Feeling off or unmotivated at work makes getting up and going every day that much harder. As a result, you may find yourself hating Mondays and counting down the days till the weekend. But if you’re like most of us, you need your job because your bills won’t stop coming. If you’re in a career rut, keep reading to find out ways that you can get out of it.
Are you worried that your career is going nowhere? Do you wonder if you’ve made the right decision with your job? Sometimes the same routine, working with the same people, day after day, can be uninspiring. Naturally we like to be challenged every once in a while, promotions are nice, and raises are great too, but when your heart’s not in it being invested in your day job can be hard to do. Career ruts happen to a lot of people, but it’s up to you to get yourself out of it.
How to Get Out of a Career Rut
Believe it or not, career ruts are sort of a blessing in disguise. Yeah it may feel sucky at the moment, but your desire for better is a good thing. Career ruts are only bad when you feel that way but do nothing to change your situation. That, my friend, is just plain sad!
Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you to just up and quit your job. If you can, without damaging your situation, go for it. But I know for some of you, you have certain responsibilities in your life that causes you to think twice before just up and quitting your job cold turkey. In fact, there are a number of things that you can do to pull yourself out of a career rut that doesn’t include quitting your job.
Identify the Problem
Sit down, be real, and get to the root of the problem. When you identify the problem, you’re better equipped to take the necessary steps to fix it. Take a moment to really evaluate your situation at work and pinpoint the area of discontent. Do you have a boss that you can’t stand? Is your workload uninteresting or not challenging enough?
Set Goals and Create a Plan
What excites you? What’s challenging to you? What do you want for yourself? Answer those questions and create goals that are in alignment with what you want. Now, list out your action steps and commit to getting it done.
Network With Others
Try to network with people that inspire you. Do you look up to them professionally? Are they doing something in their career that you want to aspire to? Maybe they can become your mentor, someone that you look up to professionally and that you can get useful advice from. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there. Networking with others, especially those that you look up to, will help you learn and grow and give a boost to you career if you commit to it.
Take a Break if You Can
Do you have unused vacation time? USE IT! Sometimes all you need is a break. Take advantage of your time off to really think about what it is you want for yourself and your career. Give yourself time to breathe and relax, that way you’re seeing more clearly when you return back to work.
