While some of us may have a clear and definite passion for our day jobs, some are not so lucky and find mustering the energy to rise every morning and to face the day to be agonizing.
Many of us just go through the motions to make an honest dollar — how depressing! In a perfect world, we would all be happy to jump out of bed, but in the real world, there are always variables that get in the way of this perfection.
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| photo credit - norwoodconsulting.org |
Every person is good at something and we all have some unique gift to share with the world — if we could have identified this at an early age, we would be sitting on goal mines.
Reflect and figure out what you find to be gratifying and take steps to do it full-time. Check out the following ways to determine if you’re wasting your time at a job that doesn’t fulfill you:
Sign #1 – Agony to rise
You know you’re in the wrong job when it’s agony to get up out of bed most mornings. Your alarm clock goes off a gazillion times until the snooze button is no longer an option.
Suffice to say, you often wish that there were four-day weekends and three-day workweeks. I often wonder why so many people are unhappy with their jobs… If you were in a job you loved, you would be excited to wake up each morning and face the day, as with each day, new possibilities await.
Sign #2 — You’re always tired
You manage to get out the door, commute to work and slip into your desk chair just before someone notices you’re late. No matter how early you go to sleep, you are always tired.
The workday seems to drag on. I often hear people asking if it’s 4 pm yet or chatting about how the day is lagging. Each little task becomes arduous when you dislike your job much. And obviously, as much as you’d sometimes like to do it, you can’t call in sick half of the week.
You’re the last one in, the first one out and your evenings pass you by so quickly that you wonder if your life is a real life version of “Groundhog Day.”
Sign #3 — Any time away from work is golden
Whether it’s the weekend, vacation, casual leave or simply your lunch break, you don’t want it to ever end. You savor and enjoy every last drop until there’s nothing left.
Sometimes, you wish that you didn’t have to go back, but it’s your bread and butter, so you suck it up and return to the office. Whether you work for yourself or for “the man,” work should fuel your energy and supply a deeper connection to help others.
In my book, ‘Thinking out Loud,” I define a career as “a vocation, a calling for which we have an innate ability or flair for, a passion, a yearning to fulfill a greater purpose in life, something we were destined for from the day we were born, not just something we studied or were taught, but a lifelong commitment to a dream that can be manifested in several different shapes and forms… If you do something for the mere love of it, countless hours would pass by and you won’t even notice because happiness and fulfillment energizes you beyond which words can describe.”
If this sounds like you, then you’re lucky to be amongst the few who are living their dreams and have found their callings. If it’s not, there’s still time to discover what makes you feel best.
Sign #4 – You’re always daydreaming of greener pastures
Although you may currently be working in a particular field, you may be doing something that is not in your job description or trying to find ways to incorporate it into your current job. Maybe you’re so good at it that people associate yours with a different job title.
You feel that your true skills and talents are being underutilized and unappreciated in your current role. As a result, you are also always working on some new project in your spare time to compensate for the lack of satisfaction you feel you have in your current job.
When you’re not “papering” the world with your resume, you are doing the “side hustle!” If this is you, then you have found your calling, but just haven’t yet found the correct home within which to showcase it. Keep this up and sooner or later, you’ll get to where you want to go.
Sign #5 – Overtime unwelcome
You hate having to be at work a minute longer than you have to be there. When asked to work late, you always have an excuse. To some, it may make a difference if they are being compensated, but others will opt for time over money any day.
Of course, a dedicated happy camper will always want to “tie up loose ends” before leaving the office. Any slip up can cause undue embarrassment due to shoddy workmanship and should be avoided at all costs.
So, if you’re in this category, you need to reevaluate your goals. Even if you don’t enjoy your current job, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do it with pride and do it well.
It is the expectation that after reaching a certain age in life, we can all find a career that we love and enjoy. Something to call our own that we are good at and motivates us to continue with a sense of pride.
A lot of people don’t enjoy the rat race but conform anyway because they have responsibilities that require a steady and dependable income.
Some enjoy their jobs, but not certain aspects that come with the title. Many of us would love to be our own bosses, work from home with our own flexible (usually longer) hours, doing something about which we are passionate, but few of us are risk takers and instead settle for something “safe” and, sometimes, mundane.
We only have one life to live, so whatever you do, always remember to remain committed to making the decision to be a happier and healthier you!
