6 Signs It's Time For A Change
The biggest reason why people get stuck where they are is because of the fear of change. They are hesitant to pull the plug, to go all in with something they really care and are passionate about.
Why?
Because of the uncertainty of what’s next.
Not knowing how people will respond to their change of thoughts and direction.
The potential loss of an audience.
Having to start from scratch.
But guess what?
The only constant is change and not evolving means you’re slowly but surely irrelevant.
So don’t be one of them.
Don’t wait until your life or career, well and truly sucks before paying attention to the signs it’s time for a change.
That leads us into today’s topic: How can you determine if it really is the best time to change or if it’s just an inconvenient and bad moment in your life. So if you’re at the cross road whether to stay or go – no matter the situation you are in, then this blog post is for you!
Sometimes a challenging moment is simply that. A challenge, an obstacle that you need to overcome to learn and grow from, to make you bigger and better for what’s next.
There are times when feeling stuck is actually a good thing. Especially when it forces us to stop and notice what’s happening around us.
Our ultimate success or failure depends on our ability to recognise whether something is just a bad moment or the kick up our own backside we need to take the leap.
For me, my first big change or career pivot happened not on my terms.
I was so busy working in my career, doing the work, putting my head down to try and outwork everyone. I was blind to what was going on around me.
Leaving the marketing industry wasn’t something that I ever anticipated or planned. It happened to me. Turned out it was the best change that could have ever happened to me:
Since then, I didn’t only progress much quicker in my new career but got exposed to new opportunities, met people who I otherwise would have never met and most importantly- have realised the different between making an income and making an impact.
You may be in a similar situation.
You may be in a career that pays well but doesn’t light you up.
You may be in a job that’s ok but doesn’t get you excited to wake up early and stay up late.
You may be in a company that overall, is pretty good to work for or even one that others would fight to get in but you don’t feel you can make the biggest impact there that you want to make.
These are already pretty good indicators that a change is probably the right move. But let’s look at the 5 most common signs in more detail:
1. You’ve forgotten you have choices
First things first- now is THE best time for change. Not only have the rules of work changed, especially since last year when Covid-19 has fast tracked so many ‘trends’ we have been seeing coming for years.
So many new challenges have come from that and no matter your background, industry or profession – you can monetise it in so many ways. It’s just a matter of realising it, putting the pieces together. This is why I love coaching so much because it helps you to see your challenge or situation from new perspectives and in the second you realise that there is not just black or white but soooo many shades of grey, it gives you back control.
This is also why I’m harping on so much about the power of building a Brand because a Brand is more than a job title or a business. It is the association people have with you from a deeper sense, you’re known for personality traits, characteristics and soft skills and this is what makes it easier to take on a new direction.
If you’re in a field you’ve studied but you’ve realised that the actual industry doesn’t float your boat, you can still use those soft skills and apply in somewhere else.
2. You let minor irritations become major problems
Maybe you find yourself getting annoyed and irritated quickly or you keep thinking of minor problems or a situation that happened that others would have forgotten already but you keep mulling over it.
No matter where you are, what you do or which situation you find yourself in, there are always challenges. It’s a matter how you handle them; if you embrace them as being part of the journey and enjoy the challenge of overcoming it or if you simply get eaten up by it.
3. You’re becoming a person you don’t like
You find yourself doing and saying things that are not in line with who you are and what you want from life.
Maybe your work is shaping you into a person that you do not like, or the people that surround you are turning you into a bad version of yourself.
That definitely was a big thing for me because I was always an easy going and approachable person. However, my last marketing role turned me into a kind of cranky pants all day every day. It was hard to smile, hard to be friendly and I felt like I had to have this harsh persona to ‘make it’ in this company.
Turned out, that only made me sick which leads us into sign 4:
4. You’re always tired, get sick often or struggle with health-related issues
For a long time, I was training 3-4h a day, 5-7h on the weekends and had 1 meal on a good day. And still- I put on about 10kg within 6 months. I also always felt sluggish despite sleeping a lot. Your body tells you when something isn’t right and for me it was weight gain, ulcers, this sickening Sunday afternoon feeling and constantly feeling exhausted. It came from feeling anxious and having constantly a high cortisol level which made my body hang on to everything that I ate, even if it was just a salad.
5. You’re not happy just doing average work
High performers are driven by doing and being the best they can be. Simply ‘getting by’ to not get fired is not only against your personality but also the stepping stone to burn out.
Whilst there are phases in our lives where prioritises shift, eg when you become a new parent, when you take time off, when you build something else etc where doing average work to pay the bills is acceptable. It becomes a concern when it’s an ongoing thing and spans over years.
6. You’ve outgrown
This goes very much hand in hand with doing average work. When you’re coasting through the day, time passes differently (aka standing still), your salary has stagnated for a while, you’re not challenged and you aren’t learning anymore.
It could come from various reasons: maybe you’ve invested in your personal and professional development outside your work, you’ve met new people who have opened a new way of thinking, you’ve engaged in a coach who has helped you see different perspectives… whatever that might be.
Not everyone changes at your speed and if your environment and the circle of people whom you spend the most time with don’t support your growth and it feels like they hold you back so they don’t have the pressure of having to step up and change, then this is a good indicator that you’re ready for the next chapter,
And this leads us back into number 1: you always have choices and now probably more than ever.
So lets summarise the 6 common signs for change:
1. You’ve forgotten you have choices
2. You let minor irritations become major problems
3. You’re becoming a person you don’t like
4. You’re always tired, get sick often or struggle with health-related issues
5. You’re happy doing average work
6. You’ve outgrown your environment, responsibilities or people
This is my invite to you: Open the door to change
Yes, change is scary. We all fear the unknown. But change is one of the only things in this life that we can be sure of. If you want a better life, if you want to make your “someday” plans a reality, there’s only one thing for it: make a change!
Tune in to next week’s episode where I talk you through how you can manage your Brand through transition.