Enforced jollity can be wearing at any time but never quite so much as when the job and the workplace just don’t fit anymore. Many people use this time of year to reflect on the year just gone and plan for the twelve months ahead.
For some, this only serves as a reminder that they are still in a job they have felt stuck in for longer than they care to think about and this can be the loneliest feeling in the world as it’s tempting to imagine everyone else is happy and sorted. There is a brilliant saying which goes ‘don’t judge your insides by other people’s outsides’. A topic for another day perhaps but, for today, it’s an important message to remind us all that what we see of other people’s lives is rarely the full picture. Everyone is trying to have the best life they can and some people are just not comfortable sharing private information, so don’t think you are alone. It is important to recognise that that stuck feeling can happen to anyone and, if it’s happening to you, there are steps that you can take today to move forward into that Job Of Your Dreams.
It can be tempting to escape that feeling of being stuck by keeping ourselves extra busy, so busy that we don’t have to look at what’s going on. But, burying our heads in the sands of busy rarely works long term and stopping for the Christmas break provides a golden opportunity for all those uncomfortable feelings to raise their heads.
Why not make this the year that you really make the changes you have been dreaming about. Here are some tips that might just get you started;
- What are the main aspects of your working life that don’t fit or suit you? Use this time of year to really reflect and take note of what comes up for you.
- Ask yourself what is important to you at work, e.g. indoors or outdoors, in a team or working alone, working with your hands or not? Think about what your answers are pointing you towards.
- Think about this, if you knew you couldn’t fail and anything was possible, what would you do? Don’t limit yourself, just go for it and write everything down – it makes a real difference to get your thoughts and ideas out of your head and on the paper.
- Use this quieter period at the end of the year to reflect on what you want to let go of in your current role and what bits you have enjoyed and want to keep hold of.
Remember that, although the New Year gives us a chance to reflect and start afresh for the year ahead, you can make the changes you want to make in your life at anytime - you don’t just get one chance a year in January.
I would like to take this chance to thank you all for working with me in 2016 and I look forward to working with you in the future. If you would like to talk to me about this blog or anything else, contact me on 07720 401 634