Welcome to Part 2 of our Rust Out series! If you missed the first part, no worries. Here’s a quick refresher: Rust Out is when you’re not necessarily overwhelmed like with burnout, but you feel stuck in a mundane routine. Your work lacks challenge, excitement, or growth. It’s that dull, frustrating feeling of being stuck in neutral and just going through the motions day after day.
In this edition, meet Max, the VP of Storytelling at a major streaming company. Sounds like a dream job, right? But Max found himself battling rust out. Even though his title was impressive, his work had lost its luster. Every project felt the same—routine and uninspiring. As the person responsible for shaping bold, creative stories, Max felt like he had lost his own. So, how did he break free from this rut? Let’s explore the strategies that helped Max reignite his passion for storytelling.
1. Redefine Success by Setting Mini-Challenges
When you are in the midst of rust out, part of the problem can be too much comfort. That was Max’s situation—his projects were successful, but they weren’t pushing him to innovate or grow. The status quo was easy, but it left him feeling unfulfilled. That’s where mini-challenges came into play.
Why It Works:
Mini-challenges help break the monotony by injecting novelty and excitement into your work. They are not meant to overhaul everything you are doing, but rather to shake things up just enough to push you out of autopilot mode. These challenges should be achievable, measurable, and ideally, creative—something that stretches your abilities and stimulates curiosity.
Max decided to launch a “storytelling hackathon” within his team. Every Friday, they had to come up with a brand-new story concept in a genre they had never tackled before. No rules, no limitations—just pure creativity. They experimented with everything from sci-fi epics to historical dramas, genres outside their usual comfort zone. This sparked new ideas and gave Max and his team something to look forward to each week.
The hackathons helped Max tap back into his creative side. He no longer felt like he was just checking boxes; he was challenged again, thinking outside the box, and the energy spread to his entire team.
2. Take a Leap—Outside Your Comfort Zone
Rust out often sets in when we stick too closely to what we know. For Max, this meant sticking to the same types of stories, the same structures, the same familiar successes. He had forgotten how much growth and excitement come from trying something totally new—and yes, a little uncomfortable.
Why It Works:
Growth happens outside of your comfort zone. When you stretch yourself by taking on something unfamiliar, you reignite the part of you that loves to learn, adapt, and overcome challenges. It’s about embracing risk and seeing discomfort as a pathway to discovery and innovation.
To shake things up, Max signed up for a virtual writing workshop that focused on indie film screenwriting—a completely different storytelling style from the high-budget, mainstream content he was used to. This wasn’t an area where he felt like an expert, and that was the point. The unfamiliar storytelling techniques challenged his creativity and gave him fresh perspectives on narrative structure.
Max came out of the workshop energized and with a treasure trove of new ideas to incorporate into his projects. By stepping into a new arena, he discovered innovative ways to approach his storytelling, which ultimately helped him break the cycle of sameness in his day-to-day work.
3. Build New Connections to Get Fresh Perspectives
When you’re feeling stuck, it’s easy to fall into the trap of engaging with the same people and ideas over and over again. For Max, this was a big contributor to his rust out. He was always hearing the same feedback from the same voices, which made everything feel predictable and uninspiring. To escape this, Max needed fresh perspectives from new voices.
Why It Works:
Connecting with new people outside your usual circle can open up your world to new ideas, insights, and opportunities. These connections can help you see your work through a new lens and spark fresh enthusiasm. Networking isn’t just about career advancement—it’s about learning and growing through collaboration and shared experiences.
Max decided to reach out to old colleagues he hadn’t spoken to in years and started attending industry panels and networking events with storytellers from different media—podcasts, short films, and even graphic novels. Through these conversations, he was introduced to new storytelling trends, emerging formats, and unconventional narrative techniques that he hadn’t considered before.
These new perspectives challenged Max to think differently about storytelling and content creation. The fresh input and ideas he gathered from these interactions reignited his passion and gave him a roadmap for future projects that broke away from the formulaic approaches he had grown tired of.
Breaking Free from Rust Out
Max’s journey is a powerful reminder that rust out isn’t just about boredom—it’s about the risk of losing your professional edge when you stop pushing yourself to grow and evolve. The good news? You don’t have to stay stuck in neutral. By setting mini-challenges, stepping out of your comfort zone, and building new connections, you can shake off the rust and get back to doing work that excites and fulfills you.
Max’s story resonates with you, take a moment to reflect on your own career. Try implementing one of these strategies and see what shifts for you. Remember, rust out isn’t the end—it’s just a signal that it’s time for something new.
Know someone that can benefit from these strategies? Share the love and information!
This newsletter is created by Phyllis Reagin, M.A., Executive and Leadership Coach and Imposter Syndrome expert. Phyllis is the founder of At the Coach's Table, a leadership development and team-building company serving the Entertainment/Media industry, To learn more about us visit here.