**Headline: *“Why Red Lobster’s Tallahassee Closure Is Really About Your Career”***

Headline: “Why Red Lobster’s Tallahassee Closure Is Really About Your Career”

Tallahassee, FL — When the lights went out at Red Lobster’s Apalachee Parkway location this week, the local gossip was all about endless shrimp and rising costs. But as a life coach who’s been tracking the psychology of “sudden endings,” I see a different story: The closure is a mirror for your own stalled career.

Here’s the viral truth: Red Lobster didn’t fail because people stopped wanting cheddar biscuits. They failed because they stayed too loyal to a menu that worked in 1995. Sound familiar? Too many of us keep showing up to the same “job buffet” — same tasks, same complaints, same safety net — hoping the economy will suddenly love our old recipe.

Psychologically, this is called sunk-cost fallacy: staying in a role (or even a mindset) because you’ve already invested years, even when the market — or your soul — has clearly moved on.

Take the One-Bite Challenge: Tonight, identify one “Cheddar Bay” habit you’re over-committed to — a filler task, a dead-end project, a relationship that’s just “open for lunch.” Pinch it off your plate. You don’t have to close your whole restaurant; you just have to update the menu.

Red Lobster in Tallahassee didn’t close because of one bad Tuesday. It closed because it ignored the warning signs. Don’t let your next career chapter be the same headline.

— Dr. Mara Collins, Life Coach & Psychological Strategist