Welcome to the Stop Sabotaging Your Success podcast, episode one hundred and forty-six. I’m your host, Cindy Esliger. This is the podcast focusing on what we can do today to take control of our careers and overcome the inevitable barriers to success that we encounter along the way. 

We’ve all been there, cruising through our workdays, feeling comfortably in control because we’ve mastered the tasks at hand. It feels good to be the expert, to know the routine like the back of your hand. But here’s the catch: while staying in your comfort zone might feel safe, it’s a subtle trap that can lead to long-term career stagnation. Doing what’s easy and familiar offers immediate relief, but over time, it robs you of the chance to learn new things and the sense of fulfillment that comes from tackling new challenges. When you’re not actively challenging yourself, you’re not progressing – and before you know it, you’ve traded your ambition for convenience.

In this episode, we look at the steps you need to take to proactively keep yourself engaged, even when it feels more tempting to simply coast. If you’re not setting new goals, learning new skills, or seeking out stretch assignments, you risk falling behind, not just in your career progression but in maintaining your motivation and sense of purpose. It’s about more than just avoiding career stagnation; it’s about ensuring that you stay excited about the work you do and continue to build a path that leads to long-term success. And, while pushing yourself may feel uncomfortable, the long-term consequences of not doing so are far worse. 

You may be doing what you do best, feeling pretty comfortable while you’re at it. But then, slowly, that comfort starts morphing into something less pleasant. You’re not bored exactly, but the spark isn’t quite there anymore. And while you’re busy trying to keep up with the day-to-day grind, the thought of taking on new challenges feels like a weight you’d rather not bear. But, here’s the deal: if you’re not proactively challenging yourself, you’re not growing. And, if you’re not growing, you’re sticking with what’s familiar. Familiarity might feel safe and stable in the short-term, but it can result in some pretty nasty long-term consequences for your career. 

In the workplace, many of us are so focused on just keeping up that the thought of adding more to our plate seems absurd. “You want me to do what? Learn a new skill? Take on more responsibility? Yeah, right. I’m just trying to make it to the weekend with my sanity intact.” 

I get it. Between the endless meetings, messages, alerts, and the general chaos of working life, there’s barely enough mental bandwidth left to consider new challenges. But, here’s the thing: keeping up is not the same as moving forward. In fact, it can feel like you’re simply treading water – exhausting and directionless. If you’re only focused on survival, you’re not paying attention to the bigger picture, and that’s where the stagnation starts creeping in. Without even realizing it, you’ve gone from thriving in your career to simply maintaining the status quo. 

When everything is stable, we feel secure. And that feels nice, right? We know what to expect, we can perform our tasks in our sleep, and there’s no uncertainty lurking around the corner. Sounds comfortable, doesn’t it? 

But, there’s an inverse relationship between stability and challenge. When stability is high, challenge is usually low, and low challenge is the enemy of growth. The more stable things are, the less we’re pushed to grow or try new things. 

On the flip side, when we’re constantly facing new challenges, there’s a sense of instability that comes with it. That’s the discomfort of stepping into the unknown. The sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle, where there’s just enough stability to keep us from feeling like we’re in freefall, but enough challenge to keep us sharp, engaged, and maintain that thirst for learning. Unfortunately, when we lean too hard into stability, we unintentionally tip the scales in favor of stagnation.

 So, what happens when stability becomes too much of a good thing? Like when our job becomes more about repetition and less about discovery? At first, it feels great. You’re cruising through tasks, you’re the expert in your field, and barely anything surprises you anymore. But then, slowly, cracks start to form. High stability with low challenge is the breeding ground for complacency. And, complacency is a career killer. 

When you’re not being challenged, several issues begin to surface. You stop learning, you stop progressing, and the excitement you once felt for your work starts to fizzle out. You become comfortable with ‘good enough’ and that’s when things start to go sideways. 

Let’s break down some of the major issues that creep in when you stop challenging yourself and fall into stagnation. Remember when you first started your job and everything felt exciting? There were new skills to learn, new people to meet, and new challenges to tackle. Fast forward to now, and your day-to-day has become a predictable routine. When you’re not actively challenging yourself, your motivation takes a nosedive. You stop looking for ways to improve, and everything starts to feel like a chore. The passion and drive that once fueled your success? Gone. 

If you’re not pushing yourself, you’re not growing. It’s as simple as that. You stop learning new skills, expanding your knowledge, and pushing your boundaries. Over time, you become stagnant – not just in your current role, but in your career overall. When growth stops, so do your chances of advancement. You might be doing your job well, but if you’re not evolving, others will surpass you. 

When you stop challenging yourself, your confidence can actually take a hit. Without new challenges, you don’t get the chance to prove to yourself that you’re capable of more. The longer you stay in your comfort zone, the more that voice in your head starts to whisper, “Maybe this is all you can do”. And once self-doubt creeps in, it becomes harder to take on challenges in the future. 

When you’re stuck in the comfort zone, you’re not on the lookout for new opportunities. You’re so focused on maintaining stability that you miss the chance to take on new projects, switch roles, or even pursue a promotion. And, what you may not realize is that these opportunities don’t come knocking twice. While you’re playing it safe, others are stepping up and grabbing them. 

At first, stability feels good, but after a while, it can feel suffocating. The excitement, the joy, the passion you once had for your work slowly fades. When there’s no challenge, there’s no growth, and when there’s no growth, there’s no passion. Without that spark, it’s hard to stay engaged and invested in your career. 

As your passion diminishes, so does your job satisfaction. When you’re not being challenged, your work becomes routine, and routine leads to boredom. Over time, this boredom turns into dissatisfaction. You’re no longer excited to go to work, and everything starts to feel like a grind. The days get longer and the weeks drag on, but nothing changes. 

If you’re not growing, your career isn’t either. When you stop challenging yourself, you hit a plateau. You might be doing ‘well enough’ in your current role, but without new skills or experiences, you’re not going anywhere. Promotions, raises, and new opportunities go to the people who are continuously pushing themselves – not the ones who are coasting. 

When you stop challenging yourself, you stop building resilience. You become less adaptable, less able to handle adversity, and less prepared to tackle the inevitable bumps in the road. Then, when a challenge does come your way, you’re not equipped to handle it, and it feels much harder than it should.

The longer you stay stagnant, the more frustrated you become. You start to feel stuck, like you’re spinning your wheels and going nowhere. This frustration can lead to feelings of anxiety and even depression. As you disengage from your work, you also start to disengage from your colleagues, leading to isolation. You’re no longer a part of the conversation because, frankly, you’re not contributing anything new. 

When you’re not pushing yourself, your creativity stalls. You’re not thinking outside the box or coming up with fresh ideas because you’re too focused on maintaining the status quo. Without new challenges, your contributions become predictable and stale. And when you’re predictable, you become an easy target for those wanting to manipulate you to further their own agendas. 

Industries evolve, and if you’re not evolving with them, you risk becoming obsolete. The skills that got you to where you are might not be the skills that will get you to the next level – or even keep you relevant in the future. Staying stagnant while others are growing is a surefire way to get left behind, or included in the next round of layoffs that are undoubtedly coming. 

As you watch others take on new challenges, grow their careers, and achieve success, it’s hard not to feel a pang of envy. But, the truth is, they’re doing the work while you’re not. They’re taking risks, pushing themselves, and staying engaged. And while you’ve been playing it safe, they’ve been climbing the ladder.

When you’re not growing, you’re not leading. You’re not contributing new ideas, taking on new challenges, or positioning yourself as a future leader. Over time, your influence within your organization diminishes. People stop turning to you for insight because they don’t see you as someone who’s making the effort to stay relevant. 

Stability feels comfortable, but it’s a trap. It lures you in with the promise of security, but the long-term consequences can be damaging to your career. To avoid stagnation, you have to challenge yourself continuously. Whether it’s learning new skills, taking on stretch assignments, or simply stepping out of your comfort zone, pushing yourself is the only way to keep your career moving forward. Comfort might feel nice, but growth is where the magic happens. 

Here are five ways you can mitigate career stagnation and keep pushing forward, complete with why it helps and how you can make it happen:

1. Focus on Why: When you’re clear about why you’re doing what you’re doing, it’s easier to stay motivated. Your ‘why’ keeps you grounded and pushes you to keep challenging yourself, even when it’s tough. Take some time to reconnect with your purpose. Why did you choose this career? What impact do you want to make? Write it down and keep it somewhere visible as a reminder when things get hard.
2. Find a New Challenge Outside of Work: Sometimes, the best way to reignite your motivation at work is by challenging yourself outside of it. Taking on a new hobby or volunteer opportunity can give you the confidence boost you need. Take up something that interests you but pushes your boundaries. Whether it’s learning a musical instrument, running a marathon, or volunteering for a cause you care about, these challenges help you build resilience and confidence that translates back to your professional life.
3. Stop Waiting for Permission: If you’re waiting for someone to hand you a new challenge, you’ll be waiting a long time. Taking initiative puts you in the driver’s seat of your career and shows that you’re ready for more responsibility. Don’t wait for someone to assign you a project or give you permission to take on new responsibilities. Step up, propose new ideas, and take ownership of tasks that align with your goals. Be proactive rather than reactive. 
4. Address Internal Barriers: Sometimes, it’s not the external factors that hold us back, but the internal ones. Fears, self-doubt and imposter syndrome can all keep you from pursuing new challenges. Take time to identify what’s really holding you back. Is it fear of failure? A lack of confidence? Once you know what the barrier is, work on addressing it. Therapy, coaching, or even self-help books can help you break through these internal blocks.
5. Create a Personal Development Plan: Having a plan keeps you accountable and helps you track your progress. It’s a roadmap for your career, guiding you toward the skills and experience you need to reach your goals. Write down your career aspirations and break them into actionable steps. Include timelines and measurable outcomes to keep yourself on track. Revisit your plan regularly to adjust as needed and celebrate your small wins.

One thing people often overlook when it comes to taking proactive steps to keep challenging themselves and staying engaged in their career growth is that small, consistent effort over time often has a greater impact than big, dramatic changes. Most people think that breaking free from stagnation requires major life-altering decisions or huge leaps, but the reality is that steady, incremental steps can be more effective and sustainable in the long run.

By treating your career growth like a series of small experiments, you gradually build momentum without overwhelming yourself. This approach not only keeps you engaged and motivated, but also allows you to adapt and course-correct more easily along the way. The misconception is that change has to be huge to matter, but it’s the small, consistent challenges that actually lead to meaningful and lasting career success. 

Not every strategy will work for everyone. What helps one person stay engaged might not resonate with another. That’s why it’s wise to treat your career growth like a series of small experiments. Try different things and see what works for you. The important part is staying curious and open to new experiences. 

Taking proactive steps to challenge yourself in your career may feel uncomfortable at times, but it’s the key to staying engaged and growing in ways that lead to long-term success. By embracing small, consistent efforts, you’re not only avoiding stagnation, but also discovering new strengths and opportunities along the way. 

Remember, growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone, and with every challenge you conquer, you’re building a more fulfilling and resilient career. 

And that’s it for this episode of Stop Sabotaging Your Success. Remember to download your Guide to Staying Challenged and Engaged at cindyesliger.com/podcast, episode one hundred and forty-six.

Thank you to our producer, Alex Hochhausen and everyone at Astronomic Audio. Get in touch, I’m on Instagram @cindyesliger and my email address is info@cindyesliger.com.

If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you have to come check out The Confidence Collective. It’s my monthly coaching program where we dig a little deeper into what’s holding you back in your career, and we find the workarounds. We help you overcome the barriers and create the career you want. Join me over at cindyesliger.com/join. I’d love to have you join me in The Confidence Collective. 

Until next week, I’m Cindy Esliger. Thanks for listening.