Ten things to do When You Really, Really Hate your Job
by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D
Most of us sooner than later find themselves in the
unenviable position of hating our job or career. I know this
because I’ve been there myself. It hurts and itches constantly,
like a hungry tick on a cow’s skin. You want to get rid of it,
but you have bills to pay. The following great article by
Catherine Goodwin advice to help you cope, and possibly bring
change
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1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how
much you want to escape. When you find yourself
sharing the latest horror story, stop in mid-sentence and say,
"What I want to have is..."
2. Create an image that describes you in your
job. Are you on a riverbank with no way to get to the
other side? Lost in a jungle? Poking through a thorny hedge?
When you get comfortable with the image, begin visualizing a
change in the obstacle. Imagine building a bridge across the
river or finding a path in the forest. Don't force the image or
the change. When you're ready it will come.
3. Think of developing skills, not serving
time.
Take every course that's offered and focus on skills that can
lay a foundation for your own business or next job. Can you
learn HTML or PowerPoint? Can you use some evenings, weekends
and lunch hours to solicit some free lance gigs?
4. Focus on satisfactory, not superior
performance. Use the time difference to build your new
life. People often say, "I can't do anything -- I work ten
hours a day!"
If you are firing yourself or expecting to be fired, your
job is finding a new job. Be ethical: you owe your company the
minimum you need to earn your salary." But don't be surprised
if you start to accomplish more than ever and find yourself
getting promoted.
5. What conflict are you escaping?
Dishonesty? Corporate greed? Hypocrisy? Allow yourself to
wonder if these qualities are mirrored in your own life -- or
even in your mind. If everyone around you seems dishonest, are
you being dishonest with yourself? With others? After you
resolve your own conflict, you may find the workplace has
changed or you have been catapulted into a new, more satisfying
life.
6. Put on your shield and armor when you enter your
workplace. Everyone should learn how to create a
psychic shield. Imagine that you are surrounded by an outer
shell that is made of a solid material -- so strong that
nothing can get through to hurt you. Some people prefer to
imagine a protective golden light, but I think the solid shield
is stronger. Take two or three minutes to put on your shield,
every day, before you enter the workplace.
7. Give yourself a gift every day -- a
splurge of time or sensual taste buds. Read a book, talk to a
friend, eat your favorite food. Don't deaden your senses with
alcohol (although if you're a wine connoisseur, your special
wine can be a gift) or spend big bucks at the mall. Think
simple.
8. Find at least one thing in your life to
appreciate: the softness of your cat's fur, the winter
sky, the spontaneous hug from a friend. Appreciate as much as
possible about your job: the money, the view from the window,
the new computer, friendly conversations with the guy down the
hall. Savor the experience. Appreciation is the engine that
attracts good things into your life.
9. Tune in to your intuition before deciding what to
do next. Meditate and listen to the world around you.
The saying "frying pan into the fire" is real. If your goals
and desires do not come from a secure place within yourself,
you will find yourself paying undue attention to wet blankets
("If you quit you'll never get another job") and false friends
("Just quit! Move toTahiti! You won't starve!"). Sometimes the
same "advisor" proposes both ideas in the same week. A good
coach or counselor will give you confidence in your own
intuition, not impose their views of what you should do
now.
10. Write this down somewhere: After you've
left -- and you will -- all that time will seem to have gone in
the blink of an eye. You will have trouble
remembering what bothered you so much. The rest of your life
will still be ahead of you.
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Leaving ones job, even one you hate, is not always easy.
You don’t want to get out of your cocoon. But you must start
from somewhere. My advice is, if you hate your job, do
something. Take action, now. This is your life. A little
positive action, as opposed to mere whining, each day will
certainly add up to something eventually. Plus it will help
build a positive attitude.
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