Is your job a J-O-B for you or a part of a career, a career that you have planned or unknowingly fallen in love with or at the least interested in? According to Gallup, there are 2 people that do not like their jobs for every one person that likes their job!! That is so not right! I have personally been in that boat few years ago and seen many other professionals squirming in their job seats but still unable to move from there!
So what keeps us stuck to these jobs that do not light us up, that do not give us a sense of purpose and function as a mere paycheck?
- Cozy in our comfort zone: This one is obvious! It is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t take action. We are comfortable with the paycheck we receive, we make peace on a daily basis with a draining work culture, we give-in to the unfair demands at work everyday, we spend insane amount of time commuting – all to a job that we DISLIKE. Why? Because we are comfortable in the place that we have been for a while. Our minds don’t like change and feel threatened. Our minds are innately ‘programmed’ to bring us back to our so-called comfort zone state. And that is why we have so much resistance to even the slightest of change. And a new job and/or workplace involves HUGE change. We conveniently give in to the little voice in our head and stay put!!
- Lack of clarity: A subset of folks who are motivated to make the change just do not know how to go about it and stay stuck, yet again. They are inspired and motivated when they read or see something or someone. But have no idea on how to proceed, or what actions to take to get to the next level. This lack of clarity and possible confusion fuels their state of remaining stuck.
- Fear: The most powerful 4 letter word in the dictionary – FEAR!! That really tiny but most powerful micro voice in our heads that conjures up visions of what may go wrong if you take action. Fear is natural and there is nothing wrong to feel fearful. But most of us are entrapped in the state of fear and remain stuck. Other forms of FEAR include fear of failing, fear of making a wrong decision/fear of regret, fear of success even!
- Analysis-Paralysis: Another interesting ‘disease’ that most of us suffer from. These set of folks are motivated and inspired to make a change, they even begin researching and analyzing their options. But then, they are caught in the loop of constant analysis. They weave a web of options and analyzing those options. And like a little fly that is stuck on a spider’s web, they get caught in their own webs of too much analysis and stay stuck in their debilitating career situation.
- My BFF advised against changing jobs : Having a personal board of directors is a good thing. For most folks, this involves their parents, family and friends. And a BFF’s opinion is etched in stone for some folks and they refuse to take action against that opinion. Our friends and family may not always know whats best for us. I would go even thus far to say that our network may not want the best for us!yikes! That sounds rude and mean but sadly that is a possibility as well. Jim Rohn’s famous saying “You are the average of the 5 people you hang out with”. If you hang out people who are trying to pull you down, then you are going to remain stuck in a dead end job.
Does any of these resonate with you? What is holding you back from making progress towards your ideal career?
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