I keep noticing something in conversations with people navigating career misalignment.

They already know.

They know something’s off. They’ve been journaling about it. Talking to their therapist. Sitting with it on Sunday nights, when the week ahead feels heavier than it should.

They’ve named it clearly.
This job doesn’t fit anymore.
This path doesn’t suit who I’m becoming.

The awareness is there. Sharp, even.

What’s harder is trusting it.

Because when you can’t ground that knowing in something logical, when there’s no toxic boss or dramatic moment to point to, it’s easy to dismiss what you’re feeling as ingratitude.

Or as restlessness that will pass if you just wait it out.

But here’s what I’ve seen, both in my own career and in years of conversations with others.

That quiet discomfort doesn’t fade when you ignore it. It compounds.

What starts as restlessness becomes disengagement. Then numbness. And over time, the kind of exhaustion that spills into your relationships, your health, and the way you show up everywhere else.

Misalignment is expensive, even when nothing looks broken from the outside.

So if you’re in that space right now, aware something’s wrong but unsure what to make of it, the first thing I’d want to say is this.

What you’re feeling is real.
Not only is it real, it’s information.

When your work no longer aligns with how you’re wired, your nervous system sends signals. Restlessness. Anxiety. That Sunday night dread.

These aren’t signs something’s wrong with you.
They’re signs your system is working.

The second thing I’d want to say is this.

You’re not being ungrateful.
You’re not overreacting.

You’ve outgrown a version of success that once made sense. That isn’t failure. That’s evolution.

But without understanding what’s driving the discomfort, it’s hard to trust it enough to act.

So if you’re at this point, clear something’s off but unclear what to do with that clarity, here’s where I’d start.

Get specific about what you’re actually feeling.
Restlessness. Numbness. Anxiety. A sense of being checked out even while performing well.

Then ask what’s behind it.

Is the work no longer meaningful? That’s often a values misalignment.
Is it hard to find energy, even when the tasks aren’t difficult? That points to a motivator misalignment.
Have you lost interest in the work itself? That’s often an interest misalignment.
Or is it the environment, the pace, the culture, the way decisions get made, that no longer fits your wiring?

Sometimes it’s more than one of these at once.

But once you can name what’s misaligned, two things tend to happen.

You stop questioning whether what you’re feeling is real.
And you begin to see what needs to shift.

Because here’s the truth.

Staying where you are won’t make this quieter.

The discomfort you’re sitting with right now is already trying to tell you something.

The question is whether you’re ready to listen.