January is supposed to feel like a reset.
New goals. Fresh energy. A clean slate.
But for a lot of mid-career professionals I talk to, January actually makes things feel louder.
You come back from the holidays and realize:
• You’re still exhausted
• You still dread your calendar
• And the work that once energized you… doesn’t anymore
There was a time when you loved what you did.
You felt motivated. Proud. Engaged.
Somewhere along the way, that shifted.
Now Monday mornings feel heavy.
Meetings drain you.
Projects you used to care about barely register.
And the question starts creeping in:
“Is this burnout… or am I in the wrong role altogether?”
That question keeps people stuck far longer than they realize.
Because if it’s burnout, maybe you just need rest or better boundaries.
But if it’s misalignment, no amount of time off will fix it.
After investing months or years trying to push through, guessing wrong feels risky.
Here’s what most people don’t realize:
Burnout and career misalignment can look identical on the surface.
But they require completely different solutions.
Burnout comes from how the work is structured.
Misalignment comes from the work itself no longer fitting who you are or where you’re headed.
The challenge is figuring out which one you’re actually dealing with, before another year slips by.
If you started this year feeling tired, disconnected, or quietly questioning what’s next, you’re not alone.
And you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
If you want clarity on what’s actually going on and a concrete plan for what to fix next, then
Talk soon!