If you are in a career that just feels wrong but you can´t change your job right now, then there is something else that you can work on: your mindset. This will not revolutionize your job and work-day, but it will change how you perceive it. A strong mindset will end the suffering and provide you with the basis to make change happen.
I will cover some tangible tools that you can use when you are unhappy in your job soon in another article, but since your mindset is the most powerful tool of all, let´s start with this first.
Why your mindset is so important
To make long-lasting and sustainable change happen, you have to belive that change is possible and that you are capable of it. You can use all the tools and power through, but if your mind is not in the right place, all the change -and the happiness that comes with it - will fade.
Developing a strong mindset includes letting go of limiting beliefs, overcoming fear, building strong resilience, and making the best of any given situation.
This is what we will focus on in this article.
Four mindset shifts that will help you when you are unhappy in your career
There are reasons why you have not quit your job yet. So until you leap, you can adapt the way you think to carry you through this situation.
When working with clients who want to leave an unfulfilling career, I found four frequent thoughts that help them to accept the current situation better and shift their energy towards creating the life they are dreaming of.
Let´s have a look at those.
… and why the heck a mantra?
I added a mantra to every mindset shift to support you in developing a strong mindset. Using a mantra is a very powerful tool to navigate through times of change. It is a sentence you can hold onto whenever you need it. If you don´t like the word mantra, replace it with “idea”, “thought”, or “intention”.
Of course, adapt the mantras if necessary, so they feel right for you.
Mindset shift #1: This is temporary
We perceive an unpleasant situation as tough when we have the sensation that it will last. So if you are feeling a bit like you are stuck in your job forever, then remind yourself that this is just temporary. It does not matter whether you will have to hang in there for another 8 weeks, 6 months or a year, it is temporary. It will change. Keep that in mind the next time you feel like “I can´t do this a single day longer!”.
Mantra: “This is temporary. I am already creating my dream life.”
Mindset shift #2: Honor the positive intention
There is a reason why you haven´t left your job yet. It normally is a positive intention that prevents you from quitting so it makes sense to get clear on what that intention is. Maybe the intention is to keep you safe (because you are afraid of losing your financial stability), maybe it is so you feel loved (because you are worried about what people will say), or it is so you have more time to figure things out (because you do not know what you want). Identify what that positive intention is and make peace with it. There IS a reason why you haven´t quite yet!
There will come a point when you will have to learn how to collaborate with this positive intention (so it does not hold you back), but for now, all you have to do is to honor it.
Mantra: “I honor what is making me stay in my job and know that it tries to keep me safe.”
Mindset shift #3: Stop the fight
This one is a big one that I see a lot of my clients struggling with. It is: stopping the fight, making peace with the current situation. Because one thing is clear: you will leave this job. This is not forever. So stop resisting what is. This does not mean that you are giving up on your dream. Not at all. You can make peace with what is AND create your dream career at the same time. It is just about allocating your energy wisely and not getting emotionally caught up in a battle that is not worth fighting anymore.
Mantra: “I accept what is so I can invest my energy into creating the life that I am dreaming of.”
Mindset shift #4: Connect to your vision
When you are stuck in an unfulfilling career, it can feel like this is what work-life is like and always will be like. It can feel like there is no alternative (or that all the alternatives are not possible for you). Therefore, it is important that you connect to your vision.
Get very clear on what it is that you are seeking. How do you want to feel in your work-life? What values do you want to follow? What kind of people do you want to surround yourself with?
Then seek the moments that feel like that. Live in line with your values whenever possible, and build a network of inspiring people that show you what is achievable. No inspiring people around? Listen to podcasts, join Facebook groups, start a MeetUp yourself.
Mantra: “I am connecting to my vision and let it guide the way.”
Let me know how this is going for you.
I am sending you lots of love!
Laura