It’s Sunday evening and I am working on this post and I am reminded of a time when I hated my job so much that Sunday evenings were filled with angst and misery. This turmoil was due to the knowledge that in the morning I knew I would have to get up and start a full week, 40 hours of time in a place that made me feel hopeless, frustrated and unhappy. As time went on this negative feeling of anticipation moved to Sunday morning then to Saturday night and then to Saturday morning. I knew that I had to make a change before I started feeling bad about having to come back to work before the weekend even began, but it wasn’t easy.
Put the thoughts of workplace happiness being a myth out of your head, and start to work towards the role you want and the happiness that goes with it.
Maybe you are feeling that exact same way, right now, on Sunday evening as I did back then; maybe you’ve been feeling that way for weeks or months. Your friends have probably suggested that you find a new job, make a change, but you haven’t – and here are some of the reasons why according to Kathy Caprino, a Huffington Post contributor who is a success and leadership coach:
You Don’t Know Yourself
Do you actually know what you want to be doing? What would make you happy from Monday to Friday? Kathy states that the vast majority of people she talks to don’t know themselves at all and this is can lead to feelings of being unfulfilled at work. Take the time to get to know yourself and what is at your core. Identify what your personal brand is and what you stand for [Tweet This]. This deep understanding will allow you to find something that aligns with your needs, values and interests. This step may require the support of a coach or professional.
You’ve Lost the Courage to Act
Fear is a big motivator or lack of motivation when it comes to making big change in our lives. Change is not going to be easy and maybe you think things should be easy but it is rare that something so worthwhile as career happiness is easy. Find the courage and strength and go after what you want. Even the short-term pain is worth it; you just need to get to the other side! [Tweet This]
You Don’t Think You Can Love Your Work
Since work unhappiness is so prevalent you may feel like that is just the way it is supposed to be or that those people you see who are happy are just one of the lucky few. Put the thoughts of workplace happiness being a myth out of your head, and start to work towards the role you want and the happiness that goes with it.
You’ve Forgotten What Happiness Feels Like
It is possible that it has been so long that you don’t even remember what happiness feels like and that you are just going through the motions each day. That is no way to live! Much like the process of learning who you are, if you’ve forgotten how it feels to be happy at work, it is time to invest in yourself and learning what it is that will make you happy and going after it.
If you are ready to go after your happiness, check out our post 3 Steps to Your Dream Job.