It's Friday again, and my Facebook and Twitter feeds are lit up with Friday celebration messages. I have to wonder how many people hate what they do so much that the only joy they get is on the weekend when they are off?
It's a common complaint I hear from people I coach regarding their careers, and it makes me sad to hear how many people live this way. They hate their jobs, but they have to pay their bills and feel stuck.
Many are making six figures, and feel like they are wasting their lives staring at a wall half the day. But who in their right mind throws away a six-figure job?
Who Throws Away a Six-Figure Job?
It is relatively easy for me to take a twenty-year-old kid who has no external obligations and direct them into a highly paid career path that they are likely to enjoy based on their test results.
The fifty-year-old who isn't happy but is making six figures and has a mortgage, kids at home, and a lifestyle they enjoy? That's a tougher one. With retirement in view and cushy benefits, it's harder for them to take a potential pay cut and start over.
There's a way to do it as many have proven, it just requires a bit more planning.
The funny thing is that while it is true that you may have to take a pay cut to make a career change, many eventually come out ahead both financially AND with higher job satisfaction when changing careers.
Are You Prepared to Spend the Rest of Your Working Career Miserable More Than 70% of the Time?
Is it worth it to spend the next fifteen, twenty, or more years of your working life miserable for five out of seven days of the week just because you're scared to make a change?
How about if I told you that your job was going to be eliminated in the next five years anyway (which is always a possibility)?
My vote is no.
It doesn't have to be that way.
Certainly every job has its ups and downs, but to live your life where you only look forward to two or three days out of the week? Nope, not for me.
Did you know that in many other cultures, people don't look forward to retirement? Why do you think multi-millionaires and billionaires keep working? It's not typically because they need the money…it's because they enjoy what they do.
Stop living for the weekend, and start living for today.
If you hate your job but feel stuck, let's talk. Click here to arrange a session.