At some point or another, we’ve all ‘hit a wall’ when it comes to our careers. But apart from looking for a new job at retailappointment.co.uk, there are other things you can do to get yourself out of a rut, as Linda Bridge, career and life coach and founder of Accelerista Coaching explains.
Your Monday morning blues seem to last all week. You spend your time counting down the hours until your next day off. You feel exhausted, bored and hopelessly frustrated more often than not, and you tend to spend your spare time randomly sifting through endless job adverts desperately trying to find something that may change the situation you now find yourself in. Does any of this sound familiar?
You’re in good company
Most of us will find ourselves ‘stuck’ at some stage in our career. Perhaps not such a big surprise considering how our lives change over time, with our circumstances, priorities and overall desires evolving as we move through different stages in our lives. Our career can quickly fall out of sync with what we truly want. However, by challenging these issues head on, you can positively take control and give your career the boost it needs. Read on for some top tips.
Get to the root of the problem
Start by getting specific about what’s bothering you. Sometimes it’s very obvious, other times it’s ‘just a feeling’ that things just aren't right. Often it can be quite overwhelming as you’re facing lots of overlapping issues which are building into one big frustration. Start by jotting down what you like and don’t like as you move through your day and week. Think about your commute, your work environment, your colleagues, your manager, the tasks you’re doing, the time you spend at work, the company culture… anything you feel is relevant. Think about how they impact on you and prioritise them. Getting clarity is the first step.
Explore your vision
Take each frustration and flip it on its head. Try to define what you’d like things to look like to be truly happy. Don’t rush this. Dedicate some proper time to think outside the box and allow yourself to explore. Do you want to find a new role in a different area which inspires and challenges you? Perhaps you’d like to work for a company that aligns more to your values? Do you want to have more time outside of work? Or perhaps you’d love to do something completely different and explore a career change? Don’t worry about the ‘how’ or the specifics right now. Just keep it simple and allow yourself to think big. Write down some great positive statements. Enjoy visualising how you’ll feel when you achieve it.
Challenge your inner gremlin
Typically, your inner gremlin (your inner critic) has already started to pop negative thoughts in your head. It could be things like “It’s too difficult to make a change. I’m not good enough to move jobs. Maybe things will improve. I don’t have any passions. I’m going to look stupid. I don’t know where to start. I will fail.” Write any negative thoughts down and critique them. Play the role as judge and apply a logical approach to each — what evidence is there to support this way of thinking? Quite quickly you’ll realise you can often dismiss these and overcome such negativity.
Define your game plan
We routinely overestimate the cost of saying no. One person really can’t do it all and you need to be the one who controls how you prioritise your time. Eliminate the guilt. Say no politely and you’ll earn more respect, whilst giving yourself back some all important time to focus on what’s important.
Build a support network
This may all sound good in theory, but perhaps you’re feeling completely daunted about putting it into practice or getting the clarity you need to move things forward. Building a network to support you along the journey can be hugely beneficial and can help you to gain the confidence you need to tackle the situation head on. Speak to your family and friends, identify a trusted mentor or enlist the help of a professional coach who can help you to understand what you want from your life and how to go about achieving it. Keep open to the possibilities and you’ll find that once you open one door, others will follow.
Visit www.acceleristacoaching.co.uk to find out more and enquire about career and life coaching.
