Staying in an unfulfilling job and going through the motions comes back to your stories. Stories are the REAL cause and reason why you are being held back.
Stories like:
- I’m an imposter.
- What if I hate the new job… the new boss… the new company.
- My job is secure.
- Things aren’t that bad.
- Not everyone can be doing a job they love.
- I’ll get my dream job after I have ________ (paid the mortgage, got more experience, the kids have left home, etc.)
- Doing activities I love on the weekend is enough.
- There are few jobs for my skillset.
- A company won’t pay what I want.
- I’m doing okay.
- I don’t know what I want to do.
- I’ve never done _____ job before, they won’t hire me.
- I don’t have XYZ skill.
- I don’t have the qualifications.
- What if the company goes belly up 6 months after starting?
- I will look unstable if I change careers right now.
- I don’t have experience in that industry.
- What if I fail at the new job?
- I haven’t applied for a job for ____ years.
The thing is, your story thinks it is keeping you safe. But the truth of the matter? Your story is preventing you from living out your purpose.
The prospect of sourcing and landing a job that is etched on your heart… one that will bring you fulfilment… is scary! It’s outside your comfort zone. Your current job feels safe.
It’s safe because you KNOW everything.
You know the job. The tasks. The people. The company. The stakeholders. The culture. You know the customs and norms.
You know what the expectations are… the role objectives and what you can achieve.
You know that if you had to take a day off tomorrow, you could walk back in and immediately pick up where you left off. You know that if you had to do fill in for Sally you could do it with no trouble at all.
You know everything there is to know about your job. And it doesn’t stress you.
You’ve developed friendships with people you work with. You may even have respect for your boss or the leader at the helm. You may like the company, its products / services and what it stands for.
Everything seems great! On the surface. But there’s that feeling deep inside. That feeling that something is missing… that you’re not living up to all that you can be… that you’re not doing work that you were born to do.
Dissatisfaction and discontent wraps itself around you like a tight coat that, at times, can be downright suffocating. And it puts a downer on everything.
Some parts of your job that you enjoyed now seem like a chore. The thing that Sally used to do at work that was funny is now so annoying that it sets you teeth on edge. When you’re asked to help out and show Brad how to do something (for the fifth time!) you feel like screaming “Work it out yourself!” Being asked to step up for a project or extra responsibility has you feeling anxious. Because nothing seems to be going smoothly like it did and everything is frustrating – or depressing.
Going home miserable, snapping at your significant other, feeling low on weekends or ‘pretending’ that everything is okay on weekends… all this becomes the new norm. Remember that coat? Does it now feel like it’s glued to your skin and you can’t take it off when the work day ends?
Here’s the thing. You can remove that stifling coat when you make a decision to rewrite your stories.
There is no reason why you shouldn’t be in a job that brings you joy and fulfilment.
When you have purpose, when you are doing work that is etched on your heart, all those stories… those fears… those shackles… are gone. When you have confidence that you know what you want, what you’re good at and what outcomes you can achieve, you have removed one barrier… one wall… one story… and that allows you to step out with purpose.
Being on purpose gives meaning to your life and releases you from the BS stories that have been holding you back. Holding your vision with care and love means you don’t settle.
Giving yourself permission to let your light shine fills you with a spark that is hard for anyone to ignore. And this ultimately leads to being in a job that you were born to do. It means you are in work that is meaningful, rewarding, and fulfilling.
PS: What’s the story (or stories) you are telling yourself? Can I help you with that? Let’s talk. We’ll have an honest conversation for about 45 minutes to dig into those stories. I’ll help you pull them apart and give you a game plan so you can start a new journey toward work that is fulfilling.
You can schedule your complimentary 1-on-1 session with me here: https://bigoakcoaching.com/schedule