Career going nowhere? Worse, is your rut turning into a trench? Caro Handley on how to dig your way out without going over the top.

Stuck in a rut means ticking over, existing rather than living, working just to earn money rather than for real job satisfaction. If you want to know whether you’re in a rut, answer these three questions:

1. Does your job excite and interest you?
2. Does it demand the best you are capable of giving?
3. Do you actively look forward to going to work most of the time?

If you answered no to any or all of these then you’re in a rut and it’s time to get yourself out of it. Why? Because, comfortable as a rut can be because it’s familiar and undemanding, you actually pay a high price for staying there. Hang around in a rut for too long and you’ll begin to believe that it’s actually all you deserve and that life has nothing better to offer.

Everyone deserves a job that is challenging, interesting and rewarding. If you’re thinking ‘everyone except me’ as you read this, then you’re in a rut too. Yes, that does mean you.

Pulling yourself out of a rut is not as hard as you might think, even if you’re well dug-in and have been there for ages. The only real requirements for changing are that you want to badly enough and that you’re willing to put in some effort. So here’s what to do:

1. Decide what job you really want
‘But I don’t know,’ I hear you wail. Well, I don’t believe you. We all know, deep down, what we want to do. What keeps us from admitting it is the belief that it’s unattainable. We tell ourselves we couldn’t possibly run a company/write books/sail the world or whatever it is that you dream about. Dig around for a few minutes and I think you’ll find your answer. But if you’re still not clear then write a list of ten things you love doing. Narrow it down to three. Now think of a job involving those three things.

2. Create goals for yourself
Your ultimate goal is to make a living doing the thing you most want to do. Now break it down into smaller steps, and then break those into steps too. For instance, if you work in an office but you actually want to be an acupuncturist you’ll need to train. To do that you’ll need to find out what’s involved, what it costs and where to do it.

3. Give yourself time limits
Set a time limit for achieving each of your goals. For instance, the would-be acupuncturist might give herself two weeks to gather all the information together, three months to sign on a course and begin training and two years to qualify and set up in practice.

4. Take action
This one’s the most vital of all. Take action and keep taking it. That means doing something every day towards your goal. Make the call, write the letter, do the research, whatever is needed. If there’s something you dread doing or which scares you then do that first and don’t give yourself time to dwell on it.

With every step you take you’ll feel better about yourself, more excited and more energised. And if you keep going you’ll get there. Good luck!