Lately, motivation feels like a struggle. For many of us, the energy that once propelled forward in our career is fading.

Even for those who love their work or have the rare feeling of stability, this vibe rings true. It’s hard not to feel a bit demoralized when everyone around you is either getting laid off, having federal programs that funded their work removed, or seeing how years of hard work can so easily be shattered.

And forget “getting ahead.” Right now that concept seems so far out of reach. Career advancement has become less of a goal and more like a moving target. But here’s the real question: What does “getting ahead” even mean right now?

P.S. If you’re new here, I’m Amy, a corporate speaker, marketing consultant, journalist and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Setback Cycle. Want to work with me? Reach out here.

With threats to DEI, trans people fearing for their safety, and women fighting for their reproductive freedoms, climbing the career ladder might not feel like the most urgent priority. At the same time, some of us are throwing ourselves into work as an outlet to channel our anxious energy (me.) Still, we feel directionless. Where do these efforts even lead?

Later this week, I’ll be speaking at LinkedIn (if you work there, let me know and I’ll send you the details) about how professionals are feeling in this moment and how we can collectively work through it. The folks over there just shared consumer sentiment research which found:

• 64% of U.S. workers are overwhelmed by how quickly their jobs are changing.
• 56% say experience alone is no longer enough to stay ahead.
• 43% feel stuck in their careers right now.
• 63% are searching for more professional guidance and support than before.

These struggles aren’t industry-specific. The workplace is shifting under our feet, and no one has a single solution. I can’t just say, “Use AI! Learn ChatGPT and you’ll be fine!” (Though I did my best on that topic in my last issue.)

What I can confidently say is this: You’re not alone. I coach professionals across industries, and the most common frustration I hear is that people feel unheard. They want actionable advice instead of lessons on pandering to corporate politics. Whether they’re senior leaders or just starting out, they’re struggling to speak up, let alone move forward in any meaningful way. A few quotes I've recently heard:

Sound familiar? Morra Aarons-Mele and Gretchen Gavett just published this Harvard Business Review piece about heartbreak at work. My own story was included among so many others.

Like I said, you’re not alone.

So how do people find motivation to do their work right now? To try and get ahead in some way? And again, what does “getting ahead at work” actually mean?

For some, it’s about promotions and recognition. For others, it’s about having more influence, flexibility, or financial security. For many, it’s the simple desire to feel engaged and energized by your work again.

For many, it’s about impact. When I think about what motivates me about my own work, of course, it’s partially about the compensation, but it's moreso about the impact I’m able to make. At the end of the day, the thing that has always lit me up has been helping people and organizations meaningfully navigate setbacks—which can sometimes be a heavy thing to do. Especially right now.

Two friends of mine were among the thousands recently affected by the senseless USAID cuts. That same week, Meta announced thousands of layoffs. As I sat here feeling helpless, wondering what I could possibly do, if anything at all, I got a message from someone who recently started listening to The Setback Cycle via audiobook.

His words showed me:

We all have something to contribute, even if it feels small compared to the world’s biggest problems.

It was a reminder that all of us have the ability to make an impact, even if it feels miniscule. So here’s a small thing I decided to do:

I’m opening up office hours every Friday to provide free coaching for folks going through career setbacks—whether it’s a layoff, a pivot, or just a feeling of restlessness as the world shifts around us. I’ll be setting up a formal site for this soon, but in the meantime, if you or someone you know could use a setback strategy session, you can book one here.

It won’t solve everything. But it might help to talk about it. Who knows what a conversation might unlock - clarity? Validation? That sense of being valued and heard- the thing that so many are missing? Selfishly, you’d be helping me out too, because in helping others, I’ll feel less helpless. Even if the help I’m able to offer is very small compared to the very big problems surrounding us.

What’s something small you can do for those in your community? You never know when it might make a bigger impact than you realize.

In the meantime, here’s what I’m:

​This woman’s response to her boss’s microaggression. In the same sentence where he issued recognition for the profits she brought to the company, he announced in a room full of other men, “We’re so proud of you. You made so much money last quarter, and I hope that you didn’t spend it all on a new purse.”

She smiled while genuinely asking him, “what do you mean?” In doing so, she found a great way to not only shift the power dynamics in the conversation but draw attention to how dumb people sound when they belittle others in the workplace. He responded by saying, “it’s funny…a new purse is funny.” To which she replied, “you think it’s funny that I might spend money on a new purse?”

I wish I had been clever enough to use this trick in the many micro-aggressions spouted at me over the years. Can we rewind to the time a boss told me I must be good at a certain sex act simply because I’m Jewish? (Yes, unfortunately, this is a true story.) My response was to laugh awkwardly. If only I had responded with, “what do you mean?”

Demi Moore and this profile on the 62-year-old actress, who has been finally getting the recognition she deserves this awards season.

In honor of SNL 50, (reach out if you want a VHS video of me as 10-year-old impresonating Linda Richman in 1993) people are wondering who will succeed Lorne? Bets are on Tina Fey or Seth Meyers, but I have a weird feeling it ends up being someone more surprising - if the show even continues after Lorne retires.

The fact that major basketball stars no longer have to play abroad in the off season. Thanks to WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, there is n ow an off-season professional women's basketball league aptly called Unrivaled. It's a nice alternative to players' usual off-season routines where many of them end up playing basketball abroad.

"The ability to remain stateside (and compete in one city, rather than even travel domestically) is appealing to players who were accustomed to leaving behind their friends and family," says this Fortune piece about the league, which launched last month. For these professional athletes, it's certainly a game-changer.

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