Is Your Job Satisfying or Not: Any Clues?

Most jobs have times when you have to put the pedal to the metal before it abates, and you can breathe again. At the same time, every job has its good and bad points.

But how do you know when your job is no longer satisfying? One signal that I've heard repeatedly from clients I coach is assessing how they feel when they get up in the morning. One female executive in the pharmaceutical industry said, "Throughout my career, I typically wake up in the morning very eager to go to work." However, if she starts waking up and dreading having to go to work - not just for a day or two, but consistently over several weeks - then she will know that something is wrong. She doesn't dwell on checking out her feelings each day; it's just something that appears on her radar if a family member makes a certain comment, or if she notices that she's struggling to get ready for work. When she stops looking forward to going to work and that becomes more of the norm, she knows that she needs to take the time to figure out what's going on and/or what needs to change.  

The same signal may hold true for you or you may use other clues. When those signals appear, that’s the time to sort out what's really underneath the uncomfortable or negative feelings. Upon reflection, you may uncover that the lack of enthusiasm is related to a difficult employee that you're dealing with, a project that you're working on that you're unsure of or something more serious. No harm is done by taking the time to explore your feelings.

Once you sort out the source of your feelings, and most importantly, develop a workable solution, you’ll find yourself having a renewed sense of energy and a heightened desire to engage in your work! Afterall, as with many jobs, it’s what you make of it!