It’s probably closer than you think
I know what it’s like to want something to change but to feel like it’s not the “right time”.
When I was unhappy at work, I knew something needed to change but the thought of what that change might bring was paralysing. I had responsibilities at home and at work, I earned a good salary for a good company and enjoyed a certain standard of living. Changing something felt like I would be putting all of that good, important stuff at risk.
I told myself, “Be sensible. Look at everything you’ve got. Now is not the right time.”
Fast forward a few months and what had changed? Work was the same but I had become less satisfied and unhappier. And still it was not the “right time”.
Choosing the “right time” IS important. You lead a busy life and have many responsibilities. It can all feel like such a delicate balancing act where your carefully constructed ecosystem of work/home/friends/health etc collapses around your ears with the merest suggestion of change.
Faced with that catastrophic image, it’s no wonder you’re willing to wait.
You want to wait until……a new director joins, the PERFECT role arrives in your inbox, a good redundancy package is offered; you have more time, more money, the kids are older….. You want to wait until some imagined point when you’ll just KNOW it is the “right time”.
But what happens in the meantime?
You feel more frustrated, stuck, unsatisfied, perhaps even resentful? And that dissatisfaction at work can sometimes spill over in to your life outside work too.
What if NOW is the right time? Are you conscious that things aren’t quite as you want them? Do you know that something needs to change. Maybe THIS IS the right time to make a change – now, this week, today?
Scary thought?
Now, take a breath.
Fear is a natural response when we think something is threatening what’s most important to us. But fear is not a reason to avoid thinking about what could be different and better in the future and what we could do now to bring that future closer.
Below one of the steps below and see how you feel. No one else needs to know. They don’t cost anything and you might be pleasantly surprised by the results.
- Acknowledge how you’re feeling. Be honest with yourself about what’s working for you and what isn’t.
- Remind yourself what’s most important to you. What do you stand for? What are your values? How would you describe yourself when you are at your best? Reflect on your answers and consider how you can focus more on those elements and bring more of your best bits in to your life now.
- Look back at your career. What are your biggest achievements? Which roles did you love and flourish in? What was it about those roles that made them so good?
- Talk to someone. Fix a call with someone you trust and respect and talk them through your thinking. Sometimes hearing it out loud helps as can someone else’s perspective
If you’ve tried those steps and still don’t feel it’s the right time, that’s OK. Decide how long you want to wait (a week? a month?), set a reminder in your calendar and then see what has changed. I’ll be here when you’re ready.