A BIG Career Mistake That Keeps You Grumpy (And Stuck)

A BIG Career Mistake That Keeps You Grumpy (And Stuck)

Feeling grumpy at work right now?

There are a LOT of things that can cause you to feel stuck and grumpy, and you may be doing one of them right this second.

Wondering what it is? Don't worry - I'll share! But first, I have a quick story: 

Last year I was traveling for work and doing some speaking, and then I took a few days off to spend with my family in Wakulla Springs FL.

It’s a national park in the wilds of northern Florida, with all sorts of local wildlife that like to hang out as close as possible to you. Alligators, check. Manatees, check. Weird large bugs? Check. Running away from weird large bugs? Check.

While I was madly sprinting through the woods running away from a large scary noise and a giant bug, I was thinking about other mistakes I had made in my career (my first mistake: not packing bug spray).

I kept thinking about my early consulting career, where I talked a great game about leaving consulting to pursue something that made me happier. I used to say things like: "I’m going to leave soon! NEXT YEAR!"

"I’m going to leave soon! Maybe not next year, but SOON!"

"Seriously, at some point I’m going to think about leaving and finding something else! At SOME POINT...sometime. Over there... maybe... after dinner... pass the salt please..."

I never really pushed myself out of my comfortable safe consulting zone.

I was good at it, the money was good, blah blah blah blah. Sure, I did some informational interviews and tried some things, but I spent most of my time in non-productive thinking, focusing on what I didn’t have, versus staying focused on what I wanted.

I really enjoyed doing things like picking apart my salary, comparing it unfavorably to other people’s salaries, complaining about why I didn’t make even more money, and wishing that I did (but I never thought about how more money would help cure my job dissatisfaction - do you notice a theme here?).

I took more training in my field, without really thinking about if it was useful for what I really wanted to do. I got promoted a bunch, figured I would never get promoted again in that job, and for awhile I mentally checked out of work (while still complaining about my salary).

As you can see, I played small and stayed safe, and because I was safely in my comfort zone - nothing changed.

So - here is something I want you to think about:

There is a lot a LOT of pressure to be stable in your career. And, under that pressure is a lot of legitimate fear. I stayed in consulting because it made me feel safe, everyone told me it was a great job, and I wasn’t confident in my ability to do something else. It was what I knew. So, I listened to them rather than listening to my heart...and I don't want you to make the same mistake. Instead, here is what I want you to remember:

1. “Everyone” is not you - I listened to “conventional wisdom” and felt really guilty that I wanted something more than I had. It kept me small, and it kept me unhappy.

2. You deserve to have a job you LOVE. You totally deserve it and I want you to have it.

3. So let’s take some of the pressure off! To increase your comfort zone, you could do something amazing for your career. But what? (This is often where we stop. THE PRESSURE!).

4. So, let’s actually not start there. Let’s start with something amazing for yourself, to take away some of the fear about what else is out there lurking for you. This adventure is a process, and it’s okay to take some time to figure it out.

5. Choose something that makes you uncomfortable, and try it on. What can you do for yourself that pushes you outside of your comfort zone? Something that you have always wanted to do, but haven’t done yet?

Okay, now go do it. I’ll wait :)

6. Now, what did that experience teach you about yourself? What do you want to remember and use to help you move forward?

WRITE IT DOWN!

I put these steps into action on my vacation. Even though I love my job as a career coach, I still need to keep pushing myself to grow.

So, I did a big scary thing (for me) while at the springs - I threw myself off a two meter platform into the springs, directly into manatee and alligator infested waters (note: this was right after my run of terror, and I was still wearing my running clothes).

The first second of the jump was awesome, the second second was terrifying and I wanted to stop it immediately, and the third second was really really cold (the springs, they are cold).

But the first thing I did when I surfaced was say: “I want to do that AGAIN!!!” I had been wanting to do that jump since I first saw the springs two years ago, and I told myself I would do it this time no matter what, even if still wearing my shoes (I took off my shoes. I’m not completely crazy).

Taking that leap made me feel great!

I did it as a reminder to myself that my fear should never stop me from trying something new, taking a leap of faith can be exhilarating, and I’m stronger than I think. 

In my experience career success happens when we get out of our comfort zones AND take a second to remember what that experience gave us.

So go out there and embrace your fear! And please share in the comments what you've done to grow your comfort zone, and your career :).

Source and Author: LIn/Christie Mims

Picture: Grumpycats