If you make a conscious effort to find out what it
is you were meant to do in life, it can literally save your life!
Consider this: 70% - 80% of people work at jobs
they hate. Unfortunately, this affects their happiness and personal relationships;
ultimately, it can affect their health. Another really interesting statistic is
that most heart attacks occur on Mondays during morning hours. While there are
numerous factors involved, experts agree that job stress has an adverse effect
on heart health.
As you can see, having a career that you love is
REALLY important.
Recently, I had an interesting resume consultation
with a client looking to update his resume. During our time together, he said
something that completely resonated with me and that I could relate to as I
have felt this way about past job positions that I have had. He told me that
while he has had an impressive 25+-year career with progressive experience in
his field, he really didn’t like his job. He wasn’t exactly sure about what he
wanted to do, but wished he could do something else, preferably involving one
of his major interests. He also explained that he felt like he was selling his
time (and as a result his life) to his employer.
Is this the way you feel about your job? Do you
feel like you’re selling your time and your life to your employer in return for
a salary?
Now consider this –
How would your life change if you absolutely loved
going to work each day?
–
Would you be happier?
–
Would you have less stress in your life?
–
Would you be more productive?
–
Would you be more successful?
If you’re unhappy at work and wish you loved your
job, what can you do about it?
First, determine whether you hate the functions of the job or the
environment in which you work.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to recognize what is
the true core of your career challenge. You may feel you hate your job, but you
don’t know exactly why. You need to diagnose the problem before you can take
action.
Here are a few signs that you may want to consider making
a career transition -
- Do you hate what
you do (the main tasks and responsibilities of the job)?
- Are you bored by
your work?
- Do you feel as
though time drags on at work and find yourself constantly checking the
clock?
If you answered yes to any of the above, it may be
time to find a new career that would be a better fit for you in terms of your
personality type, interests, natural strengths, and career values.
However, if you love your work, but hate the environment in which you
work – start an Internal Campaign.
Here’s what I mean - focus on changing your
situation from the inside out and then create a plan for moving forward.
Gloria was contending with this type of situation.
When she came to me for help she was at the end of her rope. As a mid-level
manager, she was afraid she was going to lose her job, felt overwhelmed by all
that she had to do on a daily basis and was upset by the criticism she received
from her supervisors regarding her job performance. She wanted help with
finding a new career direction to escape her current situation and explore her
options.
As a result of our work, it became apparent that
Gloria’s problem wasn’t that she needed to make a career change, but instead
she needed to change the way she felt about her job then focus on improving her
performance so that she could be a better manager and increase her
productivity.
The first thing we addressed was how she viewed her
situation. We pulled her out of “victim” mode where she felt trapped and
believed she had little to no choice in her circumstances. By changing her
perspective and seeing that she did indeed have control over her situation and
numerous options, she was able to widen her viewpoint and identify where she
could make proactive changes. We then worked on developing her leadership
skills (e.g., managing others, increasing communication, effective time
management, etc.) to improve her performance on the job.
I’m happy to report that Gloria has completely
turned her situation around. She has become more confident and capable on the
job. As a result, she received positive feedback from her supervisors and feels
much more hopeful about her future. We are currently working on strategies for
moving her up to the next level in her career progression.
How about you?
Are you ready to make an investment in yourself and
in improving the quality of your life?
(And, by the way, it’s never too late to find a career that you can feel excited
about and that energizes you.)
Your future is in your hands –
Don’t trade another minute of your life being paid
to work at a job you hate!
