How have we nearly got to September – the first day of spring so quickly? I don’t know about you, but time seems to be going by faster and faster. Some of the ideas I had at the beginning of the year – the ones that I was going to put aside to think through and implement – are still waiting for my attention. Life gets busy and full, and before we know it, we are ¾ of the way through the year!
I have recently been working with a client who has been unhappy in her role for some time. We worked on discovering exactly what wasn’t working for her, and it became clear that she needs a new environment and culture. But one thing that she said has stuck in my mind – that she has been meaning to address this for several years. But life had got busy and before she knew it, another year had ticked by.
I have also worked extensively with individuals going through outplacement. Many of them have been in their roles, or with the same organisation for many years. After working with them on the loss that they are facing, many of them admit that actually they weren’t that happy – they had become complacent and accepted that they were doing a job that did not fulfill them. And with this “forced” change, they now had the opportunity to do what they really wanted to do.
How come we wait until things are forced on us, or that we are so miserable that we have no choice but to look for change?
The problem is, by continuing to work in a job that impacts on us negatively, it chips away at our self esteem and confidence. Rarely are we able to contain this to just our work, and how we feel about ourselves spills into all areas of our lives. Often we can end up exploding, or imploding, at what might seem minor things, but are actually at the end of tolerating and accepting what can no longer be tolerated or accepted.
This great quote says it all:
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” Seth Godin
It can be very scary to make change, especially when there is no major issue to address. Many of us are just going through the motions day after day, but not doing something that brings us joy or happiness. This is what I call living a “sub-optimal” life. As scary as it is, by continuing to let life happen to you, rather than you creating what you want, it will eventually catch up with you – and you don’t want that to be when you are in your 60’s and look back at the 70,000 + hours that you spent at work and wonder what was it all for?
So what are you waiting for? Make this the time to contemplate your future. What do you want it to look like?
Don’t know where to start? I can help. Get in touch to create the future and the life that you want!