Feeling Stuck? Redefine Your Role, Regain Control

Do you ever just feel totally overwhelmed and bored by menial tasks? Do you feel trapped by outdated job descriptions or service offerings, limiting growth and impact? I encounter this every day with the people I work with, and I’ve dealt with these feelings myself.

I encounter this every day with the people I work with, and I’ve dealt with these feelings myself.

Human beings are wired for learning, growth. We’re goal-oriented. Once we’ve reached a goal, we’re ready for the next challenge. When we’re starting out—early in our careers or business—there’s no end to the goals we can achieve.

However, as we progress in our careers or businesses activities become routine and growth opportunities dissipate. This leads to dissatisfaction, boredom, and burnout. You feel stuck.

Most of the time workers and solo business owners see this as an unsolvable problem: There’s no more growth to be had; I’ll just have to suck it up for the next 10-2- years until I retire.

Several years ago I had a job as a database administrator. Fancy title, boring job. I created projects to manage the system more efficiently, but that was short-lived. That’s when I decided to take my career path into my own hands. Within a year I became a certified business analyst, then a global project manager. 

It all happened when I realized that I defined who I was, not the job.

The Employee Perspective: Proactively Shaping Your Role

Approximately 25% of U.S. workers believe that career pivots are not feasible, often due to concerns about skill gaps, financial risks, or fear of failure

Why redefine your role?

Aligning your job to your specific strengths in a way that increases efficiency and value to your employer creates a strong job security net, and it keeps you engaged. 

So, what’s in it for you personally? 50% of U.S. workers are "not engaged" in their jobs, with workers over 40 reporting higher disengagement (55%) due to limited opportunities for growth or misalignment with organizational goals (Gallup). 

What does “misalignment with organizational goals” mean? It means that what you want out of life (or your job) doesn’t align with the direction your employer is heading. Is there a way to find commonality?

Every job exists for a purpose, a specific set of duties that need to be carried out so the business runs optimally. You were hired for your skills and your personality traits (e.g., sales/marketing and a collaborative spirit). What are the duties of your job in comparison to your strengths? What do you do well, and how do you want to be challenged? 

Stay abreast of industry changes impact the company and, more importantly, your job. Keep yourself informed and educated.

If your interests have diverged too far away from your current job role, consider a career pivot. Fear of failure, perceived financial risks, and concerns about skill and education gaps keep a quarter of workers on a career path they don’t want to continue walking. 

I have pivoted to completely unrelated fields—theatre to education, education to business analysis/project management, BA/PM to pharmaceuticals, pharma back to education.

Think about how you want to “land the plane” in your career. 

How to Propose Changes Effectively

Get a current copy of your job description and highlight what you're currently doing, then underline what you enjoy doing or you would like to engage in more. Don’t be surprised if the description is vague—see it as an opportunity to define it.

If you’ve been in your role for any amount of time you’ve problem noted areas where things could be improved. What solutions do you have to offer?

Suggest specific tweaks that increase your efficiency (e.g., delegating low-value tasks, heading a new initiative), and benefit the company. Showing how the changes bring specific (preferably measurable) value to the company frames your proposal as a win-win.

Lay out a plan that will lead to your proposed job description changes. Look at your current job description, company needs, industry changes, and your preferred skills (what you enjoy or excel at doing).

I was a hiring manager for over twelve years. I had an evaluation process that included growth. It was a rare instance that an employee proposed things they wanted to explore or skills they wanted to obtain, so I would press them. I encouraged people to head professional development, gain certifications, and speak at conferences. 

However, you need to manage your growth; don’t depend on an employer to advance your career. Some may, but most don’t. 

When I was a database administrator I proposed a basic data scrub to clean dead and duplicate accounts from the CMS (client management system). I was new to the position and I noticed that there were no standards in place. I convinced my boss that the change was necessary.

So, I set the standards, and my team implemented them. The result was cleaner, more accurate reports and it saved the bank several million dollars a year. This led to an eventual promotion.

When you have clarity around your vision, then you can confidently navigate your path. The people who have the access to get you to the next level will have faith that you can do it. That’s how you gain support in redefining your role.

The Solopreneur: Evolving Your Offerings

Running a solo business is a high wire act with spinning plates and juggling balls. You do it all—so, you best do it as efficiently as possible. Low-impact tasks drain time and dilute your outcomes.

Cut or delegate. As a solopreneur you can delegate to AI. Use it, it’s a great tool. I use AI to scrub the web for research, summarize data, consolidate and outline my ideas, schedule posts, etc. It saves me hours.

Your market changes regularly, so your business needs to evolve, as well. Observe the changes—new technology, practices, insights, shifting client bases—and figure out how they align with your vision for your business.

Refining Offerings

Why did you start your business? Do you create a product or provide a service? How much of your time is spent doing your business versus running your business? How much of your time is spent on time-consuming tasks with low return versus high return tasks? 

Find ways to outsource (e.g., AI) and audit your services to keep your offerings tight and effective. Solopreneurs have the tendency to over create. How do you audit? 

Know your metrics (key performance indicators) and review them often. That data guides business decisions. What gets measured gets managed. I’ll add that if you measure poor quality data (e.g., loose criteria), then your management won’t be cohesive. Think about the carpenter who measures thrice and apply it to your data.

I have the perfect examples of poor quality vs. good quality data: My Facebook group. It’s not an accurate representation of my target audience for many reasons. I started it initially for yoga teachers, then invited people who attended various workshops. 

Finally, I’ve found my groove with midlife career professionals and solopreneurs. Largely, that group is not represented. That means I can’t rely on any data (views, likes, comments) in that group to drive future content. 

However, I can depend on my newsletter’s analytics. Knowing my overall open rate and open rates for each newsletter let me know what content people are reading and which topics don’t interest them. I also gather feedback from clients after completing coaching services. This helps me improve what I offer based on client needs.

I also realized I was spending excess time on platforms that offered little to no growth. I dropped those platforms and now focus on three. This is a fresh change, but growth is already evident.

As the sole owner of your business you are also the visionary. Do you have a clear path to that vision? Test out new ideas and keep clients in the loop, taking them on the journey with you and building (or maintaining) trust.

Your Next Immediate Step

Redefining your role, whether as an employee or solopreneur, means focusing on high-impact work that aligns with your strengths and market needs.

Action steps:

• Employees: This week, identify one task to delegate or one new responsibility to propose.

• Solopreneurs: Review your services and flag one low-value offering to phase out.

Redefining your role is empowering and keeps you competitive. What excites you most and how can you do more of it?

Take one small step this week and share your progress with me by connecting with me on X, Threads, or LinkedIn.

Sending you all Peace, Love, & Harmony!

Do You Need Help Tapping Into Your Potential?

Are you struggling to meet your goals and wish you had support? Have you ever considered working with a coach? You may not know what a coach does.

One-on-One Coaching:

• You and I develop an individualized plan targeting your specific goals

• You receive individualized support from me

• Answers to your specific questions

• Guidance on your specific issues and blocks

• Accessibility to me outside coaching sessions for added support (individual texts and emails to check in)

• Your plan leads to learning how your personal growth is in your control

Are you ready to take action but are at a loss on what step to take next? 

I can teach you how to get started and accelerate your growth by using repeatable methods. Need the tools? I’ve got them. The goal is always to make you independent. I should be working myself out of a job. Once you take off, you may want to have a session from time to time, especially if you are scaling your goals. A good coach teaches you how to stand on your own two feet. Contact me today. Are you ready to CONNECT?