When Staying Put Starts to Feel Like Giving Up

You wake up on Monday morning with that familiar knot in your stomach. The alarm goes off, and before you even open your eyes, you’re already dreading the week ahead. Sound familiar?

If you’re reading this, you know the feeling. Maybe you’ve been overlooked for another promotion. Maybe your ideas keep getting shot down. Or you’ve just reached that point where going through the motions feels like the only option left.

You’re not imagining things. And you’re definitely not alone.

The Silent Struggle Millions Are Facing

Right now, something strange is happening in the American workforce. People are unhappy at work, but they’re not leaving. According to CNBC, the quits rate has fallen to around 2%—a level not seen regularly since early 2016. Workers feel trapped, caught between growing dissatisfaction and the fear of what comes next.

This isn’t the “Great Resignation” anymore. Some experts are calling it “job hugging”—people clinging to positions that drain them because the alternative feels even scarier.

The numbers tell the story. Pew Research Center found that only 50% of U.S. workers say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job overall. That means half the workforce isn’t thriving—they’re just surviving. Gallup research goes even further, revealing that 60% of workers feel emotionally detached at work. Not burned out. Not angry. Just… disconnected.

For many, the problem isn’t the work itself. It’s everything that comes with it. According to Pew Research, just 30% of workers are highly satisfied with their pay, and only 26% feel good about their opportunities for promotion. Meanwhile, A survey compilation by Fortunly reports that roughly four in five people who quit their jobs cite feeling undervalued as a major reason for leaving, highlighting how strongly recognition and appreciation influence turnover.

So why aren’t more people making a change?

The Fear That Keeps You Frozen

Here’s the truth: the job market isn’t what it used to be. Headlines about layoffs, hiring freezes, and economic uncertainty have made people cautious. A career coach can help you navigate these fears by exploring options tailored to your situation, making the idea of change less intimidating and more manageable.

It makes sense. When the ground feels shaky, you hold on tighter to what you have—even if what you have isn’t working for you.

But here’s the question worth asking: What’s the cost of staying where you are?

The cost isn’t just unhappiness. Gallup has estimated that disengaged employees cost U.S. companies between $450 billion and $550 billion per year in lost productivity. But the personal cost? That’s harder to measure. It shows up in your energy levels. In your relationships. In the Sunday evenings spent dreading Monday mornings. It shows up in the way you talk about your future—or avoid talking about it altogether.

The frustration you’re feeling isn’t weakness. It’s information. It’s your instincts telling you that something needs to change.

There Is Another Path

What if the answer isn’t finding a better job? What if it’s building something for yourself?

83% of Americans View Business Ownership as a Viable Alternative to Traditional Jobs, according to our Generational Career Confidence Survey

This isn’t about taking wild risks or betting everything on a dream. With a coach’s guidance, you can explore what Career Ownership could look like for you-aligning your values and skills with practical steps, making the process feel achievable and personalized.

The research backs this up. A study published in the Journal of Business Venturing analyzed interviews with more than 1,700 entrepreneurs across 29 countries. What did they find? Self-employed people experience their work as more meaningful and report higher autonomy and well-being than wage employees.

Pew Research Center confirms this trend in the United States. Their 2023 study found that 62% of self-employed workers say they are extremely or very satisfied with their jobs, compared with just 51% of those working for someone else. Even more telling: 48% of self-employed workers say their contributions are valued a great deal, compared with only 25% of traditional employees.

This isn’t about escaping your problems overnight. A coach can help you break down building something that aligns with your values, skills, and vision into manageable steps, making the journey toward career ownership feel less overwhelming and more attainable.

Imagine waking up Monday morning and feeling genuine excitement about the week ahead. Imagine knowing that the effort you put in directly benefits you and your family. Imagine finally having control over your time, your income, and your direction. For millions of business owners, this isn’t a fantasy—it’s daily life.

Why Going It Alone Doesn’t Work

Now, here’s where things get real. Business ownership sounds great in theory. But jumping in without a plan? That’s how people end up overwhelmed, underprepared, and back where they started.

The path to Career Ownership isn’t something you should navigate alone. You need someone in your corner—not someone who’s trying to sell you something, but someone who genuinely wants to understand what you’re looking for.

That’s where a trusted Career Ownership Coach can provide reassurance-someone who genuinely wants to understand what you’re looking for and guide you through the process.

Think of a Career Ownership Coach® as a trusted guide—someone who has helped hundreds of people just like you navigate this exact crossroads. They don’t push you toward a specific outcome. Instead, they walk alongside you, helping you explore your goals, your strengths, and the options that might fit your life. They ask the questions you might not think to ask yourself. They help you see possibilities you didn’t know existed.

Most importantly, a Career Ownership Coach is on your side. They’re not representing a business opportunity or trying to close a deal. Their job is to help you find clarity—whatever that looks like for you.

Career Ownership Coaching is built on a simple idea: you deserve to make an informed decision about your future. That means understanding what business ownership requires—financially, emotionally, and practically—before you ever commit to anything.

The Entrepreneur’s Source® has been guiding professionals through this process for more than 40 years. With hundreds of Career Ownership Coaches across the country, they’ve helped thousands of people move from uncertainty to clarity, not by telling them what to do, but by assisting them to discover what’s right for them.

A New Year Deserves a Real Question

The new year always brings talk of fresh starts. But a fresh start doesn’t mean ignoring what isn’t working. It means having the courage to look at your situation honestly and ask: Is this really the life I want?

You don’t have to have all the answers right now. You need to be willing to explore the question.

If you’re tired of feeling stuck, if you’ve reached the point where enough is enough, it may be time to have a different kind of conversation. Not a sales pitch. Not pressure. A real discussion about what Career Ownership could look like for you.

Because staying stuck isn’t a strategy. And waiting for things to get better on their own? That’s not a plan—it’s a hope.

You deserve more than hope. You deserve clarity. And the first step toward clarity is simply being willing to ask, “What if there’s something better?”

Ready to explore your options? Connect with a Career Ownership Coach® and start a no-pressure conversation about your future. Visit TheEntrepreneursSource.com to learn more.

About Your Career Revolution

Our mission is to help individuals explore self-sufficiency as an alternative career.

We help them define their Income, Lifestyle, Wealth, and Equity goals and provide education on the best ways to achieve them. We don’t sell franchises – we help people achieve their dreams of self-sufficiency through business ownership. The approach is different, the experience is different. And it works.

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The post Enough Is Enough: first appeared on The Entrepreneur’s Source.