Many mid-career executives and professionals are miserable in their jobs and frustrated with their careers. They wake up each day, dreading to go to work. They swear they’re ready to make a change. They buy a ton of self-help books. And nothing happens. Here’s why.

Mistake #1: Feeling desperate (and hopeless at the same time). You think, “Well, I’m so comfortable… Then you realize, “I’ve been here three years. I can’t wait another day. I’ve got to get out of here. Clients sometimes say things like, “I don’t care if I get fired,” or, “Maybe I’ll go bankrupt. So what?” What they mean is, “The situation is scary. I’ve waited so long…and it seems hopeless.

The truth is: waiting too long for a change can damage your career. When you are really unhappy, you can sabotage your own success, often unconsciously setting yourself up to be fired. But when I begin to talk with these clients, we almost always uncover realistic, hopeful opportunities. The answer is to get into purposeful, guided action. Once you start moving, the panic goes away. Just plan your trajectory so you aren’t spinning wheels.

Mistake #2: Feeling overwhelmed. When you think about career change, there’s so much to do. Networking. Phone calls. Interviews. Research. Career search is rarely linear. It’s messy and zig-zag. Think “playground basketball” instead of “pro football.”

The good news is: once you take the first action, it’s like pulling on a thread to release a knot. First one part unravels…and then the next. And you see daylight just when you are ready to give up.

I’ve written my own prescription for action:  21-Day Extreme Career Makeover.

You can read the original story here. The link was posted on Twitter by @socialtweedia.

It was a cover story with as many holes as Swiss cheese. A Swiss woman, working for a Swiss company, called in sick, claiming a migraine. I don’t know much about migraines, but I gather you want to lie in a dark room and do as little as possible.

But instead of taking cover, so to speak, the woman used the opportunity to post to her Facebook account. Apparently she used her iPhone to update Facebook from her bed in her darkened room.

“If you are well enough to use Facebook, you are well enough to come to work,” the company said. They fired the woman for lying.

The woman claimed the company was spying. Maybe they were.

What did this woman do wrong?

First, when you work for a company, don’t “friend” colleagues unless you have a special account for business purposes. This woman admits she accepted a Friend request from someone in her company. This mysterious X had an account without a picture.

Second, when you’re sick, stay hidden. Some companies understand that you will fake a dentist appointment to attend a job interview at a competing company. Mental health days are common. Just be sure you won’t run into someone you shouldn’t.

My hunch is that the company had a hidden agenda. We don’t know if this woman had a history of missing work. Maybe they were looking for an excuse to fire her.

Alternatively, perhaps they felt they couldn’t overlook a public transgression. Anyone could see when this woman updated her account.

What is your opinion? Click on “comment” below.

Traditional career change says, “Begin with your passion. Identify your strengths.”

I agree.

The next step, you hear, is, ‘Find a career where you can use your strengths.”

I disagree.

Usually you can find many ways to use your strength. You’re a good organizer? No need to start your own organizing firm. Chances are you will find a way to use these talents in most careers.

You’re an outgoing person and everyone tells you their problems? No need to be a shrink. You might be a great manager or salesperson. Jeff Herring, the Article Guy, is a former therapist. His talents serve him well during teleseminars.

Usually what kills people is the culture. Dress up or casual? Come and go as you please or tug on a tight leash? Early morning meetings or late nights for crunching deadlines?

Sure, if you each third grade it helps if you like kids. If you work in a finance office, it helps to like numbers. But I’ve seen people make vast leaps into careers that seemed totally unsuitable…and discover that once they’re tossed in the water, they really like learning to swim.

I bet many readers disagree. Click on the comment link below and say your piece.

I don’t see many movies these days, but I had to go see The Promotion, billed as a satiric comedy about the contemporary workplace.

I went with a friend who’s been out of the corporate world awhile, as well as her college-age son — a movie buff and will go see just about anything. Despite our varying perspectives, we all enjoyed the movie. I found myself laughing out loud in some spots.

But it’s not a slapstick comedy and it’s not really bitter satire either. The movie does raise issues related to age, desperation, and meaningless rules. And it was hard not to empathize with both contenders.

In his New York Times review, Stephen Holden wrote, “But the movie’s whimsy is undercut by its portrayal of the contemporary workplace as a cheerless corporate boot camp overseen by a grim board of directors that is as stern and vigilant as a military tribunal.”

Well, aren’t some workplaces just like that?

I was hoping to gain some great insights for my Special Report on performance reviews. Instead, I found myself thinking, “Why don’t these smart guys start their own Internet business on the weekend?”

Watching The Apprentice Los Angeles this week, I was reminded of a conversation about a seemingly unrelated subject: football.

“Larry” had played football in high school and college. When he watches a game, he says, “I would never boo a player. Sometimes one guy seems to make a mistake – but he was doing his job. Another player wasn’t following the game plan.”

And that’s what happened here.

Kristine – the competent-looking lawyer with the rimless glasses – teamed up with Nicole to create a promotion for some new condos in Las Vegas. Of course, Kristine’s game plan was a little shaky: she wanted to get out from under the shadow of Heidi, whose competence shown on most tasks.

But as Kristine worked on the brochure, Nicole decided to take a nap. Kristine decided to let Nicole sleep. After all, she reasoned, Nicole had been useless on this task so far.

So Kristine decided to write the whole brochure herself. She attempted to do the work of 2 people.

And she came close…except that she got one phone number wrong.

True, in marketing, that’s a very serious mistake. On my own articles, getting the contact information wrong means, “What’s the point?” If they can’t find me, why bother to advertise?

But if Nicole had been doing her share of the work, Kristine might have had time and energy to pay attention to those little details. If they had worked together, they might have proofed the brochure more accurately.

So who should get fired?

In real life, hopefully you wait to collect more data to establish a pattern. But someone else’s mistake can make you look bad, in football and in business. You weren’t supposed to be on the receiving end of a catch, but it comes to you anyway…and you miss. You weren’t supposed to handle this part of the job…but the other person disappears.

Almost always, these situations tend to be lose-lose, once you’re caught up in them. Best to prevent them from happening in the first place. Football players don’t always have a choice but professionals can make a concerted effort to hang out with winners, even if they risk being overshadowed.

A controversial call, either way.