Have you been feeling unhappy at work for a while, no longer enjoying your job and no longer fulfilled by what you do? Do you know that you should do something about it but just the thought of taking action fills you with fear and overwhelm?
If this describes you, you are not alone. I come across many women just like you, who are experiencing the same feelings, going in to work every day, constantly watching the clock and wishing the hours away. Moaning to family and friends about how unhappy they are in their jobs and growing even unhappier as time goes by.
Like you, they too choose to ignore the signs that they are unhappy and unfulfilled at work. Why is this? Because it means that they have to step out of their comfort zone and do something about it. When you have become stuck in a rut, stepping out of your comfort zone and making a career change can be pretty scary. If you don’t know what you want to do or don’t know where to start, it can also be overwhelming.
You spend the majority of your time at work so don’t you think that you owe it to yourself to have a career that you enjoy? If you are feeling unhappy and unfulfilled in your job but because you’re stuck in a comfort zone you won’t even explore what is going on for you, the following 3 actions will give you a kick start to take action.
Explore the reasons for your unhappiness
What is the reason why you no longer enjoy your job? What has changed? Is it because of internal or external reasons? Is it something that is within your control that you can do something about? Or is it outside of your control? Have the demands placed upon you changed so that you are no longer doing the things you enjoy? Or is it that you are struggling with your workload?
Is it as a result of your relationship with your team or manager, if so, what has changed the dynamics of those relationships? What can you do to improve them?
List all the reasons for your unhappiness and get to the root cause of what is causing it. If it is something within your remit, change it. If you need to have a conversation with someone in order to improve relationships, have that conversation. Many women I work with don’t like confrontation but the conversation need not be confrontational. Rather than viewing it as confronting someone, tell yourself that you are helping the other person to understand your point of view.
If an increased workload is stressing you out, how can you manage it more effectively? Is there anyone that you can delegate certain tasks to that will also help them with their development? Is this increase in workload realistic?
If after identifying your reasons for unhappiness there is nothing that you can do to improve the situation because it is out of your control, maybe it’s time for you to seriously think about moving on.
Imagine possible alternatives
Imagine yourself doing other roles, roles that you enjoy and find fulfilling. If you are not yet able to identify a specific job that you want to do, don’t worry. Visualise how you will feel doing work that you love. Something that is both rewarding and fulfilling. Create a clear picture in your mind of what this will look and feel like.
How will you feel getting up to go to work on a Monday morning knowing that you are going to a job that you love? What kind of environment is it? What is it about the environment that makes you want to be there? What are the values of the organisation that you would like to work in?
Or do you even see yourself running your own business where there is no glass ceiling constraining your talents, one where you have complete autonomy over what you do and how you do it?
Now take your mind back to reality. Knowing how you feel about your current job, what will things be like 2... 3... years from now if you stay as you are? How do you think you will be feeling? How energised and motivated do you think you will feel? How happy and fulfilled will you be?
Consider the 2 possibilities, life and work as it is now or life and work as it was when you visualised the possible alternative roles doing something that you love. Now which one do you want?
What if the thought of making a change is scary?
If you have decided that having a career that you love and that is fulfilling is what you want but the thought of making a change seems scary and overwhelming, start with baby steps. Take action towards having a new career that stretches you just outside of your comfort zone. The more you do this, the more confident you will feel.
Yes, change can be scary and if it takes you out of your comfort zone, it can make you feel overwhelmed and anxious. This is because you feel that it is a threat to your sense of personal security. When our sense of personal security is threatened, we often imagine the worst. But if you can reframe your situation to something more rational, believing that no matter what, you will be ok, you will feel less fearful of making that change.
If you have decided, it is time to make that move and you are going to push yourself out of your comfort zone, you can now start to identify exactly what it is you want to do and go and pursue a career that you will love.
What actions have you taken when you have been stuck in a rut? Or if you are stuck in a rut, what is keeping you there?
Originally Published on LinkedIn