Your New Job

So many people are out of work these days, it seems to be the topic on everyone’s minds. My state is no exception, in fact I believe we lead the nation with the highest unemployment rate. What strikes me however is the fact that perhaps now is the time for a lot of these people that have lost their jobs or are at risk of losing their jobs to pause and reevaluate what they are doing for work. I mean more often than not you hear about how people hate their job. Day after day they go to work and it is so monotonous or draining that they have no energy to anything else when they get home after working all day. People are not sure where the job is going and the boss is constantly breathing down their neck.

So is this what life is all about? Constantly helping someone else attain their goals in exchange for a few bucks each day? I say a few bucks, because that is all that is left over after you pay taxes and your daily expenses to survive. Hopefully a few bucks go into the bank and are helping you save for your retirement. Sure you have your 401K and what have you, but that’s no cash windfall either.

The point is that whatever it is that you are doing all day at your job needs to be fulfilling. Perhaps you put in 15 years at a single place and then your job is at risk of getting cut. Maybe someone else can take over your position and you will be relocated to another job. That next person takes over all the hard work and sweat you put into that job. They have no idea what you gave up—the hours and time invested, the money you personally spent on supplies and extras. That person walks in out of the blue and has no incentive to carry on the great effort you put in except that maybe they feel bad for you.

Did you give too much? Maybe you’re one of those people that put their heart and soul into their position and so the thought of losing that job is simply devastating. The job has become a part of you, part of your identity. You were sort of banking on having that job for the rest of your life. Then again you might have been banking on having the job, but you never stopped to consider that you didn’t want to be doing the same thing at age 55 as you did when you were 20. Wherever you are on the scale, it’s time to make sure you are doing what you want to be doing at 55 and older. Think about it. You’ve got nothing to lose now. Your job is on the chopping block anyway. Before you had a lot of people below you and tenure and what have you, or maybe you have already lost the job. So what’s holding you back now. If you start somewhere new, you will be at the bottom of the food chain, just like where you are—so you might as well view this as the opportunity of a lifetime.

So now what? I know it is difficult to think of what it is you would like to do that will earn you a living. You have worked for so many years doing that job you hate, you have numbed yourself to all ambitions when it comes to work. You hit that glass ceiling and gave up on waiting for an opportunity to rise above because your fate of floundering where you are just seemed inevitable. Take some time. Breathe deeply, count 4 seconds while you breathe in. Count 4 seconds while you hold your breath. Count 8 seconds as you release. Repeat. Do it as many times as you need in that rhythm until you have relaxed about the fact that your job security is gone. Who needs job security for a job they can’t stand anyway? Good bye crappy job—welcome to your new life.

Think of what you do for work. Now you know what a bad job feels like and that you don’t want to settle for that anymore. How could you tweak that job into something you love, something inspiring and full of energy? Perhaps in the same general field, just a different niche. Then again, you might have to change fields all together. Whatever the degree of change, you’ll notice your energy level rise and fall as you consider different positions. You might find it easier discussing the subject with a close friend or relative. They may be able to identify the energy level fluctuation better than you yourself.

You will start out feeling very frustrated. You have maybe tried a lot of different things and nothing seemed to pan out. As you mention different jobs, make a note of those that are like an open door verses those that are dead ends. Be that person that you always wanted to be and make it happen! Good luck and happy job hunting!