A job you once found rewarding can over time transform into a life sucking beast. In my work as a career coach, I have found three key indicators that it’s time for a change:

• The “best”you is nowhere to be found during your work day.
• You’re bored out of your mind doing tasks that don’t utilize your best talents.
• You feel your work is emotionally depleting, rather than energizing or uplifting.

If the above describes your situation, now is the time to ask you ask yourself this question: Why am I putting up with a profession that offers stress and disappointment, rather than satisfaction and fulfillment?

Having worked over many years with career coaching clients, I have found two main reasons why accomplished individuals feel stuck in unhappy occupations:

Lack of Clarity: No clear vision of what you want your future job to look like keeps you stuck in the current one. To get the clarity you need ask yourself these questions:

• What are my unique talents not showing up in my current work?
• With what kinds of people do I most want to interact?
• Which of my personal values do I want to be in synch with my job?
• What is my larger life mission, and how can my work spark that passion?

Not Believing in Your Self: You know where you want your career to go, but you’re immobilized by a lack of self-confidence. In my experience, low self-confidence is usually driven by one or more of the following:

• Self-limiting beliefs about what you can achieve.
• Worry that you will make the wrong career choice.
• Fear of failure in your new career.

Which of the above internal blocks keeps you stuck in your career?

For sure, changing professions can be a daunting task. Finding clarity of vision and the courage to believe in yourself are often easier said than done. But is doing nothing really an option? Informed by your answers above, your responses to the below will serve as your guide as you move forward.

• What is your vision for your future career?
• What are the beliefs and fears you will need to overcome to make it a reality?

As you embark on your journey to career fulfillment, keep in mind that career change is a marathon, not a sprint. Clarity about where you want to go and belief in you, however, are the necessary drivers to get you there.  Having the support of a career expert will also help you stay on track.