We talk a lot about growth. About pushing forward. About staying hungry. But what happens when you’ve pushed and pushed—and there’s nowhere left to go? Not because you’ve reached your potential, but because the system you’re in has no more steps for you?
There’s this uncomfortable tension that comes with competence. When things are running smoothly, there’s no need for fanfare. No applause. The best job you’ll ever do? The customer will never know you were there—the problem will just be fixed. When you’re good at what you do, people stop noticing. The hustle becomes invisible. And then someone asks, “When are you going to start using your trade?” because your full-time work—the part that pays your bills and demands your brain—isn’t featured on your curated social media highlights reel.
It’s easy to start asking yourself: Is this it?
Sometimes, when you hit a roadblock, it’s not a signal to double down. It’s a sign to shift gears entirely. Maybe the system wasn’t built with your progression in mind. Maybe the hierarchy has no steps left. Maybe you’ve outgrown the blueprint.
There’s a saying: “If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.” It speaks to the reality that when someone becomes indispensable in their current role, leadership is often reluctant to move them—because their absence would cause too much disruption. So, ironically, excellence becomes a trap.
On the flip side is The Peter Principle, coined by Dr. Laurence J. Peter in 1969, which suggests that in a hierarchy, people are promoted based on their success in previous roles—until they reach a position where their skills no longer align with the new responsibilities. Not because they failed at their last job, but because the demands of the new one require a different skillset. The result? Stagnation in roles that don’t serve the individual or the organisation.
So where does that leave the quietly competent? The high-performers with no ladder left? Stuck between two extremes: too good to move, and not being moved because their role is running too smoothly to justify change.
Here’s where it’s worth asking yourself a tougher question:
What do you want your résumé to say?
That you stayed somewhere with little progression, loyal and consistent—but underutilised? Or that you sought out roles that challenged you, forced you to level up, and opened doors to new opportunities? It doesn’t mean job-hopping without purpose. But it does mean checking in with your trajectory. Because if the only thing changing is your signature on the timesheet, it might be time to reassess.
And be honest: is the move you’re considering genuinely going to develop you? Or is it just the same job painted a different colour? New location, same politics. New title, same tasks. If you’re bouncing from job to job without direction, you might not see the development you’re craving. Movement doesn’t equal momentum.
In the trades and motorsport—just like anywhere else—the hustle is romanticised, but the burnout is real. Especially when the work is heavy and the recognition light. Especially when you’re still expected to carry the mental load at home. The “good burnout”—the satisfying fatigue from doing something that fuels you—can quickly turn into the bad kind, the kind that wears you down and leaves you questioning everything.
So when you find yourself at a dead end, don’t just stare at the wall.
Open a new door. Or build a new one. Or, if you’re really over it—grab a gear, and disappear.
Because if the system has no more steps for you, it might be time to step out of it entirely.
Bridget Bell is a seasoned motorsport media professional and a skilled mechanic, with over a decade of experience in On-Air Hosting, Event Hosting, Television Presenting and Commentating. Passionate about supporting women in both the industry and motorsport, Bridget volunteers as a mentor and actively champions female representation.
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