Are You Stuck in the Wrong Career? How to Know When to Quit

Are You Living a Life of True Fulfillment or Simply Checking Off Success Markers?

Helen Hanison, the Amazon bestselling author of Unstuck, challenges the conventional notions of success and asks us to examine whether we're truly happy in our careers—or just going through the motions. If you've ever felt like you're accomplishing a lot but still feel unfulfilled, this episode will hit home. It’s time to ask yourself: Are you thriving, or are you stuck?

Helen's here to pull back the curtain on a topic that quietly haunts many professionals:

Feeling Stuck in a Successful Career

Think you're immune to career burnout because you’re “successful”? Think again. Helen reveals how even top achievers can find themselves trapped in a success cycle that drains their passion, purpose, and, eventually, happiness.

🚨 Jaw-Dropping Insight 🚨

Imagine being too good at your job that it locks you into a never-ending loop of promotions and progress… but none of it truly makes you happy anymore. Sounds familiar? Helen calls this the “Success Trap,” and in this episode, she explains why persevering in the wrong direction can be fatal to your fulfillment.

Episode Summary

In this power-packed conversation, Helen Hanison, author of Unstuck, dissects what it truly means to feel “stuck” in your career. More than just a feeling of dissatisfaction, being stuck is about knowing you’re not 100% fulfilled but lacking the tools or the courage to change direction. Helen walks us through how this disempowerment can seep into every part of our lives—especially for seasoned professionals who’ve been unhappy for years but are too successful to pivot easily.

Helen guides us through the psychological and societal pressures that keep high achievers tied to jobs that no longer serve them. From the way we’re conditioned to chase success markers (think grades, promotions, and pay raises) to the deep fear of stepping away from what we know, she shines a light on why so many professionals end up feeling trapped despite their outward accomplishments.

Key Highlights

• What it means to be stuck: It’s more than being dissatisfied. It’s about feeling powerless to make a change, even when you know you’re not living your best life.
• The Success Trap: High achievers often stay in roles they’ve outgrown because they fear losing the stability and recognition they’ve built.
• Perseverance is NOT always a virtue: Pushing through challenges is admirable—but not when you’re grinding away at something that’s completely wrong for you.
• The bleed between personal and professional life: If you're unhappy at work, you better believe it’s going to spill over into your personal life. There’s no true boundary there.
• The importance of realignment: Career transformation starts with realigning your work with your values and building toward something that feels purposeful.

No Fluff, The Actions You Can Take

1. Reflection Time: Set aside time this week to think about whether you’re truly happy in your career, or if you’ve fallen into the “Success Trap.”

2. Define Your ‘Stuckness’: Use Helen’s definition to assess where you are in your career. Are you less than 100% fulfilled? If so, what steps can you take to start moving toward change?

3. Start Small: Helen emphasizes that career transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Take small steps to shift toward a more aligned career, even if that means baby steps.

4. Grab a Copy of Unstuck: Helen’s book goes into even more detail about how to break free from being stuck in your career. If this episode hit home, you need to dive deeper.

5. Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the episode! Have you ever found yourself in the Success Trap? How did you (or how will you) break free? Let us know on Instagram @5MinuteCareerHack.

This is the episode you didn’t know you needed but won’t be able to stop thinking about. Let Helen’s wisdom be the catalyst for real change in your professional life!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the 5 Minute Career Hack Podcast on YouTube and Apple Podcasts! Share your thoughts and reviews with us—we want to hear how these conversations resonate with you!

🔥 And guess what? We’ve got something massive coming up for those of you ready to take things even further. Mark your calendar for October 15th-17th—our Burn the Rule Book: Career Transformation Lab will help you finally break free from outdated career advice and build a roadmap that works for you. Learn more and save your spot.

Lastly, if you’re hungry for more tools, resources, and a community that will help you grow, we invite you to join our Career Hacker Community today. Together, we’ll ignite the fire for your career success. Click here to join.