There are few things in life than feeling as though you're stuck in your career with nowhere to go. Thousands of people every day drag themselves out of bed and attempt to muster the enthusiasm to spend eight hours working at a job that they hate and feel no sense of passion for. It's enough to make you want to pull the covers over your head and hide away from the world forever. But is that really the best solution? Of course not! The truth is that if you really want to get away from that kind of job, you can! You've just got to be able to find something that you really do care about instead. Rather than letting yourself waste away in a miserable job, it's time to take control of your life and go and find a career that you can really sink your teeth into. It's easy to feel like following your ambitions is going to be something that you can never really achieve and that the odds are stacked against you. However, if you're willing to put in the time and effort required, then there's no excuse for your not following your ambitions. With that in mind, here are six ways in which you can set yourself on the path to a career that you will truly love.

Set yourself genuine goals

If you want to find a new career, then you need to start setting yourself some goals. Now, "find a better career" or "work a job that you like" are fine as motivators to get you started, but they're never going to get you particularly far when it comes to pushing yourself along the long and winding road to a new career. You need to think in very specific terms about exactly what it is that you want. Sure, you're never going to know exactly where it is that you're going to end up. However, you need to think very carefully about what it is that you're actually aiming for. You need to know the industry that you want to work in, what kinds of roles within that industry you want, and what kinds of skills that you need to be able to do that. These kinds of things will allow you to carve out a much clearer path for yourself when it comes to being able to achieve your ambitions.

Get the qualifications that you need

Of course, there are always going to be roadblocks in your way when it comes to finding your dream career, but that doesn't mean that you can't get over them. The most common of these is going to be the qualifications that you need. Most careers are going to require some specific qualifications to show that you have the training and skills required to perform a particular role. Because of that, you need to make sure that you figure out what qualifications you need to work towards them ASAP. It can be tough to juggle education with full-time work but things, like getting a degree online at RMIT or taking night classes, can allow you to work around your everyday routine without having to make too many sacrifices. Never assume that just because you're out of school or college, that you can't go back and get the qualifications that you need for any career.

Be patient with your stepping stones

As much as it would be nice, there's a very remote chance that you're going to be able to jump straight into the kind of career that you really want. Even if you find yourself in your chosen industry, you're still probably going to need to work your way up from the very bottom in order to reach your goals. This can be pretty discouraging as it often feels as though your ideal career is right in front of you but just out of reach. Remember, these roles are not you being stuck; they're the stepping stones that will allow you to reach the place that you're aiming for. Without them, you're likely going to be lacking in the experience and understanding that you need in order to really succeed in your chosen field.

Don't let knockbacks discourage you

One thing that you're going to have to come to terms with sooner rather than later is the fact that, no matter what, you're going to end up getting knocked back from time to time. Whether you have job applications rejected, you're turned over for promotions, or you aren't able to take on the kinds of responsibilities that you really want in your job, knockbacks are going to happen, and they can be incredibly discouraging. It's enough to make many people want to quit altogether, but you need to make sure that that doesn't happen to you. Any time you fail or are knocked back, just think of it as a learning opportunity. There are always lessons to be learned from any kind of failure, and it's your duty to think carefully about exactly what lesson that you can take from the obstacles in your way. Otherwise, you're just going to end up getting incredibly discouraged and frustrated.

Figure out your priorities

This is something that a lot of people struggle with but, if you really want to pursue any career seriously, you're going to have to make adjustments to your priorities. Everyone's list of priorities is going to be different, but if work isn't right up there at the top of yours, then you're never going to be able to push yourself to succeed. The difference between those who rise to the top and those who fail is the ability to be completely focussed on your goals. Sure, family, friends, and all of the other things in life are incredibly important, but if you can't focus on your career, then you're never going to be able to make the sacrifices necessary to reach your goals. It's not always easy, but if it's what you want, it's worth it. There's nothing wrong with feeling as though you'd rather focus on other aspects of your life, but if you try to concentrate on everything at once, you're just going to end up exhausting yourself.

Be ready to work harder than you've ever worked before

If you're looking to work a career that involved minimal stress and as little hard work as possible, you'd be better off staying where you are and not trying to pursue anything more substantial. If you have career goals that you want to achieve, then you're going to have to work for them, day and night. If you're not willing to do that, then you're going to end up running in place, never able to get anything out of your career beyond the bare minimum. What you get out of your career is always going to depend on what it is that you're willing to put into it. If you'd rather sit around relaxing, then you really can't complain that you're not able to reach your careers goals!

Of course, it's important to remember that, while this path is entirely achievable, it may end up taking you quite a long time. Even as you're working towards your goal, it can be tough to think about the places that you've yet to reach. With that in mind, you need to make sure that you never lose sight of what you're aiming for. The last thing you want is to end up getting stuck along the path towards your dream career and losing all motivation to carry on.