For many of us, 2023 has been the year of feeling stuck.
Every time I bump into or catch up with friend or former colleague I haven’t seen in a while, there is a sense of stuckness that I feel from so many. Sometimes they’re unhappy in their marriage or tired of the expensive city they live in. But in most cases, the people I know are unhappy with their jobs. Jobs that were once super fulfilling and seemingly dream jobs are no longer feeling that way. Many of us have been doing the same jobs for 10-20 years, don’t know what to do next, and are looking for something more meaningful and new.
As first, I thought this was more common among my peers because I’m in a field where people are feeling burnt out by the way we’ve been taught to create in the last decade of instant, fast-turnaround creative content. But I’m finding that old friends from high school, college, and past co-workers who are in other lines of work feel similarly, too. Our writer and actor friends are on strike which affects many small businesses and lots of creative jobs, too. Plus, it doesn’t help that the economy sucks right now. So anyone who has a job doesn’t feel like they have the luxury to freely explore their next dream. We’re just moving through our days slightly unhappy but trying to feel grateful.
Are you feeling this way? Or maybe you think you’re the only one who does. I promise you’re not…