it all down to find something better.
But you do have to stop pretending you're okay with being unfulfilled.

You can have a life and a career that actually mean something to you.
It's not too late, you are not too far gone and you haven't missed your chance.

You just need to give yourself permission to want more.

If you're nodding along, reach out. Let's talk. No pressure, no push. Just space to figure out what the hell you really want.

Because you are not meant to just survive your work.

Let's find out what it feels like to thrive.