Stop Complaining About Your Job—Do This Instead

By Dr. Kerstin Brehm | Leadership & Longevity Consultant, Ex-Cardiac Surgeon

We’ve all worked with them.

The colleagues who complain constantly.
The ones who drain your energy with every coffee break conversation.
The ones who talk about quitting… year after year… but never do.

Maybe—if you’re honest—you’ve even been that person.

Here’s the truth: venting might feel good for a moment, but it keeps you stuck. And if you’re ready to move beyond frustration, this article is for you.

Because I’ve been there. I’ve sat in a “dream job” and still felt completely out of alignment. And I’ve reinvented myself—more than once—to build a life and career that actually fit me.

Let me show you how to do the same.

Why We Stay Stuck (Even When We’re Miserable)

We complain because we’re afraid.

Afraid to take action.
Afraid to fail.
Afraid that if we leave what we know, we might end up worse off.

So we stay. We vent. We spiral in negativity.

But here’s the problem:

Your thoughts shape your feelings—and your feelings shape your life.

Constant negativity isn’t just annoying. It’s toxic.
To your motivation. Your creativity. Your relationships. Your health.

So if you feel stuck, here’s what to do instead.

The 4-Step Career Clarity Exercise That Changed My Life

This is the exact process I used when I was a board-certified cardiac surgeon feeling out of place in a role I worked 17 years to achieve.

Step 1: Write Down Everything You Hate About Your Job

Yes, everything.
From your micromanaging boss to the terrible coffee machine. Get it all out.

Think of this as a detox. You need to see the pain on paper to understand it.

Step 2: Now Write Down What You Actually Want

What would a great workday look like?
Remote flexibility? More impact? A creative outlet? Autonomy?

Get specific. Dream honestly.

Step 3: Define Your Core Values

Values are your internal compass. If your job violates them, you’ll always feel off.

For example, mine include:

Financial stability
Freedom to make decisions
Impact at scale

What are yours? Rank them. Then ask: Is my current career aligned with these?

Step 4: Visualize Your Ideal Day

Close your eyes.
Imagine waking up excited.
What time is it?
What do you wear?
What do you work on?
How do you feel at the end of the day?

This isn’t fluff. It’s strategy. You can’t build a future you haven’t envisioned.

Once You’ve Got the Data—Here’s What to Do Next

Take a look at what you wrote.

Option A: The Negatives Don’t Outweigh the Positives

Great. That means your current role might not be the problem—your mindset is.

Reframe it: “This job funds my hobbies, provides stability, and gives me space to plan my next step.”

Try seeing your work through a different lens. For one week, commit to zero complaints. Watch what shifts.

Option B: The Negatives Do Outweigh the Positives

Then it’s time to act.

But that doesn’t mean quitting tomorrow. It means building a plan.

Let me show you what that looked like for me:

From Surgeon to Strategist: My Reinvention Story

At 33, I was the youngest board-certified cardiac surgeon in Germany.

I hit every milestone.
And still—I knew it wasn’t right.

I moved cities. I landed a role at Germany’s top congenital cardiac unit.
It should’ve been the dream.
But the same feeling returned: This isn’t it.

So I got strategic.

I mapped out what I wanted: more freedom, more impact, broader leadership.
I realized: hospital CEO could be the path.

But I needed business skills first. So I pivoted into Big Four consulting—not because they were looking for a surgeon, but because I made them see what I could bring.

I translated my medical experience into leadership value. And it worked.

That decision changed everything. And it started with the exact exercise I just gave you.

Here’s What I Want You to Know

You don’t have to settle.
You don’t have to vent forever.
You don’t need to know exactly what the next step looks like to begin taking it.

What you need is clarity, alignment, and courage.

Your Homework (Because Insight Without Action is Useless)