This post is for anyone who is sticking with a job that no longer fits. Maybe it was right at some point during a certain phase of your life, but not anymore. Can you remember the last time you jumped out of bed excited about what the day would bring? When you start to question whether you need to leave your dead-end job, excuses start to roll in.
“But I love the people I work with.”
“It’s so convenient.”
“They promised me a raise last year, so maybe I’ll get one this year.”
“The money’s decent, considering…”
I’ve heard all the excuses in the book. Hell, I’ve made them myself. When you start to find yourself making these excuses, you may be in a dead-end job. If you are feeling low energy, or never feel like going out on your time off, you may be in a soul-sucking job, and it may be time to leave. The only thing left to decide is how.
Above all, you want it to be your decision. Don’t let boredom and apathy lead to an attitude that gets you passed over, or worse, fired. Who wants to work with someone who is burnt out, no matter how skilled they are?
The number one reason people stay in bad jobs is fear of the unknown, and fear that what they move to will be worse than where they are.
Are you hanging on to something that doesn’t fit just because it’s familiar?
What if the unknown wasn’t so scary?
What if it was filled with excitement and newl possibilities?
Sure, there’s that transition period where you leave work that you can do in your sleep and head into new territory where everything is new and challenging. The downside of staying too long in a bad job or working for a bad boss is far greater than the learning curve of something new.
So, you might be wondering – How might you make this new and unknown territory more comfortable?
1. Do Your Research
Learn about it. Do research. Talk to people. Do informational interviews with people at the company you want to work for, or who have the job you want. Volunteer, or do an internship in a new industry. Find ways to educate yourself in your downtime. Go to school. Hire a career coach. Shine some light on the stuff the scary ignorance so it becomes no big deal.
2. Fake It Till You Make It.
You’ve probably heard this one before. There are a lot of successful people in the world who just decide that they know what they’re doing. Some people just read a book or two, made a presentation, and are suddenly jolted into a new area where they see success. There’s a lot to be said for chutzpah and having confidence that you can learn anything that you don’t know, will help you achieve success.
3. Try It On A Smaller Scale
Part-time or pilot projects work well for this, particularly if you’re thinking of venturing out on your own. The hours are long when you don’t give up your day job but if you’re pursuing your passion you generally can find the energy to do it well. Do some pro bono work for a friend’s business to earn some testimonials. Before long you’ll feel ready to go for it.
4. Dive In – Head First!
This is my favorite. I get enormous energy from leaping off metaphorical cliffs (I don’t particularly like real ones.) Instead of screaming “NOOOOO!”, try saying “Wheee!” or “Geronimo.” I’ve circled the globe after leaving my high-paying tech job and that leap paid off. I keep having soft, successful, landings so I continue to leap. Sometimes it takes a geographic change to get yourself out of a rut. New city. New friends. New work. New beginnings. Try something out of your comfort zone and see what happens.
5. Prep Yourself
So maybe you’re not a “jumper.” You can have a contingency plan, and create that nest egg. Find an answer for all the what-ifs and negative voices that may be deterring you. Caution – be careful not to over-prepare and delay too long with the excuse that you don’t have all the answers. This about the likelihood of each outcome, and prepare for the ones that are most likely. There comes the point when it’s time to take steps, even baby ones.
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now”.
—J. W. von Goethe
Remember, if you only do what you already know, you won’t get different results. Growth is an essential part of life. There comes a time to move on. You can feel when change is due. The people around you can see what you are experiencing. You aren’t fooling anyone when you put on a happy face. When the time comes, the universe makes it easy for you. The money for graduate school appears, those child care arrangements work out, or an article about a new company catches your eye. Pay attention to the signs that appear to you in your life. Trust your judgment. If something tells you this new opportunity is right, it probably is.