It’s that time again! The time when you begin dreading walking through those doors seeing the same people doing the same thing – which is absolutely nothing extraordinary. Yep, it may very well be time for a change of scenery, but quitting is not always the right answer when you dread going to work. Sometimes you may just need to think about what you want to do in life and how your current workplace helps or prevents you from reaching that goal.

Here are seven ways to figure out what obstacles may be impacting your career growth.

1. It no longer sparks joy.

I’m taking a note from Marie Kondo here. If your current workplace no longer sparks joy, it is time for you to dig in to find out why. It could be a number of things, such as industry norms, your workplace has become dull and uniforming or your boss sucks the actual life out of you (can you can tell this one is personal?) Whatever it is, you don’t deserve to be in a place that drains you emotionally. You deserve to be happy and now is the time to take back your joy.

2. You no longer feel in control of your career development.

It’s one thing I’m adamant about telling my clients: Your career development is one-hundred percent your responsibility. It is not up to your boss or your co-workers to give you opportunities to advance within your career, nor is it their role to limit your options either. It’s easy to get so caught up in doing what your boss says is necessary for you to keep your job that you lose track of actually enjoying your job. Don’t get caught up in the carrot and stick trap. Be intentional about making moves within and beyond your workplace to consistently elevate your career.

3. You’re not learning anything new

It is a good idea to take initiative and enroll yourself in a class or attend a workshop focused on your professional development beyond what is required for work. Investing in yourself is crucial to elevating your career. I know it is easy to think about spending money when you look into learning new skills or techniques, but there are a lot of ways to learn that won’t cost you any money. You can always volunteer in your community and share your expertise, or check out books from the library [I hope I’m not aging myself here]. I love the idea of volunteerism because it gives you an opportunity to get hands-on experience and it also helps you learn about the needs within your community and industry. There is nothing wrong with investing in yourself either. You are worth it.

4. Nothing challenges you

You may have heard the saying if it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you. I truly believe this. If your goal is to become the best version of you, you’ll need to continue finding ways to stretch your thought process. Have the courage to say YES to things that inspire you and take you out of your comfort zone. There are no losses when you fail, only lessons that make you stronger.

5. You’re not proud of the work you’ve done

I once watched a co-worker go from being all-in, going above and beyond to do her work, to doing mediocre and bare-minimum work just to get by. Somewhere along the way, she lost her desire to be proud of the work she delivered. I knew exactly what the issue was. She didn’t feel her work was appreciated. Your work won’t always be congratulated or recognized, but it is important to be your own cheerleader in these times. Don’t do it for the praise, do it because it is a representation of YOU and your awesomeness. People will know you by your work and if it doesn’t make you proud, how can it tell the story of how amazing you are to others?

6. You can’t find meaning or purpose in your work

If you have to ask yourself “why am I doing this again?” it means there is a disconnect between what you want to do and what you are actually doing. Think about what fuels you. What is it that gets you excited and energized? I recently hosted a webinar on making power moves and one of the speakers mentioned writing down what your ideal day should look like. It is important that you enjoy your day, for the most part. Part of enjoying your day is finding meaning in the work you are doing.

7. You don’t feel motivated 

It’s hard to feel motivated when you’re stuck in the same routine. Try changing up your routine or eating habits to restore positive thoughts and ideas. I get a lot of my ideas and feel most inspired during my work out session. I know it can seem overwhelming sometimes at work with all you have to do, so try creating small goals instead of focusing on a huge task. Set a quit time for dreadful tasks so you have joy in knowing the end is near.