Follow Your Gut

I received an unusual call last night, from a personal girlfriend’s husband. Two points pretty much sum up the breadth of the discussion:

1. He absolutely hates what he’s doing. Nothing about the past 10 years in his career has been focused on his talents, his skills, or anything that gives him energy.

2. He’s worried that this is the worst time to be thinking about a job switch, and should he just stick it out?

I bet this sounds familiar to those of us who hate our jobs, and to those of us (like me) who love ours. Here’s the truth, dear Richard: It’s a disservice to everyone by sitting in a job you hate. The one who suffers the most, however, is yourself.

I think this is the perfect time to re-evaluate our career paths. We’ve all been scared stiff by the threat of layoffs, anyway, so we’re naturally thinking “what if?” What if I lost my job tomorrow? What would I seek for that next adventure in my career—and is now the time to look to a new direction?

Most of my gripes about colleagues stem from a common denominator: If they were happy and truly energized by their work, we likely wouldn’t have so many problems.

So I’m going to give Richard my all. I’m going to encourage him to take some bold steps. To build out his network. To boldly go where he’s never gone before. In turn, he’ll free up a position he loathes for someone who might be out there seeking that very type of role.

You are the master of your situation. —My favorite fortune of all time

Comments

[Kim Prayfrock]

I want to thank you for this. I left a job that I had been at for 10 years to go to another that promised more money, etc. I quit there after 3 months....yep, in this environment and this economy, with no job to go to. I was miserable there. It was a good company, just not for me and I couldn't see staying there when I felt like my spirit was being sucked out of me. So, I'm job hunting. I feel great about my decision (my pocket book doesn't though!) When I tell people I'm unemployed they ask "when were you laid off" when I say I wasn't, that I quit, they look at me like I'm nuts. At least I have my spirit back.

[Gene]

Great Write and Suggestion.
I've seen too many people retire years before they left a job.
Gene