Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Top three questions to ask yourself when you hate your job
- I dislike my job. What now?
- 5 Things to do when you hate your job!
- Final Thoughts
Introduction
How many times have you asked yourself: I hate my job, what do I do? Or you say to yourself "I despise my job" If you wake up everyday and you hate what you do or where you work, then it is time to do something about it. Ask yourself: what else should I be doing? How can I transition into what I really love doing? What is holding me back from figuring out my true potential? There is of course no easy answer to any of these questions, but you have to start somewhere. The idea that everyday you are miserable should be concerning to you. Concerning enough for you to take action. So what do you do when you hate your job? In this post, I will also give you 5 Things to do when you hate your job!
Top three questions to ask yourself when you hate your job
Self-Ask # 1: What else should I be doing?
This is a good question to ask yourself as the answer to what you do next is very important. It might take a series of soul searching and digging deep to allow you to find out what your passion is. And, in case you don't know. A passion is something that excites you when you do it. You don't always necessarily do it for money but you do it because of how you feel inside. Here are 5 passion identifying questions:
1) If money was not a concern, what would you do for free?
2) What is something that you like to do without watching the time?
3) What would your friends and family say you are good at?
4) What are three things that you enjoyed doing today and why?
5) What do you believe are your natural or God given talent or talents?
Self Ask # 2: How can I transition into doing what I love?
The trick about this life is that it comes with financial responsibilities. Especially if you have a family with kids. You can't always give up what you are doing right now to pursue your passion. I recommend easing your way into your passion. As much as you hate what you are currently doing, sometimes you have to suck it up. Here are three things you can do to help you ease into what you love or your passion:
Start your passion as a side hustle
If it doesn't make financial sense to pursue your passion full-time, start it as a side hustle. Can you do it in the evenings after work? Can you do it on weekends? The point is to pursue your passion on a scale that makes sense for you financially. This would mean that you would have to continue doing the job that you hate. Which could be a motivating factor to pursue your passion aggressively.
Get a personal or business loan
This solution is one I give with upfront caution as it has the possibility to create further financial issues for you. Getting a loan to pursue your passion should only be done if you have put in place the proper planning. This means creating a business plan allowing you to use the loan to excute your plan. Otherwise, you might create more problems for yourself and find that you are still stuck at a job you don't like because you need to keep it to pay off the loan.
Create a partnership
Is what you are passionate about something you can accomplish faster with a partner? Find someone or a group of people that you trust that you can share your business with. If you are asking yourself: What are the benefits of a business partnership? Here are three benefits:
Increase in knowledge- your partner or partners will bring to the table their own set of knowledge and expertise that will enhance your business and might even accelerate growth.
Reduced costs- having a partner will help to reduce the costs associated with starting the business since you would contribute equally toward the business.
Shared responsibility- Running a business can be exhausting, so having someone to share the daily grind of the business would help you not to feel overwhelmed.
However, partnerships do come with their own share of negatives. Here are three negatives:
Shared decisions- Although this can be a positive, it can also be a negative. If you are a sole business owner, you would make decisions by yourself. With having a partner or partners, you will have to get their input and sign off on major decisions.
Possible friction-Just like in marriages, business partnerships have friction. People change and people grow apart. If the values that you once shared when you started the business are no longer aligned, this could create major friction.
Legal trouble- Just like in a marriage, when divorce is contentious, so are the legal ramifications. Business partnerships can do that too. They can complicate your life when you want to get out of them. This is why it is important to choose the right partner. It is essential.
Self Ask # 3: What is holding me back from doing what I want?
This is a key question as answering it could make the difference between moving from hating what you do to loving what you do. Let's dive into some common things that hold most humans back:
Fear of failure- Fear is the number one enemy when it comes to realizing our dreams. Fear cripples us from achieving what we really want to achieve. It is that little voice inside our heads that tells us that we shouldn't try because we are going to fail. If fear is what you are struggling with, then talk back to it and let fear know that you will succeed. Once fear becomes afraid of you, then it loses its power over your mind.
Your environment- Maybe it is time to examine your environment! What kind of infrastructure do you have? Is it an environment that encourages growth? Is your physical environment helping or hurting you? Having the right environment is crucial when you want to make life changes such as a major career move.
Your network- This one goes hand in hand with your environment. Do you have the right network? Do you have people who can support you through changes in your life? Not only physically support you but could possibly support you financially if necessary. It could be a parent, a partner or a friend. People who have your best interest at heart and are your biggest cheerleader. Without a proper network or village, you could feel stuck for a long time.
I dislike my job. What now?
The self-asked questions are crucial to helping you decide what to do next. Here are 5 things you should do after you do the self-ask questions. These will take you from "I hate my job" to "I love what I do."
Tip # 1: Evaluate your values
The reason why you might be stuck in a job that you don't enjoy is because what you believe in and what you are doing are not in alignment. It might be a good time to figure out How your Values Are affecting Your Goals. Time to ask yourself, am I living through my values? Maybe you haven't even thought of identifying what your values are in the first place, allowing you to have this disconnect between what you believe in and what you are doing. Try My Alphabet Values Checklist to help you identify and name your values.
Tip # 2: Evaluate your hold
Evaluating your hold means that you need to take a good look at what is really holding you back from being in the career or job that you would love. This is a deeper dive into some of the elements that I talked about earlier. Are you in your current job because of the status quo? Have you gotten into a routine and stepping into a new career would disrupt your current rut. Are you also suffering from imposter syndrome? Thinking that you are not good enough or would never be successful if you tried a new career? Whatever it is, you need to find out. What is your hold?
Tip # 3: Seek Wisdom/Mentorship
There is a saying: "You don't know what you don't know." It speaks to the fact that ignorance can be what is holding you back. When was the last time you took a course or read a book that would help you in your desired career. Take Sally for example, a 35 year old married accountant who can hold a note better than Mariah Carrey( as per her friends anyway). She is good at accounting but singing is her true passion. Obviously, she is a number cruncher and she knows that the money she makes with accounting pays all her bills. The uncertainty of stepping out of her comfort zone frightens her. The point is that instead of being crippled by fear of the unknown, Sally should find out instead what she can do while maintaining her comfort(accounting) to work on her passion in the meantime. Her first step was signing up with a music/vocal coach. Someone who can access her talent and guide her through whether singing as a career would be viable for her at her age. Someone who can teach her new things and better prepare her. Seeking wisdom and expanding your knowledge base can never be overrated. Becoming the guru in your life should be at the top of your career expansion goals. Read my blog post Top reasons why ignorance is the # 1 cause of death. In this post, I outline what the cure is for ignorance.
Related post: 10 Reasons why mentorships are important in 2024
Tip # 4: Review your resume
If you think that it is time to find a new job in your desired field, then it is time to take a look at your resume. You might have to completely redo your resume so that your skills are showing more specific to the field that you want to be in. You will need a resume that will get you the new job. It might take an effort in creativity for you to show your future employer that the skills that you currently have are transferable to your new career. But the first step is to get a resume review. This will allow you to stand out from the crowd and get noticed faster.
Tip # 5: Take Action
There is nothing worse than inaction especially when you are feeling unhappy. The worst thing you can do is not act on what you know needs to happen. You have started that business plan or have created a new resume or have reviewed and tweaked your current resume- now what? What are you doing to execute your plan? Did you take the necessary first steps to business ownership? Did you start sending out your resume? Are you brushing up on your interviewing skills? Have you taken any courses? Have you followed up with any companies that you have sent your resumes to? In order for you to shift from your misery to a state of happiness, ACTION needs to be a big part of your plan. To help you live an actionable life, create a personal playbook. This will help you to outline all your actionable steps for making a career move.
Related content: How to create your personal playbook for 2024?
Final Thoughts
If you hate your job, the real question is what are you going to do about it? First, you have to get real with yourself by asking hard questions of yourself. In the hopes that the answers to these questions will lead you to a solution and a resolution where you are doing what you love. You can't just sit back and hate your job, you have to explore what your passion is. Whether it is to start a business or shift over to another job or career. Whatever it is, you have to take action. You must eliminate all the barriers that are keeping you stuck and unhappy in your current position. Take actionable steps that will ultimately lead you into a happier career path. What are you waiting for?
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