When You Lose Your Spark… It Might Be a Growth Signal
Recently, I got a message from someone at an organization where I create 5-minute training videos on sales, emotional intelligence, leadership, and life. Their sales teams receive one or two of these videos each week - quick hits designed to keep them mentally fit and fueled with fresh ideas.
I’d invited anyone who wanted content on a specific topic to reach out, so I was thrilled to get this message. The message was from a tenured sales rep who had been with the organization for a while. She told me she was feeling stuck - the excitement she once had for her work had faded. She wasn’t looking to leave, but she was searching for a way to reignite something inside
Her note landed with me because it’s not just her. It’s a stage most of us hit sooner or later. The tricky part is distinguishing spark loss from something deeper.
Often, we confuse losing our spark with pure fatigue or “I want out.” But more often than not, complacency is the red flag: a sign you’ve outgrown your current zone and are ready for a new challenge. We settle into routine, the adrenaline fades, and we mistake the loss of novelty for the loss of purpose. But actually, you might just be nudged into your next phase of growth.
There’s research to back this: in career studies of “stuckness,” professionals describe a long-lasting feeling of underutilization and stagnation - not because they’re in the wrong job per se, but because the job no longer stretches them. (njtcg.org) Meanwhile, broader talent trend reports show that top performers often depart when growth paths stall. (HR Dive) Recognizing complacency as a signal, not a failure, is your first step toward reigniting your spark.
So what do you do when you feel stuck, but don’t want to leave?
Here are five practical moves:
5 Ways to Reignite Your Spark (Without Quitting)
Reconnect with your “why.” Return to the mission or impact you believed you could make. What part of that still matters? Even if the day-to-day is different now, your why can reorient you.
Find a mentor inside your organization. Someone who’s navigated seasons like this can offer perspective, encouragement, and fresh ideas. They can help you see pathways you didn’t even realize existed.
Set two Butterfly Goals - one for work, one for life. Your work goal stretches your skills, your personal goal fills your soul. Maybe it’s writing, fitness, learning, or volunteering. When joy grows in your life, it flows into your work.
Don’t make decisions based on nostalgia. If you’re longing for how things used to be, you may be anchoring yourself to a past that’s no longer relevant. Cultures shift, roles evolve, and that’s okay. Let change be part of your growth, not your exit.
Help someone else. It could be getting involved in your organization’s nonprofit mission, launching a new initiative, or mentoring a colleague. When you lift others, you often reignite your own purpose in the process.
Losing your spark doesn’t mean it’s over. It means the landscape of your purpose is shifting, and you have the chance to grow into something richer. Use that nudge wisely. Your next wave of passion might just be one good pivot away.
P.S. If you’re curious about building ongoing weekly tips and trainings for your org (tailored to your goals and culture), shoot me a message. I’d be happy to build something just for your team.
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