When I was feeling stuck at work, instead of taking some time to think intentionally about what I really wanted my life to look like I spent a lot of my free time job hunting.
More like mindless job board scrolling.
And each time I did, I would end up feeling miserable, even on the rare occasions that I came across something I felt totally qualified for.
This is because when you're job hunting, you're constantly measuring yourself up to a set of expectations that your inner critic sets impossibly high. So high, that you decide not to apply.
When you don't have all the information about a job posting, it’s easy to imagine all the ways you don't measure up. You've finally accepted that you're unhappy and need to make a change, you consider putting yourself out there (which isn't too hard or scary because you're just looking at this point), and then your inner critic decides ... NOPE. No way are you putting yourself out there when you'll only get rejected or end up in a situation worse than the one you're in now. So our Inner Critic slaps us in the face with all the ways we suck and will never get a better job.
I wrote this post because I want those of you out there currently job hunting to know, you actually do have some control over whether or not the right job posting lands in your lap. You can choose to think about yourself and your abilities in as supportive of a way as you would like. What I mean by that is, with each job opportunity you scroll by, try practicing all the ways you COULD do the job, rather than the ways you couldn’t.
OR
An even better exercise would be to first imagine the kind of job you’re looking for right now. Don’t be afraid to dream one up and put that intention out there into the world. You’re more likely to come across jobs that have elements of your ideal job if you first know what your ideal job is.
Otherwise, what’s most likely to happen is that you end up in a job exactly like the one you’re in now. Because you didn’t push yourself to grow. You’re just escaping.
So if you’re going to bother going through all the trouble of quitting and getting a new job, may as well use some of that energy to 1. Set a vision of your ideal job and 2. Start believing in yourself.
You've got this. And if mindless job scrolling has got you feeling down, book a free 1:1 coaching session with me and let's get you unstuck.
Comments