Career Going Nowhere Fast? It’s Time to Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

There sometimes comes a time when we look around and realize we’re not all that happy in our career. It can happen for a number of reasons. The job is no longer giving us satisfaction; our working environment is not a happy one, or simply that we know our career, in its current form, isn’t going in the direction we want it to go; indeed, it’s going nowhere. This can be daunting because if we want to progress, then we need do something that we’ve never done before. We need to step outside out of our comfort zone and push ourselves. Below, we take an in-depth look at the options that are available to you.

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Knowing its Time

People are prone to overreactions. A bad few days or a couple of weeks at work and they begin to think that it’s the end of the world. Very often, things swing around back to the good times pretty quickly if we just go with the flow. The thing to be aware of is if you’re feeling unmotivated for months at a time; if you feel low in energy for up to a year, it’s definitely time for a change. When you weigh up your options, it’s important to consider motivates you. What is it that’ll put a spark back in your career? This will help guide you when it comes to making your next move.

Take a Sabbatical

You can talk, and talk, and talk about leaving your current position, but that’s all a lot of people end up doing when it comes to their career. They just talk, and that is most definitely not stepping out of the comfort zone. Because work often demands so much of us, it can be difficult to have the space to figure out what the next move will be. You need to get away from your current job, spend some time by yourself, and consider what you’ll do next without the pressure of other responsibilities on your shoulders.

Letting Perfection Slide Away

It’s good to strive to be the best version of yourself, but it’s important to bear in mind that you’re trying the best version of yourself, and not the best version of a person society wants you to be. We often end up in careers that we’re not all that interested in, purely because it looks good on paper and there’s little chance of us ‘falling behind’ our friends and family members. Consequently, one of the biggest leaps you can take is deciding to do something just for you, to make the transition into a career that will thrive you. In the end, it’s your life, and you shouldn’t live it for the benefit of anyone other than yourself.

Explore New Opportunities

The world is awash with opportunities. It’s up to you to find them. There are a lot of jobs out there that most people haven’t even heard of; what if one of these rare professions is exactly the right fit for you? If you don’t know where to start, you can always look at volunteering opportunities. Things are happening all over the world that you can get involved in, and one of them might just springboard you to a new life. Also, don’t discount internships. Many people have in their head they’re only for recent graduates and other youngsters, but this is not the case. You’re never too old to start again from the bottom if it takes you to where you want to be.

Top up your Qualifications

Sometimes, it’s not your ambition that stops you from kicking on with your career; it’s your lack of qualifications. If that’s the case, then it’s time to get a Master’s degree. Research has shown that professionals with a master’s degree under their belt have more opportunities and receive a higher salary than those who don’t. In any case, going back to study in-depth will also reignite your passion for the subject, which is an important factor when it comes to getting ahead!

Get Talking

You can’t always make things happen by yourself. Sometimes, you need to have other people open the door for you. For that to happen, you’re going to have to get over your fear of opening your mouth and networking. You have much more opportunities to network than you think you do; indeed, there’s an idea that you should always be in networking mode. If you go for after work drinks a swanky bar frequented by the movers and shakers of the world, then you never know what might come from introducing yourself and having a conversation. You should always make the most of the people in your company who have the kind of jobs you want. It can be a bit awkward to start chatting business, but you’ll quickly get over it, and the rewards might just be completely worth it.

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Finding a Balance

If you’re looking to change your career, then make sure you don’t make the same mistakes that put you in this position in the first place. You know now just how much your job will consume your life, so don’t just approach your new career with a view on what you like to do; think of how it’ll fit into your broader lifestyle ambitions. The biggest step outside of your comfort zone might be taking a pay cut to have a lifestyle that includes the thing you really want: time.

Golden Rule: Positive Attitude

We all make a choice in the morning. We can choose to let life beat us down, or can have a positive, can-do attitude. Which one do you think is more likely to lead to good things? Some people are so set in their ways that the biggest change they can make is all to do with their attitude. In the future, start saying yes, and believe in yourself.

No Regrets

It’s not easy to decide you need to make a change. But for sure, no one ever regrets following their dreams. You have nothing to lose, so get making those changes!