Tag Archive for: Alexandra Humbel

From Career Stagnation to Growth: Practical Steps to Overcome Boreout

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Breaking Free from Boreout: Empowering Your Career with Coaching - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

Burnout Gets the Headlines. Boreout Drains You in Silence.

In the world of work, burnout and boreout are two very different traps. Burnout is loud. It comes with stress, overload, and visible exhaustion. Boreout is quieter, but no less destructive. It is marked by chronic under-stimulation, disengagement, monotony, and a subtle yet persistent sense of emptiness.

If you feel underused, unchallenged, or disconnected from meaning, take it seriously. Boreout can be just as soul-wrenching as burnout. As David Graeber powerfully illustrated in Bullshit Jobs, the absence of meaning at work erodes something fundamental. Even if your job is not absurd, repetition, lack of challenge, and the feeling that your contribution barely matters are red flags you should not ignore.

Here is how to begin breaking free.

1. Regain Clarity Before You Make a Move

Boreout often leaves you drifting. You may complain silently, scroll job boards half-heartedly, or make endless lists of “possible next steps” without taking action. Reflection can quickly turn into rumination.

Start with deeper questions instead. What energizes you? Where do you feel competent but underused? What kind of problems do you enjoy solving? Do not do this alone. A trusted friend, mentor, coach, or peer group can help you move from dissatisfaction to structured insight.

Clarity does not emerge from despair. It emerges from alignment.

2. Reignite Engagement — Where You Are or Elsewhere

Once you understand what is missing, you can explore options with a more open mind. Sometimes the solution is not to leave immediately but to redesign your role: take on a project, propose an initiative, ask for a move into a new department, develop a new expertise. Small injections of challenge can reignite momentum.

Other times, boreout is a signal that the environment itself has become too narrow for who you are becoming. In that case, the question is not “What is wrong with me?” but “Where would my energy be better used?”

Either way, you are no longer passive. You are experimenting.

3. Set Goals — and Make Them Concrete

Boreout thrives on inertia. The antidote is structured movement. Define what you want to explore and break it into actionable steps. One conversation. One course. One application. One proposal. Progress does not need to be spectacular to be transformative.

Accountability is powerful. Share your goals. Track your steps. Celebrate small wins. Momentum rebuilds confidence, and confidence fuels further action.

4. Develop What Wants to Grow

Very often, boreout hides a hunger for growth. Identify the skills you want to strengthen or acquire. Invest in learning. Take a course. Join a community. Explore a side project. Skill development is not only strategic; it restores a sense of expansion.

Growth creates energy. Stagnation drains it.

Boreout is a signal that your potential is under-challenged. Ignoring it may feel safe in the short term, but over time, disengagement erodes confidence and vitality.

If you recognize yourself here, consider this your invitation.  Not to resign tomorrow. But to listen carefully. Your boredom may be pointing toward your next evolution.

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Recovering from Burnout? Here’s How to Design Your Next Career Chapter

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Embracing a Fulfilling Career Transition After Overcoming Burnout - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

Congratulations on your recovery from burnout. The fact that you are eager to move forward is already a powerful sign of resilience. As you step into this new chapter, approach it with both gentleness and determination. Just as a runner patiently rebuilds strength after an injury, you now have the opportunity to redefine success and design a path that brings you genuine fulfillment.

Embrace the Power of Slowing Down

This is the moment to honor what you have been through. Allow yourself to slow down — without guilt. Burnout has not only exhausted you; it has revealed things. It has clarified your values, exposed your limits, highlighted your need for self-care, and perhaps awakened a longing for a different relationship with work.

Pause and reflect: What has changed in you? What feels non-negotiable now? What are you no longer willing to tolerate? Release what no longer serves you and lean into what feels more aligned. Surround yourself with people who can hold space for your reflections — a trusted friend, a mentor, a coach, or a supportive group.

Uncover the Opportunity Hidden in the Aftermath

Burnout is painful, but it can also be catalytic. When something breaks down, something else becomes possible. This period may be an invitation to revisit long-forgotten aspirations.

Did you once imagine working in a different industry? Studying something new? Reducing your hours? Starting your own venture? Relocating? Reclaiming your time?

Reconnect with those ideas. Not all of them need to become reality. But allowing yourself to explore them expands your sense of possibility. Burnout may have closed one chapter — it may also have cleared space for a more intentional one.

Change Course — or Rediscover Your Brilliance

In my coaching practice, I see two common paths after burnout.

Some professionals choose to pivot boldly. With renewed clarity, they pursue work that feels more aligned with who they have become. They embrace the discomfort of change because staying the same no longer fits.

Others discover that it wasn’t the profession itself that drained them, but specific circumstances — a toxic environment, blurred boundaries, chronic overload. They acknowledge those conditions and rediscover how much they once enjoyed doing what they do. They remember the value they bring and return with stronger boundaries and renewed energy.

Both paths are valid. What matters is alignment.

You are not “going back” to your old life. You are stepping forward, shaped by everything you have learned. Be patient with your pace. Celebrate small progress. Trust that this experience has refined your understanding of what truly matters.

Burnout does not define you. It has simply redirected you.

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When Experience Becomes a Liability: Rethinking Career Strategy After 50

As debates over extending the retirement age continue worldwide, a stark reality remains: senior unemployment has become a structural issue. Previous attempts to address it have fallen short. An entire generation now finds itself caught between the obligation to work longer and a shrinking horizon of meaningful opportunities.

While governments and companies must play their part, experienced professionals cannot afford to remain passive. Relying solely on competence, loyalty, and past performance is no longer enough in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Waiting for circumstances to decide your future is a risk. Instead, proactive reinvention becomes a necessity.

Recognizing the Structural Gap

It is encouraging to see governments beginning to acknowledge the disconnect between the demand for experienced talent and the limited opportunities available. The French government’s consideration of an age equality index signals growing awareness. But awareness is not action. Sustainable change requires concrete incentives, measurable accountability, and real investment.

Taking Ownership of Your Career Horizon

Even as systemic reforms unfold, the responsibility to shape your next decade remains yours. Job security is no longer guaranteed — nor is it always desirable. The professional landscape is shifting. Skills evolve. Business models change. Expectations transform.

The question is not whether change will happen. The question is whether you will anticipate it.

You Are Not Alone

If you feel caught in this tension, you are not isolated. Many experienced professionals face the same paradox: required to work longer, yet subtly pushed aside. The discomfort is collective — but so is the opportunity.

The power you hold is timing. You can choose when to reflect, reassess, and reposition.

Where Do You Stand?

The most strategic career moves are rarely made in panic. They are made in moments of relative stability. Take the time to evaluate your assets, your relevance, your aspirations. Approach this stage not from fear of decline, but from anticipation of what can still be built.

Structural ageism is real. But so is your capacity to adapt, reposition, and expand your impact.

This is not the end of the story. It may well be the beginning of your most intentional chapter.

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When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough: 7 Signs You Need a Career Reset

7 Tell-Tale Signs You Need a Career Transition - By Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

You may be surprised to hear that most of my clients don’t feel the urge to change careers because they hate what they’re doing. Work is good. Pay is good. The position is generally satisfying. From the outside, everything looks enviable. There seems to be no reason to disrupt the status quo.

And yet — like them — you may feel it deep down, even though things are going smoothly.

Here are some signals that should make you curious.

1. You introduce yourself with a conversational version of your CV.
When asked who you are and what you do, you deliver a polished, well-rehearsed loop. You mask your boredom with a cheerful tone. But something feels… off.

2. You consume stories about people who reinvented themselves.
You avidly read about those who succeeded in another field, or built a different life. Your rational self says it’s too late, too risky, too complicated — and that you lack the required skills. Still, you keep documenting the topic. Avidly.

3. You’re on autopilot.
You go through the motions because you’ve mastered your job. But you’re not fully there anymore. You’re coasting more than you care to admit.

4. The retirement question lingers.
You catch yourself wondering whether you’ll do this until retirement. The thought has become part of the mental furniture. It doesn’t go away. It quietly unsettles you.

5. Other people’s passion surprises you.
You hear someone speak enthusiastically about the very job you’re doing — and you’re intrigued. You used to feel that way. Once.

6. “What if…?” keeps visiting you.
What if you were doing something else? Living differently? Waking up with another agenda? These inner conversations scare you — and make you feel intensely alive at the same time.

7. You fix the surface, avoid the core.
You focus on small optimizations — health tweaks, home projects, marginal work improvements — while sidestepping the deeper question:
Why are you doing what you are doing?

If you recognize yourself in some of these signs, it may be time to sit with that question.

There is no wrong answer. Money, status, convenience, and security are valid reasons to stay. But what else needs to be heard? Who is the person you would like to become? How far are you from that version of yourself? Where would you be in a year if things unfolded as you truly wished? What are you ready to say yes to — and what are you ready to say no to? How would it feel to remain exactly where you are for another year? Another five?

Every life-changing decision starts with listening — really listening — to your true feelings. It requires the courage to face the confusion and the conflicting demands that will inevitably surface. The moment you begin questioning the status quo of your life and work, you may already be in transition.

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If You’re Considering a Career Change, Read This First

If you’re standing at the edge of a career change, you’re likely feeling a mix of excitement and quiet fear. Something in you knows it’s time — and yet everything familiar is pulling you back.

Career transitions rarely fail because of a lack of talent or courage. They stall because of invisible beliefs, inherited rules, and well-intentioned voices that make change feel irresponsible, unrealistic, or selfish.

Before you take your next step, pause to see more clearly. These reflections are the things I wish more people knew before embarking on a new professional chapter. They won’t tell you what to do, but they may help you trust why you’re doing it.

1. The only approval you need is yours

Beautifully expressed by Amanda Gorman, the need for approval is one of the most common hurdles that may stop you in your momentum. The minute you share bold, ambitious dreams for yourself, you will see a number of red flags raised around you. Well-intentioned, loving people in your life will instantly reject the idea that you may get lost in ambitious and risky projects. They want you safe, and the status quo is largely safer than… anything else. Red flags will come from all directions. Colleagues or friends may sense an unavowable pang of jealousy at your renewed aliveness. Don’t take it personally, it’s about them, not you. 

2. Big dreams don’t make you a dreamer

The biggest red flag, though, is in yourself. It is cultural. People with dreams are dreamers. Dreamers are no achievers. This idea was drilled in your subconscious at an early stage, and you will find it on your way to a new career. Don’t buy the simplification. Rather, engage in honest exploration: What is really important to you? What does your future, the one you crave, look like, taste like? What is your own definition of success, from now on? Does it encompass every aspect of your life? Does it bring value to you and the people around you? What would be the markers of your future success? The more aware you are of what you really want and why, the more enticing your vision is, the better. As the genius dream architect Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it”.

3. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity

How many times lately have you heard yourself say something like, “She was lucky to get this job”? By default, we tend to attribute positive, unexpected events to luck — whatever that word really means. Yet abundant scientific literature suggests that “lucky” people have their own way of attracting luck. They do so in two essential ways: they put as many chances as possible on their side, and they keep their senses wide open to allow meaningful coincidences to occur.

If you want to share a strong business idea with a highly sought-after person, for instance, you may want to make sure your idea truly brings value to them. You refine it, rehearse your pitch until it becomes clear and compelling, gather as much insight as possible about where and how this person might be accessible — and then you let go. Because if your idea is genuinely good, it will find its way into the world. With or without that person.

4. It is so cool to go back to school

A current cause of stress for career transitioners is the necessity to get extra training. Will you be able to learn as fast as you used to? Is your brain capable of memorizing new knowledge? How awkward will it feel to sit on a school bench at your age? What will your ex-colleagues think? How will you cope with homework, supervision, and exams?  Most likely, all of these fears will materialize. Yes, you will feel intellectually rusted. Yes, you will have to deploy your best efforts to catch up. Yes, it will feel awkward sometimes. Yes, some well-intentioned peer will ask what the hell do you expect, getting back to school at your age. And yes, homework sucks. But the reward is invaluable. Your decision to be a student again is a gift you offer to yourself and an investment in your future. The process is fun too. Learning has its own way to pump up your spirit and upgrade your self-image. 

5. You will never look back

Maybe the most important thing I have learned is that there is no way back. More accurately, there is no desire to go back to square one. You are a creature of movement, like all living creatures in this world. The journey towards a fulfilling second act of life is both bumpy and interesting. We talked about the inner reward of learning, and learning comes in many different ways. Questioning the status quo makes you more alive. Taking bold moves towards work and life that you love triggers renewed energy. And keep in mind that you might well become a source of inspiration for other people’s own journey into their own second act.

 

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Career Transition After 40: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Earlier

Career Transitioning - Things I wish I'd known earlier - by Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel

My mentor suggested that I write a post about the things I wish I had known earlier about career transition. I liked the idea and, based on my personal journey as well as my experience as a coach, I started with five essential points aimed at helping professionals get on the fast lane. 

1. You are not alone

Studies show that an increasing number of experienced professionals are undertaking a career change, and even more are considering it. Three-fifths of UK workers (60%) intend to make changes to their careers as a result of the Covid outbreak, an increase of seven percentage points since July 2020 (53%).*

So why does it feel weird and lonely? It is because nothing prepared you to handle one or several career changes in your life. Society tends to assign you a role, tied to a life cycle: In your junior years, you prove your competence. As you are getting experienced, you excel in your field. And then, what? You retire. While there is nothing wrong with linear career paths, it does not work for everyone. Probably not for you, if you are reading these lines. 

2. Your skills are transferable – All of them

My clients who crave a new career are taken aback by the thought that their expertise might be lost when they change jobs. It is natural to take pride in those skills you have mastered over time. The good news is, you take everything with you on the journey.  Those skills will manifest in creative ways, coming in handy to serve your goals while you are expanding in your new project. Interestingly, ancient or dormant skills will show up and prove valuable to handle new situations. Your brain creates new circuits while tapping into resources you did not remember you had. And this is particularly refreshing. 

 

3. It is OK to be lost in transition

Describing career transitions as uncomfortable is an understatement. More accurately: Everything which made you feel grounded in social status is gone. Welcome to unchartered territories, where nobody is waiting for you with your name on a sign. No driver, no limousine. It requires courage to leave the familiar in order to become a new version of yourself. Uncomfortable, scared, and excited all together, highs and lows are in order. But, as Maya Angelou said: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” The butterfly is you.

4. Money and time are no excuses

“I will do a job I really love when I have enough time, or money” (or both). 

Does that sound familiar? Of course, these two factors are critical components of a decision, and critical metrics to monitor all along the way. Controlling your time and financial resources through a career transition will be essential to succeed. Be aware that the conservative, risk-averse part of you will always show up with these massive excuses that are the lack of (or the fear of lack of) time and or money. Or both. It is your call to let these fears be the master of you.

5. Nature is in constant change and so are you

“Nothing is absolute, everything changes, everything moves, everything evolves, everything flies and goes away”.

These lines written by the fascinating artist Frida Kahlo can be interpreted as words of regret and melancholy. Or, from another perspective, as the constant evolution of all things that allow rebirth, re-invention, possibilities, relief, reboot, rejuvenation, and creation. When looking back at your career, you may take pride in what you have achieved, and, simultaneously, realize that this pattern is no longer fulfilling you. You can cherish your past achievements and look forward to what you are going to do next. This is not a lack of consistency in your choices. It is about the inherent nature of all of us, to thrive in movement or shrink in stagnation.

 

 

 

*Aviva “How do we live” Report, 2021

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3 Reasons why Career your Transitions is Stalling (And How to Get Back on Tracks)

3 Common Reasons Why Your Career Transitioning Isn't WorkingAlexandra Humbel

Congratulations — you’ve decided to take charge of your future.

You have the experience, the skills, and the desire to move toward a new professional chapter. So why does everything suddenly feel harder than expected? Why are you feeling stuck, discouraged, or drained? What happened to the motivation that once felt unstoppable?

Career transitions rarely unfold in a straight line. In this article, I explore three common reasons why a career change can stall — and how to regain momentum.

1. Do you lack flexibility?

We rarely give enough credit to the power of having a plan — and sticking to it. I am a big believer in planning. That said, real life has a tendency to interfere.

Especially during a career transition, unexpected events are inevitable. Resistance shows up. Doors close. Opportunities shift. The key question becomes:
Is this a temporary hurdle — or a signal to reassess direction?

Life doesn’t pause while we redesign our careers.

Perhaps your partner receives an unexpected job offer abroad.
A promising lead falls through.
A baby arrives.
Health issues demand attention.
Or an unforeseen opportunity suddenly appears.

Whatever the situation, the challenge is to adapt without losing sight of your deeper intention.

When you are clear on your values — what truly matters to you — flexibility becomes easier. Your vision acts as a compass. You may adjust the route, but you don’t lose direction.

When you stay anchored in your why, you become less attached to the how. And this is often where new, unexpected opportunities emerge.

2. Are you feeling lonely?

Career transitions can be surprisingly lonely — even when your life is full.

You may have a supportive partner, family, and friends. You’ve shared your plans and received encouragement. Yet day after day, you find yourself alone with your laptop, navigating uncertainty and self-doubt.

Motivation has a limited lifespan. Discipline eventually gives way to anxiety.

This is normal — and it’s also a sign that you shouldn’t do this alone.

What helps enormously is connecting with people who understand what you are trying to build. Peer groups, professional communities, alumni networks, entrepreneur circles, training cohorts, mastermind groups — both online and in person — can radically shift your energy.

When you find your tribe:

  • You gain perspective and feedback

  • You exchange expertise and feel useful again

  • Your confidence grows through connection

  • Your network expands organically

  • You return to your project with renewed clarity

Career transitions thrive in community. Isolation weakens momentum.

3. Are you stuck in a mental pit?

You started out like a champion, tackling the first steps of your transition like the kick-ass professional you are. Then things started to slow down, hurdles began to accumulate, and your energy started lacking. Self-doubt and guilt are center-stage, draining your emotions and clouding your skies. Positive thinking doesn’t help when the fear of failure is running the show.

The first truth to keep in mind: A career transition always takes more time than expected. Resistance is what you meet most, starting with your own human inclination to cling to the status quo. A change of perspective is needed.

The prescription? Radical honesty and self-compassion. Radical honesty means taking a 360° look at your current reality — without judgment. Revisiting earlier decisions. Checking whether your goals still reflect who you are today. Acknowledging how far you’ve already come.

Self-compassion means recognizing that at this stage of life, you no longer need to prove that you can overachieve. You already did.

Now the invitation is to become a better achiever — one who values emotional and physical health as much as professional success.

Sometimes progress doesn’t mean choosing between “all or nothing.” It means creating transitional phases, parallel paths, or temporary arrangements that restore energy and open space for clarity.

A Final Thought

Career transitions are not linear. They are deeply human processes — shaped by values, identity, fear, desire, and timing. If your transition feels slow or confusing, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It may simply mean you’re in the middle of redefining your second act.

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Reinventing Work After 50: A Conversation About Purpose, Freedom, and Longevity

Meet an inspiring ground-breaker and achiever, a leader who is changing the culture around age, work, and living a purposeful second act of life.

Ed Kushins is an ex-US Navy submarine officer, entrepreneur, startup investor, social innovator, sharing economy trail-blazer, people connector, avid traveler, and good life lover.  Please join me for a fascinating conversation on a sunny Californian beach with my ex-boss, mentor, and friend, a man who makes his most strategic decisions barefoot in the sand.

How did your 50’s look professionally?

In my 50’s I was running two businesses in parallel. One was a family scrap metal recycling business, Fairway Salvage, that I subsequently built from 2 to 55 employees. I had a partner on board, which allowed me to run the company without spending too much time on it.

The other one started more as a hobby than a business but ended up becoming much larger. I had been on a home exchange vacation with my family and came back enthusiastic about the concept. The owner of that company declined my offer of some free marketing advice, so I started my own company in competition. The game-changer was taking the service from paper to digital, making HomeExchange one of the first online communities in the nascent sharing economy.  In 2006, the romantic comedy “The Holiday” propelled home exchange into the spotlight. The success of the movie was a booster for the company, which started to become profitable.  The same year, I sold Fairway Salvage to focus on HomeExchange.

From day one, I ran the company from my home near the beach in Southern California, never from an “office”. It was a conscious decision that when building the Team, I recruited Reps, Customer Service, and even my Partners exclusively from our community of Members. I figured they would be satisfied users who could relate personal experiences and would know everything about the home exchange process with almost no training.

To help our 60+ Team members (who all worked remotely around the world) bond together, I invited them every year with their families to a half-work, half-vacation retreat somewhere fun, usually on the beach… Evian, Croatia, Greece, Biarritz, Hermosa Beach, Myrtle Beach, Mt. Tremblant, Taormina, and more! With the input of my Team and partners, HomeExchange continued to grow until we sold it to a competitor in 2017.

When you sold HomeExchange you were hitting 70. What was next for you?

I was happily retired for 6 months, then a new idea kicked in. I am a networking guy, I’m always looking for ways to connect people. My new website, VacationPropertyPartners.com, connects two families to partner to split the cost and enjoy the benefits of a vacation home. We “hold their hands” until they buy the vacation home together.
Besides VacationPropertyPartners, I make myself available to help business owners with their marketing strategies. I am an active member of the Rotary, where I contribute to 3 to 4 projects. As an ex-Navy officer, I am part of an initiative that helps veterans re-enter civilian life. I am also active in an investors’ group focusing on startups.

Do your professional engagements support other aspects of your life?

Totally. I’ve made a conscious effort to not only keep a balance between the time and energy devoted to the professional and personal areas of my life but to use each of them to enhance the other. Terry and I love to travel and I actually chose to concentrate on HomeExchange because it allowed me to create more opportunities to do so for business and pleasure. For me, learning, meeting people from around the world, building a successful business around a product, culture, team, and members that I believe in, have all been incredibly satisfying.

Along the way, I’ve developed some habits and rules I try to follow:

  • Keep my work, personal life, and health in balance.
  • Prioritize my tasks so I know what I want/need to do each day/week/month/year. Sometimes “Go to the beach” is on the list. It’s OK to get away from the computer for a while.
  • Appreciate my customers and try to keep them happy.

I’ve got 5 long-term priorities… “The journey of 1000 miles”  that I’m taking the first steps on:

  1. Appreciate my wife and always try to make her happy
  2. Do what I can to stay healthy
  3. Launch my new website, VacationPropertyPartners.com
  4. Write (or dictate) a memoir
  5. Finish my long-in-process (only 35 years) book about the personal decision-making process. Becoming aware of how you make personal and professional decisions, however big or small, is a super-power.

What is your definition of success and how would you evaluate your success on a scale from 1 to 5?

Definitely 5/5. My insight into how and why I’ve made the choices I’ve made allows me to accept and feel comfortable with what I’ve done.  I accept the result of choices and actions that I’ve made along the way, given my expectations of the risks and rewards, as well as the work, time, effort, and sometimes money I’ve followed through with.

Life is good. Every night I go to bed grateful and excited for another day.

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