Oh how I remember that Sunday night feeling. It would creep up on me around 4pm – the end of the weekend and having to go back to my workplace, feeling under-appreciated, under valued and probably under paid for all the extra work that seemed to come my way. Emotionally, my energy was sapped by the time I walked through the door on Monday morning and the thought of a whole 5 days ahead, well, it was simply exhausting.
Are you starting to think about a new job or new career? Sometimes it’s easy to think the grass is greener , so let’s have a think about whether it really is time to make a move in your career or your mindset!
What’s brought you to this point?
It may be more helpful to avoid the question why? and ask the question, how? How did you arrive here? When we get to the very nub, the heart of the patterns that may have led you to this point, you can start to decide whether staying or remaining are also these habitual patterns running their course or whether you would be better staying and changing something about your current post.
Think about these
- How is it that you have arrived at asking yourself, is it time for a new career?
- How does this reflect other patterns in your life? Think about ages 0-7 (the imprinting stage), 7-14 (socialisation), 14-21 (modelling) and beyond. Think about how those patterns are repeating now.
- Are you a people pleaser? To your own detriment?
- Do you feel a loyalty that is not reciprocated? Are you aware of being overly loyal?
- Do you reject change? Could a change be a motivator or de-motivator for you to change jobs?
- Are you a towards or away from person? This is the same as the carrot and the stick – do you work better with rewards, praise and encouragement? Do you prefer to work under pressure? Are you a little bit of both? Remember that away from people act out of fear. All away from motivation occurs because of fear. Would it be better to remove the fear and find a more comfortable motivation strategy?
- Now, for a little test!
Look at these letters: B B b
- Are they all the same? Are they all different? Mainly the same or mainly different? This test sheds light on our deep-seated preferences in life, so-called Metaprograms (these are a filtering system in our unconscious mind and they filter on preferences). And this Metaprogram or preference tells us how much you prefer change. Change could mean that the job you would like involves lots of changes or you may be seeking whole new job, a new role, even a change of office space. How did you see the letters B B b?
- The same? You like the comfort of the same job. You may stay for years and years.
- Different? You love change. The only way to keep you in a job longer than 12-24 months is to make changes – if this is you, what changes (in your control)would make you stay? If there are no changes within your control, you’ve been in the job 1-2 years, you’ll be itching for a change!
- Mainly the same – you’ll enjoy being in a job for longer than 5 years, but you won’t want to wait around for a gold clock!
- Mainly different – after 2-5 years in one post, you’ll be wanting to make a change
What prevents you?
- What prevents you from resigning? What prevents you from staying? Draw up a list. For many, staying means financial security, ability to pay the mortgage and bills. Is there a way to ease your way out of your current job, whilst re-training for a career you would love to do?
- The more specificity you can get in answering this question, the more you can either accept or reject those arguments. As we drive down into details, we really find out what we’re happy with and what we’re not.
What will you compromise on?
- What you find important are your Values. Again, these are held deep within the unconscious mind and act as a filter on what we judge as important (note, the judgment is not on good versus bad, right versus wrong, but what’s important to us). If you list what’s important to you and list what you job gets for you, are the two columns aligned? If there is misalignment, you may never quite feel that your job is right for you.
Whichever you do – stay or go – remember that sometimes you have to consider that a happier, more fulfilled you may be worth more than anything and who can put a price on that? So is it time for a new career? Only you can know. Change your career or change your mindset, it’s up to you.