By Susan Andrewes
Given that most people spend a third of their waking hours at work, you’d think that it’d be extremely important to get a job doing something that we enjoy. And yet studies show that the vast majority of us are in jobs that we hate. Why is that the case? After all, the world of work has radically changed over recent years, bringing with it not just uncertainty, but also enormous opportunity. Increasingly, savvy professionals are regaining control over their personal and professional happiness, and are setting out to design a career that is both meaningful and rewarding AND which fits in around their ideal lifestyle.
But how do you know if you are just a bit bored, or if you really are in the wrong job? Read on to find out.
1. You’d change jobs in a flash if it weren’t for the money
So you hate your job but think you can’t afford to leave? This is a natural concern, and one of the most common reasons stopping those I speak to from taking the plunge and leaving a job that is making them utterly miserable. But ask yourself honestly – is the salary you earn really worth the impact your job is having on your health, your family and your happiness? The truth is that most people increase their spending to match what they earn, whether it is £30,000 or £300,000. What do you choose to spend your money on? Can you really not afford to leave your job, or is money simply an excuse for not having the courage to up and leave?
2. You’d change jobs tomorrow if you knew what else you could do
This is a really good sign that you shouldn’t be there. I know exactly what it’s like to want desperately to leave your job, but to put it off until next month or even year because you have no idea what else you could do. Don’t let this keep you in a job you hate – deciding what to do next is straighforward with professional support, and you’ll have fun doing it! Rather than waste the next two years trying to figure out what else you could do, invest in a good coach who will help you do this in a fraction of the time. With a clear idea of what you’d really love to do, you’ll suddenly find you have the vision, energy and drive to make it happen.
3. You spend Sundays dreading Monday mornings
We’ve all been there – waking up on Sunday in anticipated dread of yet another stressful and unfulfilling week ahead. Even the thought of having to wake up early to put in a mindless week’s work can put a real downer on your weekend. It doesn’t need to be this way. Imagine what it would be like to enjoy every minute of your Sunday in eager anticipation of Monday morning and in the knowledge that you will be spending the week doing something that you are passionate about and that makes a real difference to the world. And yes, not only is this possible, it’s actually relatively easy once you know how to make it happen.
4. You hate your boss with a passion
Not getting on with your boss is the number one reason so many people give for wanting out. Given how much time we spend at work, having a great boss that makes you feel good about your skills and who values your contribution is essential. A boss who insults or bullies you, or who shows no interest in what makes you feel valued, can turn a once happy and dedicated employee into one who can’t stand even setting foot in the office. If your workplace has become toxic because of a bad boss or negative colleagues, then seriously consider your options. No amount of money or job status is worth a poisonous working environment.
5. Your job has turned you into someone you don’t even recognise
Do you feel like your job has turned you into someone else? Has your creativity, drive and passion been so crushed by job stress, negativity and small-mindedness among colleagues that you don’t even know who you are anymore? It can be incredibly easy to allow workplace negativity and office culture to become such a part of us that we end up losing all sense of who we are and what makes us stand out. If you have become someone you no longer recognise, or worse, you don’t like what you have become, then it is a sure sign that you need to get out.
6. Your work is ruining your health
Stress, boredom, toxic work environments, negativity among colleagues and pressure from your boss – all of these can turn what could have been a great job into a job from hell. Headaches, anxiety, insomnia, depression and anger can all be caused by a soul-destroying job and are probably one of the clearest signs that you need to stop making excuses and say ‘enough is enough’. Having the courage to turn your back on a job that is destroying your health is one of the best things you can do, and you will be amazed at how every aspect of your health improves once that weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
7. No amount of money would make you happy
This is the surest sign of all that your job is simply not worth the sacrifice and pain of staying where you are. Society has wrongly taught us that work is something to be suffered and endured, and we often feel that the more we hate our job, the more we deserve to be paid. When, in my previous job, it dawned on me that no amount of money would make me want to continue to work for the organisation in question, it was a life-changing moment. From then on, I knew that something had to change, and that I had to make it happen. That realisation alone gave me the courage to overcome my fear of leaving a secure job for the great unknown and to do whatever it took to find work doing something that would make me happy. Staying in a job that makes you so miserable that even a pay rise wouldn’t do it for you is the biggest sign of all that you are in the wrong place.
If you are in a job that is reducing you to tears, then don’t despair, do something about it. There are countless inspirational people out there who’ve already made a huge success of their own career change, and some great excellent coaches who will help you break free from a job you hate, work out what it is you really want to do with your life, and land your own dream career.
