Successful people get out of a career rut by acting before they feel inspired: they find the real weight holding them back, test small changes and keep moving. Everyone gets stuck at some point, and the hardest rut to climb out of is the career one. Some people chase money and end up comfortable but bored. Others follow a passion and find that food on the table can beat freedom of expression. Others coast in middle management with an okay salary and a not-okay headspace.
The video’s view is that your favourite entrepreneurs were in the same place, and it walks through 15 things they did about it.
Watch the full video here, or skip to the breakdown below.
The 15 ways at a glance
- They get out of their own way (0:52)
- They made enough big mistakes (1:42)
- They find the unexpected weight holding them back (2:20)
- More money helps, but only up to a point (3:18)
- They know where it all began (3:52)
- They’ve tested out horizontal shifts (4:40)
- They don’t fear or avoid rejection (5:27)
- Embarrassment is the cost of entry, and they pay it (6:23)
- They test their limits before making a drastic change (7:11)
- They pay attention to what they consume (8:09)
- They upskill, demand and search (9:33)
- Breaks help, but they are not the cure (10:07)
- They know inspiration follows action (10:59)
- They recognise mental work is a small piece of the puzzle (11:38)
- Every successful person has been here before (12:37)
1. They get out of their own way
Most people in a rut force themselves to work harder, assuming the road will clear once they get over the speed bump. But the road isn’t the problem. You are, and pushing harder only makes it worse.
When you let the logical, thinking brain step aside and follow a more chaotic version of yourself, you can get a spark. The video’s example is Howard Schultz, who was a general manager at a kitchenware company and bored out of his mind. He went to Italy and came back with good coffee and a great idea.
2. They made enough big mistakes
A few big mistakes can scare you into getting your act together, and that can go two ways. You may realise you love your job and don’t want to lose it, or that you hate it so much you don’t care about the mistake.
You’re in a rut partly because you don’t feel good enough, and partly because you aren’t bad enough to get a wake up call. This is a time to take risks and go out on a limb. If it doesn’t pay off, you ran an interesting experiment on yourself.
3. They find the unexpected weight holding them back
Feeling stuck isn’t only about a job you dislike or low pay. Something else may be weighing on you without you noticing.
The video cites studies saying people are more likely to leave a job because they dislike colleagues than because of money or the type of work, and that people will stay in a good company culture even at some cost in pay. Other research it mentions points to the commute, relationship problems and friction with managers. A partner who isn’t supportive can drag you down as much as a bad pay cheque. Name the weight and some of it lifts.
4. More money helps, but only up to a point
For a quick remedy to boredom and frustration, ask for a raise. It isn’t foolproof, but it buys you some happy time and the energy to work out what the problem is or look for new work.
If they refuse, you have your answer about which direction to go. If they agree, you’ve bought extra motivation, and the next job is to keep the momentum going.
5. They know where it all began
It’s a scary moment when you first wonder if you’re in the wrong industry. After years of study or work, it can feel like a waste of time, as if you don’t know yourself.
Start by asking when it began. Was it this job, university or many years ago? Knowing the timing helps you see if you face an identity issue or a situational one. You have to know the enemy to fight it.
6. They’ve tested out horizontal shifts
Not everything has to go up and up. The idea that you only progress by moving one way is, in the video’s words, crazy. You can take skills from your current career and use them for something different but more you.
Oprah was fired and demoted from her first broadcast jobs because studio heads thought her presenting was too emotional. Had she toned it down, she could have moved up fast. She shifted her interest to match her skills instead, showing you can be an empathetic human and a cutthroat money-maker at once.
7. They don’t fear or avoid rejection
This means job interview rejections, ideas thrown out and eye rolls at your suggestions. Go looking for them, because they will fuel you. Part of why you’re bored is that you play it safe.
Put yourself in awkward situations and get comfortable being uncomfortable. You’ll get so focused on the mission that sparks of inspiration come back. Vera Wang wanted to be a figure skater and didn’t make it, then applied to be editor-in-chief at Vogue and didn’t get that either. Look at where she is now.
8. Embarrassment is the cost of entry, and they pay it
How often have you held back not from fear of failing but from embarrassment about starting? Explaining a new podcast to your family is embarrassing. So is standing in the window of your own coffee shop, hoping passers-by come in, or advertising a side hustle to friends on Instagram.
Saying look at me and my thing is hard for everyone. The sooner you accept that and move past it, the easier it is to move out of the rut and go for what you want.
9. They test their limits before making a drastic change
Some people throw themselves into a big change without realising they can’t handle everything that comes with it. The added stress is the problem, and when it doesn’t work out fast they run back to where they started.
Test the waters first and be honest about your mental and emotional capacity. The video defends compartmentalising as a useful tool: put things into separate mental boxes so they don’t affect the rest of your life, and use the saved energy to build momentum. You aren’t ignoring the problem, only conserving energy for when you can go full force.
10. They pay attention to what they consume
Elon Musk co-founded PayPal, which was revolutionary in its day, yet the video says he was bored by the finance side. He loved rocket science and coding, not cheques and balances. Before Tesla and SpaceX, he devoured books on coding, AI and rocket science, topics he was interested in.
The further your interests are from your work, the unhappier you’ll be. The middle ground already exists, and all you have to do is cross it.
11. They upskill, demand and search
You can think about why you’re stuck while doing other things. Don’t ride the mental merry-go-round. Take courses and projects that are completely different.
Ask your employer whether you can do something totally different for a week. They’ll probably say no, which is fine, because rejection breaks the I-don’t-even-care barrier. If they say yes, you’ve won that round. Then search elsewhere, and take your new skills and demands with you.
12. Breaks help, but they are not the cure
Time off can help when you’re tired and frustrated, but it won’t pull you out of a rut. You are the one going through it while everything else carries on as usual, so you will feel the same when you come back.
A break still has a use. It gives you the energy to dig into what is causing the feeling, and the time to take real steps toward the next phase of your working life. The video’s next point is where to start: take action.
13. They know inspiration follows action
People think you get inspired first and then act. The video says that inspiration is fleeting and gone by step two. You won’t find answers sitting still. Get up and do something, anything.
Treat it as getting out there and living your life, not as a fix for a problem. Inspiration and zest for life follow you, but only while you are moving.
14. They recognise mental work is a small piece of the puzzle
A therapy-rich world has led many to think reflecting and analysing creates momentum. It doesn’t. It’s a small part, and it has to be combined with visible, real-world steps.
Doing only the mental work is like sitting in a car, knowing exactly how to drive it, and hoping to move it by thinking hard. You have to turn the key. Reflections and journal entries won’t help without actually getting a move on.
15. Every successful person has been here before
No successful person hasn’t felt stuck. Feeling stuck is good, the video says, because it means you expect better of yourself and know you have more potential than you’re showing.
So treat it as a chance for a new chapter, maybe a sign to read more books on rocket science. The richest and most successful people were here before, so you’re in good company. Follow how they got out and see where you land.
Start moving before you feel ready
What links these 15 points is movement. The weight you find, the horizontal shift you test and the rejection you seek out all give you information, and none of that arrives while you wait for inspiration.
Pick the point that stung most when you read it and do one small thing about it this week.
FAQ
How do you get out of a career rut?
The video says to stop forcing yourself to work harder, find the hidden weight holding you back, test horizontal moves and small changes, and take action first because inspiration follows it.
Does asking for a raise fix a career rut?
Not fully, but it can buy motivation and time. If you get it you have more energy to find the real problem, and if you don’t you learn which direction to head.
Will taking time off get me out of a rut?
Not by itself. A break gives you energy to dig into the cause and take steps, but you will feel the same on return unless you act on it.
What is a horizontal career shift?
It means using skills from your current career in a different but more fitting role instead of only moving up, as Oprah did when she shifted her interest to match her skills.
Why does action come before inspiration?
The video argues inspiration is fleeting and rarely arrives while you sit still, so you need to do something, anything, and the zest for life follows when you are moving.
Is feeling stuck in your career normal?
Yes. The video says every successful person has been stuck and that it signals you expect more of yourself and have more potential than you are showing.
Keep reading
- 15 Things Successful People Do in their 20s
- 15 Ways Successful People Stay Motivated
- Happy and Successful People Live Their Lives Remarkably
