So many people are extremely unhappy in their jobs. Either they don’t feel fulfilled or challenged enough and are bored out of their wits, or they are put under so much pressure that they are burnt out. Or they are in conflict because they know they are supporting an industry that isn’t aligned with their personal values. I often see people getting immune system problems who are miserable in their work. If you are always sick, one very common cause I see in my clinical experience is overload on the nervous system. This overload can result from a combination of causes, and a common cause is that trapped feeling of being stuck in a job we hate.
The good news is, there’s never been more opportunity and possibility to start creating something so you can work for yourself. If you are immediately terrified at the thought of that, because you rely on the money you are making to pay the bills, and you have dependants, don’t worry. You don’t have to leave your day job to create or develop a new online business. You can get going on your side-line business and make great progress while you keep your job. It’s just a matter of knowing what to do and working on it in a systematic way.
If you are one of these people who dreads going to work every day, or if you know someone like this, I’d like to remind you that you aren’t a slave. It is possible to work out what you can do to support yourself and it is possible to get involved in something you believe in, that gives you a sense of satisfaction. It is not rocket science to do something that is aligned with your values and makes you feel inspired and motivated.
Sometimes we need help to work out what that is. A good place to start is to make these lists:
1.List what you love to do now, and what you loved to do when you were 10 years old. If I gave you the time and some money to do whatever made you really happy, what would you do for the day, the week, the year? Don’t judge it as silly, just make the list. The most childish things can give us good clues as to the nature of work that would meet our needs for excitement and adventure.
2.What are your gifts? What do you find so easy to do that you don’t value, or even notice it that much. When you don’t have to work hard to be really good at it, and time flies when you are doing it. What has amazed others about you, or something you’ve done? Don’t be shy, and don’t minimilise or underestimate things.
3. What are your skills and competencies. You may not enjoy doing these things so much, but you know you are very competent at them. What have others, friends, employers, teachers and exams suggested to you that you have good skills in that area.
4.How would you like to give back to the world? Maybe you’d like to teach, assist, advocate, lead, inspire, design, collaborate, produce, research or create things.
5. Do you prefer working on your own, or with a small or large group of people?
Within the crossover of these lists lies opportunity and clues as to what you could create, or how you could contribute to the world in a meaningful way. Often we need help with defining that, but if you go to sleep every night with the intention to give back to the world, you may get inspiration when you awaken in the morning. Like everything, it can happen quickly or it can take some time, depending on blocks you may have in the way of knowing and doing what you really want. But these things can all be worked through with a good coach.
If you want to create a new sideline business for yourself it really pays to work with someone who can guide you and who’s created their own business before. You can waste a lot of time and energy doing things that don’t work. Find a mentor or coach who can help you avoid mistakes and get you going on a fast track to how you want your business and life to look. Once you know what you want to bring into the world, it can happen very quickly if you get the right support, expertise and experience behind you. Support is 100% needed when we are trying to do something new. Support makes all the difference, and getting the right person is invaluable. Being part of a group of people who are also sharing a similar experience to you can also be hugely supportive. Being able to share practical knowledge and experience can short-cut a lot of time and help you through the inevitable times when you find your journey challenging.
How is your working life? How is it affecting your other relationships? Would you stay doing something if you knew it was making you miserable? How do you know if you are in the right job, field, or career and are just going through a tough patch?
These are the kind of questions that start to get my clients in touch with their reasons for why they stick with something that is causing them so many problems on so many levels. Our job is to get clear on whether you want to stay in the job. In that case we work on learning how to manage the situation at work better. Or whether you want to look at a strategy that helps you get out of that job, industry or whatever isn’t working for you. This may be another job, or it may be a longer term strategy for becoming your own boss.
You owe it to yourself, your children and your partner to do work that doesn’t drain every last drop of energy out of you. That only ends up making you sick, or a nervous wreck. How can we be good to our loved ones if we are a shell of ourselves when we get home? We also owe it to the planet to engage in work that doesn’t add to the destruction of our world. I trust that our general goal in life is to be challenged and to travel the road less known. It is on this path that we re-engage our sense of adventure and also allow ourselves to be truly powerful in the world.
Katie Kalin is a kinesiologist and performance coach with over 30 years experience working with groups and individuals. She runs a private clinic in Cork City and also does online kinesiology/coaching consultations. She believes that we can access our innate wisdom that is connected to universal intelligence, through muscle testing. Access one free half hour consultation with her through www.katiekalin.com
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