Taking the plunge
If you’re reading this, you might be one of the 80% of people who is dissatisfied, bored, or even burnt-out at work. You might be wondering, how many more months can I continue like this?
How many annual leave days do I have left?
Can I really go on “burn-out”?
Is this it?
Do I want to climb the ladder?
If so, is this the ladder I want to climb?
Am I even on the same continent as the ladder?
Am I the only one in the world who feels this way?
At this point there are several roads you can take:
Bitch and moan to anyone who will listen, from family, friends to work colleagues (thus playing out the victim triangle - more on this to come)
Continue on at the brink of burnout/ depression, letting your health and wellbeing suffer as a result
Go on sick/ burnout leave
Take an extended holiday
Join the phenomenon of silent quitters (do the bare minimum that is required for the role - no more, no less and damage your soul in the process)
Or, you decide enough is enough, and plunge into the depths of unemployment, reflection time, and if you’re lucky - self realisation and growth.
See, those murky waters of unemployment don't have to be so scary. Unemployment, once a dirty word, doesn’t have to be a space of fear and shame. Actually since Covid-19, the emerging recession, and continuing waves of redundancies, making our unemployment escapades known on LinkedIn/ social media is often celebrated; many people are receiving hundreds of likes, and even job offers as a result of this new type of self–promotion.
I must refer back to the classic Maslow and his famous hierarchy of needs - as old a model as it is, it’s really relevant here:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Image from Simply Psychology.
Basic needs must be met before anyone could have the great privilege of considering a career break by choice. And yes, it is a huge f*cking privilege. But how often is it those who do have their basic needs met, who are the ones most unhappy, dissatisfied and burnt out in their careers? These are the very people whom it’s within their control to change things for themselves, and the rest of the world too. When we’re in our power, living in alignment with our purpose - thats when we are in the best position to help others.
It’s the position of not taking action in alignment with our values, when we get stuck in the victim triangle (I don’t have a bias towards triangles, I promise).
Victim Triangle. Image from Circles USA
There are various ways one can show up on the victim triangle, but the point is that victim mentality can leave us trapped in victim, rather than in creation / action. Does this sound familiar?
Everyone (who has their basic needs met); has the power to change things - even if they find themselves at any one of these corners. It is often those who are the most comfortable, who are most resistant to change, even if they are unhappy.
And what are the consequences? Relationships, family, health, the company you work for, and there are consequences at a macro and societal level too. Think about people in powerful positions who are unhappy - how does this affect others around them, the decisions they make, what consequences could this have for the people their decisions have power over?
Besides, it is scientifically proven that people are far happier, healthier and more effective when they are doing something they feel passionate about, is meaningful for them and is just the right balance of challenging and ease (known as flow state).
Every human has the agency to find what that is for themselves and get into creation. If you harness a creation mindset, you understand that you have the ability to make decisions that serve your higher good. You not only listen to your intuition, but you act on it too.
The thing is, many of us have been so deep in our chosen (or accidental) careers for so long, we don’t even know what we want anymore. We have lost who we are in being someone we think we have to be; and only a period of separation and reflection will allow us to discover our true purpose - our unique way we can contribute to humanity.
There are many ways to “take the plunge”. From safest to riskiest:
Begin to explore a new career (or business venture) in the evenings / weekends, or if you know what it is - start. Pros - your cash flow doesn’t change. Cons - requires a lot of dedication, commitment and sacrifice.
Reduce your full-time work to part-time, in order to free up more time for your self-development and/ or side hustle. Pros - you have more time to work out what you really want, whilst still earning some cash. Cons - a win win, if you ask me.
Quit your job completely (only advisable if you either have a lot of savings or are already clear on what you are working towards). Pros - allows you ultimate time, freedom and energy to put into discovering your soul’s purpose and making it happen. Cons - need I say, earnings; and also it can be difficult to keep consistent focus once your entire structure has been removed.
Is it too late to change careers? Never. Will it be worth the dive?
Most definitely.
