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📰📈 Subject: Your Career Doesn’t Have to Stall Just Because You’re Stuck in the Middle

Stuck in the Middle News — Issue #232 — November 17, 2025

👋 Hey there, Middle of Everything Hero

If you’re juggling aging parents, kids, a relationship, and a job that still expects you to perform like you sleep eight hours a night… you’re in the right place.

This newsletter is for people who are stuck in the middle of everything — financially, emotionally, and physically.

If someone forwarded this to you and you want your own copy each week, just hit reply and type “SUBSCRIBE.”

No fancy form. No extra steps. Just reply “SUBSCRIBE.”

🧠 Big Thought: Your Career Is a Long Game, Not This Season

When you’re in peak “stuck in the middle” years, it can feel like your career is slipping away:

• You’re saying “no” to projects because of doctor appointments.

• You’re logging off early for kid emergencies.

• You’re too wiped out at night to “work on yourself” like all the career gurus preach.

Here’s the key mindset shift for this week:

A recent workforce report found that nearly 70% of family caregivers struggle to balance their career and caregiving responsibilities.News Release Archive Another study shows that about 60% of family caregivers also hold a job, and most have had to adjust their work life because of caregiving.Caregiver Action Network

So if your career feels messy, that’s not a personal failure — it’s math. You’re doing two jobs (or three, or four) with the energy for one.

Instead of chasing big, shiny career moves this season, focus on what I call “career oxygen”:

1. Stay employable. Keep your skills from getting stale.

2. Stay visible. Make sure the right people know what you contribute.

3. Stay sustainable. Avoid burning out so badly you’re forced to quit.

Tiny, consistent actions in those three areas will keep your career on track through this season… so you still have options later.

🧰 Money Moves: 7 Career-Saving Steps for Overloaded Caregivers

This week’s checklist is all about practical, free steps to protect your income and career while you’re stuck in the middle.

1️⃣ Do a 20-Minute “Career Snapshot”

Take one quiet block of time and answer:

• What part of my job is most valuable to my employer?

• What skills or projects have I added in the last 12 months?

• What do I wish my job looked like 12 months from now?

If you need a simple framework to help set growth goals, this playbook walks you through personal and professional development goals step by step:MuchSkills

https://www.muchskills.com/playbooks/growth-development-goals

Use it to write down 1–2 realistic career goals for the next year that fit your caregiving reality.

2️⃣ Take a 5-Minute Burnout Check

You can’t keep your career on track if you’re one email away from snapping.

A free burnout self-test from MindTools can help you check how close you are to the edge:mindtools.com

https://www.mindtools.com/auhx7b3/burnout-self-test

If you’re in the “high risk” zone, that’s data you can use to justify changes — with yourself and with your employer.

3️⃣ Map Your Non-Negotiables at Work

Grab a sheet of paper and make three columns:

• Must Keep Doing (core tasks tied to your job/security)

• Can Be Simplified or Delegated

• Nice But Not Essential (perfect for saying “no” to)

Use this list in your next check-in with your manager to talk about priorities. It’s much easier to say:

than

4️⃣ Have a Strategic Conversation About Flexibility

Most employers say they support caregivers, but they can’t help with what they don’t know.

These two resources can help you understand the landscape so you feel more confident asking for flexibility:

Balancing work and caregiving overview (caregiver action network):Caregiver Action Network
https://www.caregiveraction.org/i-have-job-and-im-caregiver-my-loved-one/

New U.S. workforce report on caregivers and workplace flexibility (S&P Global):News Release Archive
https://press.spglobal.com/2024-05-16-New-U-S-Workforce-Report-Nearly-70-of-Family-Caregivers-Report-Difficulty-Balancing-Career-and-Caregiving-Responsibilities,-Spurring-Long-Term-Impacts-to-U-S-Economy

Read enough to pull out 1–2 stats you can take into a conversation with your manager or HR. Data makes this less emotional and more practical.

5️⃣ Block a Tiny “Skill Slot” Each Week

Even 20–30 minutes a week keeps your career from freezing:

Ideas:

• Watch part of a free webinar or YouTube training related to your role.youtube.com

• Work through one exercise from a free course or playbook like the one above.MuchSkills

Put this time in your calendar with a neutral title like “Professional Development.” Treat it like any other appointment.

6️⃣ Document Your Wins in Real Time

Start a simple “Career Wins” note on your phone:

• Deals closed

• Problems you solved

• Compliments from clients or colleagues

• Times you stepped in despite your insane schedule

This becomes:

• Evidence for performance reviews or raise conversations

• A reminder (on bad days) that you’re still valuable and progressing

7️⃣ Decide What’s OK to Let Slide (For Now)

Here’s the permission slip no one hands you:

Write down one career expectation you’re willing to loosen for this season only
(e.g., “I’m okay not leading any big initiatives this year; my focus is steady performance and staying healthy.”)

That’s not giving up. That’s playing the long game.

🛠️ Tool of the Week: A Simple Playbook for Career Goals That Fit Your Reality

This week’s tool is a free, practical playbook to help you set growth and development goals that actually fit your life:

MuchSkills — Growth & Development Goals PlaybookMuchSkills

https://www.muchskills.com/playbooks/growth-development-goals

Why it’s great for people stuck in the middle:

• It walks you step by step through setting realistic goals.

• You can use it to design “small but meaningful” career moves instead of big, impossible ones.

• It’s self-paced and free — no logins, no course portal to remember.

Use it to create a 12-month “survival + growth” plan: one main skill to build, one visibility habit, one boundary at work.

📰 Reads: Free, Helpful Articles for Your Work + Caregiving Brain

All three of these are free and publicly accessible (no paywalls, no subscriptions required):

1️⃣ Balancing Work and Caregiving Responsibilities (Caregiver Action Network)
Practical ideas for talking to your employer, managing stress, and problem-solving when your job and caregiving collide.Caregiver Action Network

https://www.caregiveraction.org/i-have-job-and-im-caregiver-my-loved-one/

2️⃣ Nearly 70% of Family Caregivers Struggle to Balance Career and Caregiving (S&P Global)
A data-heavy look at how common your struggle really is, plus best practices employers can use to support caregivers. Good ammo for HR conversations.News Release Archive

https://press.spglobal.com/2024-05-16-New-U-S-Workforce-Report-Nearly-70-of-Family-Caregivers-Report-Difficulty-Balancing-Career-and-Caregiving-Responsibilities,-Spurring-Long-Term-Impacts-to-U-S-Economy

3️⃣ 9 Tips for Balancing Work and Caregiving (MeetCaregivers)
Concrete, bite-sized tips you can put into practice even when your energy is low.MeetCaregivers

https://meetcaregivers.com/balancing-work-and-caregiving/

🤝 SKOOL COMMUNITY: Come Sit With People Who Get It

If you’re stuck in the middle, you shouldn’t have to figure it out alone.

Our SKOOL community is where we’re building a place for people who are:

• Caring for parents and kids

• Still trying to show up at work

• Doing their best to keep their relationships from fraying

You’ll find bite-sized lessons, support, and people who actually understand the 3 a.m. panic.

👉 https://www.skool.com/stuck-in-the-middle-community-1730/about?ref=4956bcfb588b4962b89c23002360ff83

💬 Connect With People Who Get It

Caregiving can feel isolating — and so can relationship stress.
Join our private Facebook group to talk to others who truly understand.

👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/stuckinthemiddlenews

💬 Reply & Engage: I Want to Hear From You

Hit reply and tell me:

You’re not complaining. You’re reporting the truth — and your answer will help shape future issues.

↗️ Share the Relief

If you know another person stuck in the middle — caring for parents, kids, a partner, and a job — forward this issue to them.

You never know who is quietly wondering, “Is it just me?”

(Answer: it’s definitely not just you.)