When is enough, enough?
How do you know when it’s time to leave a position or career that no longer excites you?
What I’ve discovered in working with clients over the past 7 years, is that when we’re stuck in one part of our life, we’re usually stuck in other parts as well. The good news is when we take action on one aspect of our lives, we usually get “unstuck” and also move forward in other parts of our lives (e.g. in our relationships).
Here are some signs it is time to make a change:
- Work and/or life are no longer fun for you
- You are no longer challenged by or passionate about your work
- You may often feel “wound up” and find it hard to relax
- You feel SOoo tired
- You frequently catch colds or get sick
- You may be experiencing some new health issues
Barriers to Change/Moving Forward
What holds us back from leaving a position/career?
Barriers to change include:
- Guilt that we will let people down
- Rationalizing that we have invested so much time and money in a particular career/business that it doesn’t make sense to leave it
- Fear of loss of approval
- Fear of the unknown
- Rationalizing that we have a good job, are making good money, and that we should be happy
- Fear of not making enough money
- Believing that we will never find the career/business of our dreams
Tips to help you embrace change and move forward
- Rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being “thrive on it” and 10 being “scares me to death”) as to how you usually respond to change. How you’ve responded to life changes in the past will provide you with clues as to how you may respond to change now.
- Reflect on your past experience with life changes; what have you learned that has supported you to adapt and move forward positively?
- Change your perspective. View change as an opportunity: for self-growth and learning; for exploring new solutions and ways of doing things; for “putting on a new pair of glasses” and seeing the world differently.
- Slow down and go inside yourself. Instead of keeping yourself busy, create some time and space for yourself each day. Set aside time in your schedule for you. Spend at least 30 minutes a day meditating, journaling, walking in nature, being.
- Get in touch with and acknowledge your feelings. Don’t push away your feelings; experience them. This allows the process of healing from the inside out to begin.
- Express those feelings. Draw, journal, paint, dance…
- Nurture and take care of yourself. Make sure you eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly. Do something special for yourself on occasion, such as going for a massage, having a bubble bath, buying a new outfit; remember you are special and deserve the best.
- Reach out for support. Ask a friend, family member or life coach to help you. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and are not judgmental.
Based on past experience, how do you know that it’s time to leave a position or career? What strategies have you found useful to propel you forward/embrace change? I invite your comments below. Feel free to share this post with others. If you would like some support to rediscover your passion and find the career or business of your dreams this may be of interest – http://creativelivingcommunity.com/coaching/one-on-one-coaching/
