So everything about your job feels wrong? And it’s making your life miserable! Well, maybe, just maybe, you can start looking for solutions in a place you haven’t considered yet. I’m talking about the absolute best place to find a solution. You are that “place”.
Now don’t get mad … I’m not saying that you are the cause of the problem. You may be playing a role, but that’s certainly not always the case. And this is NOT about blame. This is about finding the best person to help you improve things for yourself. And that person has to be you. Who else has as much invested in that outcome?
Putting yourself in the driver’s seat
When things feel wrong in the workplace, it’s tempting to wait for others to see the problems and solve them. Or to drop a few hints, but again let someone else take the lead. You can’t be the only one noticing the problems. And why stick your neck out if you don’t have to? You have enough to do.
But let’s face it. Even if your boss and coworkers love you, most of the time they aren’t thinking about how to change things to make them suit your special needs. Your number one ally in your new quest to improve your work life is always yourself.
Clearly you are the most obvious person to recognize when a job feels wrong for you. And then to work toward changes that YOU want to see happen. If others take the lead, they’ll instinctively lead toward their picture of what better should be — for them.
⇒ Why Do I Always Pick the Wrong Job?
How you might be a contributing factor
Although this probably seems obvious now that you are reading it, many of us have not been on our own side all the time. In fact, the majority of people most likely have done things to undermine their own happiness at work. So, let’s take a look at some of the things you may be doing.
If you could step back and objectively listen to yourself talk about your job, I bet you’d be surprised at how much time you spend focusing on all the stuff that’s wrong. And I bet you’d also be surprised to hear how often you blame your boss or your co-workers. Or other things totally outside of your control.
In any workplace, there’s a lot of offline chatter about how awful things are. The way certain people act. New projects you wouldn’t have picked. Design-challenged cubicles that suck your soul. That’s a lot of time and energy spent on things you can’t do anything about — at least not by complaining.
But has all that time and energy focusing on why your job feels wrong done you any good so far? I don’t think so. At best, you got to release a little steam. And that’s a good thing, to a point. But for too many of us, this becomes a daily routine that only makes us feel more miserable.
What can you do if job feels wrong?
First, stop looking on the outside for solutions. You can’t always control what goes on around you. In fact, you can rarely control any of it. But you can take a huge step toward finding the answers if you start by looking within yourself.
The answer may very well be in your own hands. Especially if you turn your attention to finding solutions, and not just naming and blaming the offending culprits. And that’s the good news. You have the key to a better job, and you don’t even have to leave your desk to use it!
One of the best ways to start is by making the change manageable. Take a careful look at just a few of the parts, rather than getting overwhelmed by the whole. Think about one or two things to begin with that you might be able to influence. And dare to begin. Don’t worry. You’ll get better at it as time goes on. And over time, small and steady change can make a big difference!
⇒ EXTRA: Workplace Solutions: The Whole vs The Parts
Posts to help in the meantime
Workplace Blues: Something Needs To Change
Should You Actually Leave Your Job?
Are You Always Feeling Angry At Work?
How To Change Your Job Without Quitting
Real Problem (Maybe) If Your Job Feels Wrong
How Changing Your Attitude Can Change Your Job!
How To Change Your Job Without Quitting
7 Reasons We Stay In Bad Jobs
When Emotions Take Over In the Workplace
Job Morphing: 20 Ways You Can Improve Your Job and Career
Why Do I Always Pick the Wrong Job?
5 Questions To Ask Yourself If You Hate Your Job
And just in case you do need to leave
⇒ How To Quit a Job (Without Hurting Yourself)
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