You have a nice job. The commute is not so bad, the offices are in a safe area, your colleagues are real nice troopers, and the pay's good too. Well, obviously it's not as much as you would like to make, but it's enough to pay the bills. It allowed you to get used to a lifestyle you're comfortable with. Still, every Monday morning you find yourself wishing it was Friday afternoon, you may even take sick leave when you're not really that sick, or play solitaire and chat with your friends while your boss is waiting for that report. You're not feeling fulfilled, and every chance you get you mentally detach as far away from work as possible, distracting yourself with other things.
That was me only a couple of years ago. I tried to decide whether to quit for ages but only found myself turning around in circles. On the one hand, the pay was great, the peeps were nice and I lived in a nice flat in an expensive city, so I had literally no savings to fall back on (which makes looking for a new job all the scarier). On the downside, my boss didn't appreciate me, the office politics would have driven me crazy had I paid any attention to them, the tasks were repetitive and unchallenging. I was checking out and bored out of my skull - I was approaching 30 and the highlight of my working day was a few minutes of borderline-flirtatious chat with a co-worker. Not my idea of satisfying!
Over time, my self-esteem was sinking lower and lower. I had actually stopped respecting myself. Why was I staying in a job I didn't like? Why didn't I just get moving and find something else to do? I didn't feel challenged, I didn't feel I was realising my potential, I had to play a role in order to fit in, I had to ignore my talents, dumb down my personality, my actions didn't really serve a higher purpose, it was all meaningless and - empty. Yet despite all those negative feelings, it was easier to stay put than to take action.
Eventually I got the courage to ask for a transfer, but nothing was available, so I had to face my fear and take steps towards change: the search for a new job. If I was going to risk leaving a job as safe and well-paid as the one I had, the change had better be worth my while, I thought. So I sat down in a quiet place, took pen and paper to hand, and asked myself some serious questions: What do I want to do with my life? Where do I want to be in five, ten years? Which of my talents could I turn into an occupation? And, best question of all, if I knew I'd succeed, what would I be doing?
If you recognise yourself in any of what I've just described, please drop me a line! If you're in the middle of that brainstorming process, don't worry, enlightenment will come. Don't push yourself too hard, make sure that you're doing this for yourself, and give yourself the time you feel you need to be comfortable. Changing jobs, like changing house or relationships, is one of the biggest stressors you can experience in life. I'm sure that you too have all the necessary resources inside you to change out of the rut, and I'd love to assist in asking the right questions for your situation.
Til next time!
That was me only a couple of years ago. I tried to decide whether to quit for ages but only found myself turning around in circles. On the one hand, the pay was great, the peeps were nice and I lived in a nice flat in an expensive city, so I had literally no savings to fall back on (which makes looking for a new job all the scarier). On the downside, my boss didn't appreciate me, the office politics would have driven me crazy had I paid any attention to them, the tasks were repetitive and unchallenging. I was checking out and bored out of my skull - I was approaching 30 and the highlight of my working day was a few minutes of borderline-flirtatious chat with a co-worker. Not my idea of satisfying!
Over time, my self-esteem was sinking lower and lower. I had actually stopped respecting myself. Why was I staying in a job I didn't like? Why didn't I just get moving and find something else to do? I didn't feel challenged, I didn't feel I was realising my potential, I had to play a role in order to fit in, I had to ignore my talents, dumb down my personality, my actions didn't really serve a higher purpose, it was all meaningless and - empty. Yet despite all those negative feelings, it was easier to stay put than to take action.
Eventually I got the courage to ask for a transfer, but nothing was available, so I had to face my fear and take steps towards change: the search for a new job. If I was going to risk leaving a job as safe and well-paid as the one I had, the change had better be worth my while, I thought. So I sat down in a quiet place, took pen and paper to hand, and asked myself some serious questions: What do I want to do with my life? Where do I want to be in five, ten years? Which of my talents could I turn into an occupation? And, best question of all, if I knew I'd succeed, what would I be doing?
If you recognise yourself in any of what I've just described, please drop me a line! If you're in the middle of that brainstorming process, don't worry, enlightenment will come. Don't push yourself too hard, make sure that you're doing this for yourself, and give yourself the time you feel you need to be comfortable. Changing jobs, like changing house or relationships, is one of the biggest stressors you can experience in life. I'm sure that you too have all the necessary resources inside you to change out of the rut, and I'd love to assist in asking the right questions for your situation.
Til next time!
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