If you're feeling a bit stuck in your career it's important to reflect on your willingness to stretch yourself. Of course I don't mean physically (although that can be important too, especially when you get to a certain age!), but in terms of stepping out of your comfort zone. You see, it's easy to become stuck in your career, possibly because we work hard to get to a level where we actually know what we're doing. Then when we get there we can metaphorically sit back and enjoy the view, but before we know it, we're in a rut.
Therefore it's important to be intentional about habitually gaining new experiences and skills. This means it's important to have a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset.
A growth mindset is one which says 'failure is an opportunity to grow'. It's one which likes to try new things and is inspired by the success of others. Feedback is seen as constructive.
A fixed mindset doesn't like to be challenged and gives up when frustrated. Feedback and criticism are also taken personally.
I would hazard a guess that if you think about your greatest achievements to date, you probably stepped out of your comfort zone to your stretch zone to achieve it?
Employees often expect employers to create opportunities for them, but those who are successful will look for them themselves. And if they can't find them in their current organisation, they look elsewhere. Ultimately, new experiences will build courage and confidence for bigger and bolder opportunities further down the line.
So how can you stretch yourself where you are? Opportunities often start with a conversation. Could it be beneficial to speak to your line manager or supervisor to see what else you can get involved in? Who else could you talk to in order to get the ball rolling? You never know what doors may open as a result of a good stretch.