Almost 2 in 3 Workers Fantasize Every Day About Leaving Their Job

By Monica Torres

Many of us go to work wishing we were somewhere else. According to a new Monster.com survey highlighted by Moneyish, almost two in three workers have daily daydreams about getting a different job. These are recurring fantasies. In the survey of 993 U.S. employees, 64% of workers have daily daydreams about working elsewhere, while 27% of workers return to this dream once a week.

What daydreams reveal about your career identity

If you are having daily daydreams at work, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Daydreaming does not mean you are a ditz; if you can control when and how you do it, it can enhance your creative brainpower. Daydreamers who let their mind wander in their daily lives were more open to different experiences, according to one study. When you are open to where your mind takes you, you can help new ideas take root in your brain. Letting your mind wander during boring tasks is proven to help us on creative tasks. But if you are consumed by detailed fantasies about giving your two weeks’ notice and walking out the door, these daydreams could be a signal that you need a new job, or you need to work harder to make your current one more fulfilling. According to people who have made the leap to second careers, the best time to switch jobs is when you stop learning. If you spend more time daydreaming about a new job, and less time thinking about your actual job, this could be push you need to make a change with your career. You can help your fantasy become a reality if you give it a concrete game plan: “How primed are you to make that change? Is it a slam dunk, or will it require some re-creation? How about your finances? Do you have the money to spend an extended time in the transition process without income, or do you need to keep a steady stream flowing?” career coach Curt Rosengren advises.

These are all hard questions you need to ask yourself before your daydream can shape itself into your desired reality.