My job is killing me…
Five steps to take now
Maybe you’ve been there..
Awake at 3 am dreading the next day at work and thinking, “I should be sleeping, I should be sleeping…”
Anticipating the horrible commute and wouldn’t you know…today there’s even an accident to make it twice as bad.
Thinking you have a week where you can catch your breath and your boss gives you something extra to do– right away.
Feeling like you are underwater and always struggling to get to the surface while something else drags you down.
Sound familiar? Because you are living it?
You know your job is killing you slowly but… How do you know when to move on? How do you decide? What if you make the wrong decision?
Eventually you circle back around to…”I can’t quit because the money, benefits, experience, (whatever) is good. I have to stay.” And you are stuck again.
Five Steps to Getting Unstuck
- Eliminate the drama from your decision. I know you are frustrated, on edge, scared, desperate etc. Take a deep breath and remove the drama from the decision. Hold off on the emotions for a bit and look at your situation rationally.
- Take a look at your budget. Okay, so you don’t have a budget… that’s part of the problem. Make a budget and see what sort of margin you really have. If you don’t have any margin, then get control of your finances, pay off debt and get yourself into a situation where you can afford to make a change. I know this takes time but the end result is better than making a rash decision, being broke and jobless.
- Make a decision–Are you in or out? Recognize that you are never really stuck–you have a choice. Base your decision on who you want to be and the work you want to do, not on what you want to escape from. Open decisions drain your energy and keep you in a constant state of anxiety. Decide if your job is worth leaving. If so, when? Set a date and make a plan. Or decide to stay and create a plan for handling the stress in a different way. Either way, make a decision and commit to it. You will have an immediate sense of relief and renewal of energy.
- Manage your energy. Instead of being reactive be creative. Set a time frame to accomplish your goal. Evaluate your daily work and create a schedule. Set priorities. Evaluate each task to determine if you should…
- Eliminate it–Is it necessary?
- Automate it?
- Delegate it?–Are you doing unnecessary tasks?
- Do it later?–Is it THE top priority?
- Create a positive support system–This is different from the girlfriend you go to lunch with and vent all your frustrations to about your impossible boss and stressful job. Instead this is a mentor, an objective friend or a coach who will do more than agree enthusiastically with your predicament and buy you another margarita because you had a rough day. This is someone who listens, makes constructive suggestions and calls you out on your blind spots.
Ready to make a change in your life?
Want to create an exit plan from your job?
Need a coach to hold you accountable?
GO FOR IT! Dream Achiever Coaching has helped me give voice to my long-term dreams and begin to take the necessary steps to finally make them a reality. Lynne is very encouraging, and helps me see things in ways I may not have otherwise seen. Working with Lynne has given me a new confidence that I CAN achieve my dreams!~Kim Yarborough
