How to Take Proactive and Healthy Actions When You're Feeling Stuck in Your Job

by - March 26, 2018


Learning and growing is in our nature, so if you've felt stuck in your job for some time now, it may be a good indication that you have much more to give, to experience and to accomplish. Telling yourself that it's normal, that everyone feels this way or that jobs are not meant to bring contentment, is not going to change how you truly think nor how you really feel. Don't listen to the voice of doubt in your head and stop questioning the feeling, but accept and understand it. It's the first step to becoming more aware of what you want and taking a proactive and healthy action.

What part of your job makes you feel this way? Is it the general field of work, the everyday tasks, or is it your boss and co-workers unloading waves of work on you and the long, energy-draining commute? Sometimes the answer is only a couple of the listed above, but sometimes there's a myriad of reasons that have crossed your mind. Don't be afraid to ask yourself, you are the only one who has the key to changing your life. Be honest and fair with yourself - you know what's right for you. If you feel it in your bones that this job is not it, you can make the step forward to changing that.

If you take a genuine interest in your industry or line of work, but you feel like the organization might not be the right fit for you, then you know what to do - move towards finding a position at a place that is more aligned with your values and goals, where you can see yourself grow. You don't have to stay there only because you like your desk, chair or the coffee shop on the corner. If you're feeling miserable every day, no chair or latte can justify the cost of your happiness and wellbeing. The same applies to those of you who like the company your work for, but feel like you've outgrown your job role. If you've tried asking for a promotion and you've waited years to be given the green light, then you have the option to make your peace with it or look for a role that would excite and challenge you somewhere else. Recycling skills and knowledge may bring you comfort alongside the daily frustrations, but ask yourself the question - is it really what you want?

Knowing what you want is great, you're halfway there. But knowing is not given and some of you may not know what your ideal job looks like yet. You might have tried multiple areas only to realize what you don't want. Remember it's still progress, so don't let yourself be pushed towards disappointment. Sometimes we learn certain things about ourselves sooner in life, sometimes we have to go a long way to get there. Keep searching and don't give up. If the things you wish for are not fully unfolded yet, it's not an indication that you should quit the search.

I know what it feels like to be working somewhere where you don't fit in, doing something that doesn't utilize your best abilities and talents. I was close to giving up more times than I could count and even when I finally convinced myself to stop seeking and trying, I didn't get any more peace or acceptance within myself. On the contrary, my body started sending me all those pains as alerts that something is not right and that I shouldn't continue deluding myself that I can just give up on who I am and what I want to find.

Start with a plan that works for you and fully commit to the process, because getting out of your joyless job is more about the process rather than the destination. It might happen overnight, but often it doesn't. Write down a detailed list of what you want from a job - the place, the culture, the people, the responsibilities and challenges, everything you could think of. This will help you become more aware of what you truly desire in a job and may open your mind to new possibilities that you haven't thought of before.

Outline how you aim to get there - what do you plan to do? Actively applying for available positions every week or daily? Reaching out to friends and professional connections? Taking up a course? The key to it is that your plan should be aligned with who you are. For example, if you're more of an introvert than an extrovert, you may not necessarily find dynamic networking easy and that's perfectly fine with who you are. Don't try to be someone you are not, if it's only going to make you even more doubtful and discouraged. Discover what in the job seeking process you're naturally good at and begin applying it. You don't have to be someone you're not. The world can be full of opportunities if you allow yourself to notice them, not everything comes in the package you're used to seeing.

Once you've created your plan of proactive and healthy action, it's time to stick to it and this makes it the hardest part. It takes commitment, strong persistence, high confidence, unshakeable faith in yourself and trust in the process of finding the job you desire. But those are just words, you have to feel them and this may take some time. Yet they're important not just for your career progression, but also for your personal development. If you get closer and closer to fully feeling them, you'll get closer to radiating more contentment in your life in general. Your job is just a single part of your life, you can fill it with anything you wish, but you have to know and believe that you can. And this means waving goodbye to all those doubts and fears telling you that you can't or that you're not worth it. The route is not always clear or smooth, but regardless of what you might have been feeling for so long now - it's not closed for you.

You may find the work that suits you most and enjoy it or, honestly, you may not. There's no rule or law that guarantees you anything in life. But there is happiness and you are not meant to be miserable, dreading every day. You can feel joy and fulfilment, it may just take longer and more steps forward than you may have thought. This contentment may not ultimately come from your job, but it doesn't mean you can't feel it within you. It's a way of living, it takes learning and better knowing yourself and as I've said - it is a process. So be loving and patient with yourself, don't put yourself down for not mastering it straight away (I know I haven't yet, but I'm still showing up every day!).

I wish you find the work or the goal you truly desire and live a life of happiness, purpose and growth. You're almost there, don't give up on who you are and what you want and seek.

Have a day of love and calm!

In Daily Motivation we will lead the fight to stay motivated, whether it's about your job, the boring tasks you have to deal with, the workplace-built intolerance, finding the strength and time for your real passions, follow what truly makes you happy, or just live and wake up without the daunting feeling of having to go through another rushed day.

Previously on Daily Motivation - Everything You Need to Know about Goals (Part II): Living a Fulfilling Life

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