Replanting Yourself: When Growth Requires a Change

You’ve done everything right. You’ve taken the courses, built your network, leaned into stretch opportunities. And yet, you feel stuck. Overlooked. Undervalued. Like no matter how much effort you pour in, something isn’t clicking. You wonder if the problem is you. Your internal monologue starts to sound like Taylor Swift’s lyrics: "It’s me. Hi, I’m the problem, it’s me."

So, what do you do? You run through the traditional career development plays—investing in classes, finding mentors, networking like crazy, taking on key assignments to showcase your capabilities, refining your executive presence, and on and on. Yet, despite all this effort, you still feel like you’re not reaching your full potential. Frustrated. Stuck.

Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s bigger than you.

Thriving in the Right Environment

Think of yourself as a plant. You nurture it, water it, fertilized it, provide it with sunlight, and follow every care instruction perfectly. But still, it refuses to bloom. Then, you realize the issue isn’t the plant—it’s the pot. The roots have outgrown their space, the soil isn’t providing enough nutrients, or the environment isn’t right. The same plant, when moved to a larger pot or a different location, suddenly thrives.

The same can be true for your career. You can do everything right, but if your environment doesn’t support your growth, you won’t reach your full potential. If you’re constantly trying to fit into a culture that stifles you, battling against leadership that doesn’t recognize your contributions, or feeling undervalued despite your best efforts, you may need to replant yourself.

A collection of flowers in bloom from a hike I recently did. Loved the painting too!

Time to Move On: Recognizing When It’s Bigger Than You

If you’ve exhausted all possibilities to grow within your current role or company, it may be time to take a step back and assess:

• Is your current situation nurturing your growth, or are you struggling to stay alive?

• Are you supported, or are you twisting yourself into uncomfortable shapes?

• If you changed your environment, would you finally be able to bloom?

I’ve faced this in my own career multiple times—moments when I felt something was “off,” despite all my efforts to develop myself. In hindsight, I realized I was holding onto the idea of the opportunity rather than the reality of my growth. I blamed myself, thinking I just needed to try harder, when in reality, the mismatch between me and my environment was the real issue. The real breakthrough came when I shifted my perspective outward—recognizing that sometimes, a bigger change was needed.

My lemon tree that I have successfully replanted (twice!). So happy to see the lemons and new blossoms.

Your Next Step: Finding the Right Place to Grow

In my coaching practice, I see this regularly with clients. They come to me frustrated, convinced they’re not doing enough. But often, the issue isn’t effort—it’s environment. And when they finally make the change? Their careers take off. They find roles where they’re valued, where their skills are recognized, where they can truly thrive.

Key Takeaways to Remember:

• Your potential is real, but it needs the right conditions to flourish

• Self-improvement has limits if the environment is fundamentally misaligned

• Changing your professional environment is not a failure—it's strategic cultivation

So, if you’ve done the work and still feel stuck, it’s time to ask yourself: Do I need a bigger pot? A different garden? The right conditions can make all the difference.