Writing in Forbes, career expert Helen Coster points out that even though the new year is supposed to bring fresh starts and new visions, many of us arrive at the milestone feeling the opposite emotions and a sense of ennui, the feeling that we're stuck in our jobs. So, how do we get unstuck? Here's a laundry list of ideas she suggests:

1. Stay focused on your goals, and use the time to position yourself to land your next job.
2. Think about your place in your career as an 18-month segment.
3. Talk to your boss to find out what you can do to get on a learning curve.
4. Spend the next three months acquiring the skills you need, inside and outside your organization.
5. Take on added responsibilities that will challenge you.
6. Sign up for a continuing education class.
7. Work on your public speaking.
8. If you have an area of expertise that you can share with others, gain visibility by starting a blog.
9. Spend the next six months talking to people in the company about what you've been doing and gaining more visibility.
10. Figure out who your stakeholders are.
11. Try to make a lateral move within your organization, by offering to relocate to a different office or even just by asking to work from home one day a week.
12. Be sure to keep meeting new people.
13. Join a professional organization.
14. Update your résumé and post it
15. Tell people that you've had a great year and that you're looking to make a change.
16. Start a career development group with a few friends in other industries.

If all that seems too daunting, pick just one or two ideas you can use or actions you can take. Anything to keep your mind feeling fresh and alive as you head into 2010. --Don Willmott