Everyone aspires to have a workplace they love and a position they find meaningful. However, the reality is you often need to pause at a few steppingstone positions to reach that point.

But what happens when those stops at those steppingstones wind up becoming more long-term than what you had envisioned?

If you’re feeling stuck in your career you may be wondering if you’re just burnt out or if your career has really lost momentum. Forbes recently released a series of probing career questions that people who feel stuck in their careers should ask themselves to determine the validity of that feeling, and what they should be doing next.

What Do You Want Out of Your Job?

A job is more than a source of income, and you might have priorities that aren’t being met. Maybe you really want a cause you believe in, or a job that accommodates more time for your home life. Figure out what you value and whether your current position lacks that.

Were You Happier at a Past Position?

If so, stop and think what that job gave you that isn’t being fulfilled now. Hindsight can teach you a lot about where you want to go.

What is Your Dream Position?

If your current job isn’t satisfying your needs, what would? Having a clear vision of where you want to be can help you figure out your next move.

What Would You Like to Happen with Your Current Position?

Is your ideal scenario already that you want to leave? Or do you just yearn for advancement and more recognition?

When Did This Feeling Start?

If this is a persistent feeling it probably didn’t just start out of the blue. Trace it back and figure out when this started and what caused it.

What Would Make You Feel in Control Again?

The worst part about feeling stuck is the sensation that it’s not even your decision when it stops. So what would it take for you to feel like you were back in the driver’s seat?

What Excites You?

If this current job no longer interests you, you must have an idea of what does. What is it you’re not doing currently that you feel you’re missing out on?

Where Were You Planning to Be by Now?

If this moment is being “stuck” then that means you were expecting to be further ahead by now. Where is it you originally saw yourself at by this point in your career?

What Are You Doing to Change This?

You can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. What have you tried so far to make this better?

What is Standing in Your Way?

If your career is stuck, what is keeping it that way? What would have to change to get it moving again?

What Do You Want to Feel that You Aren’t Feeling Now?

Do you want to be challenged? Shown that you are valued? Or just inspired? What feeling would reinvigorate you?

What is it You Offer at Your Job?

In the simplest terms, what are you contributing with your job? If that’s not what you want to do, is there a way to change that, or do you need a different career for that?

Answering these questions won’t magically fix your situation, but it will provide some perspective on what the actual problem is, and what you may need to do to fix it.

To gain a deeper perspective on how these probing career questions can reignite your career, read 12 Questions To Help Professionals Who Feel Stuck In Their Careers on Forbes.

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