Many of us reach a point in our work world life when we start asking ourselves the question
“When do I know that it is time to tell my job goodbye?”
These types of thoughts are usually brought on by years and years of living in a perpetual hamster wheel of employment where we see time flying by too fast and the hopes and dreams of our youth slowly fade away over time.
As time goes on we accept our fate just because everybody else it seems is in the same boat, we allow our brains to rationalize our life as the new normal and continue down the same path as our friends, colleagues and neighbors. The problem is that we never ask ourselves, when is it time to do something else in life?
Top signs that it is time to tell the 9 to 5 goodbye and seek a new direction
- You get up dreading going to your job every day – This often starts with what my father would call Sunday-night-itis. It is the dread that slowly sets in on Sunday evenings as you realize that the weekend is almost over and your freedom and sanity will soon be swapped out for another 5 to 6 days of trading your valuable time for money.
Sunday-night-itis, over time, will slowly spread to all other nights where you have to get up the next morning and return to the work world.
- Your thoughts during the workday are something along the lines of “I would rather be anywhere else but here” – These types of thoughts, in my opinion, are usually a sign that your brain is starting to realize that what you are doing on a daily basis is no longer of any value other than a paycheck.
We as people are more fulfilled when we help others. According to this article by Time magazine, “Through fMRI technology, we now know that giving activates the same parts of the brain that are stimulated by food and sex”. The point in all this is that just bringing home money is not going to give us true joy and happiness in the long term.
- You start to feel apathetic about your job – This is a red flag that it is time to look for another direction in life but also can be dangerous. When you don’t care about doing quality work or fulfilling your duties at your job then other people around you can be affected as well. These types of feelings can also lead to being terminated from your position which can be a bad thing especially if you do not have a backup plan.
- You become easily irritated at co-workers, friends or family members during or after your workday is over – This is a sign that your job is truly starting to affect your mental health. Irritation, among many other things, is usually a common byproduct of work-related stress. Gia Ganesh, a popular career strategist and coach, sums it up nicely in an article published by Forbes in stating that
Irritability is a lesser recognized symptom of burnout. Your irritability extends to your colleagues, your work, and even comes home with you! This stems from a personal feeling of lack of effectiveness, lack of competence, lack of contribution or a feeling of purposelessness.
If your job is pushing you on a day to day basis to a level of stress that causes you to treat people close to you in a manner that you would usually not then you should consider looking for something else.
- You are not the person you used to be – We all change over time but if you stop and think about the person you were before you started your current job and notice a big difference in comparison with your current self in a negative way, then it is definitely time to start looking for a new path to take.
If you are not sure or can’t remember your old self then ask someone close to you if they notice any difference or if you have some old videos of yourself from the past then take a moment to watch them. You might be surprised at what you hear or see. Often a poor work environment can take a slow toll on us to the point that we don’t even realize how different we have really become.
If you feel that any of these points above describe you then it is time to at least explore different alternatives to whatever you are currently doing. Some people do fine with just a simple job change while others seek a whole new career. While this works for some it doesn’t work for everybody.
Many people seek more freedom than the average 9 to 5 work environment provides and can only find what they are looking for by having their own business. Creating an online business where there is freedom to be flexible in both time and geographical locations is a common way that many people have found satisfaction in earning an income.
This style of business which is often referred to as a “Lifestyle Business” has become quite popular as the Internet has expanded. If you are interested in finding out more about this a Lifestyle Business then you can research it more in the link that I just provided.
My main concern, however, is making sure YOU find the life YOU are looking for. I have two friends who drive trucks for a living and both make a 6 figure income. Coders are in hot demand now as well. The point is that you need to find out what works best for you. If any of these bullet list items above sound familiar to you then please consider finding a different path where you will find the fulfillment you are looking for.
Thanks for stopping by!