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Enough is Enough! The Career Dilemma

By Budz

Have you ever felt like you were unsatisfied with your career path? That the desk you're sitting on feels like it's biting you? That the computer your eyes are taped against is sucking the life out of you? That the mere sound of your boss's breath gets on your nerves? That every single task you handle on the job is suffocating? I know exactly how you feel. You're not alone. This is what I like to call the 'enough is enough' stage of your career.

 
The 'enough is enough' stage is the point in your career path where you've become saturated and are starting to overflow with dissatisfaction from what this job can give you. It's the stage where you are no longer at the receiving end of benefits; it's where what you are giving is much more than what you are getting in return, and I'm not only talking about being compensated financially.

You and your job should resemble a two-way relationship where both ends are satisfied, not necessarily all the time, I mean let's be realistic, but at least most of the time. It's not supposed to depress you, or agitate you. It should be as giving as you are, and should compensate you for the countless hours and exerted effort you invest in it. After all, we spend almost a third of our lives working, the least we can expect in return is not being depressed by it.

So, now that we've pointed out the problem, what are we supposed to do about it? Find a solution, that's what!

My friend, it is time for a drastic change in your professional life! Based on studies, it has been concluded that the average person should change jobs every 3 to 5 years, and change careers every 8 to 10 years, and, if you're going through the stage we just discussed, then you are somewhere between these stages and in a desperate need for a change.

Now for the difficult part; what to do?

Start with what you wish you could do for a living, be it writing, dancing, teaching or even knitting. Everyone has a hobby or a passion they wish they could do full-time, so start with that. Think of ways to collaborate that into your life, slowly at first so as to ease into it without causing disasters. Let's take dancing as an example. If dancing is your passion, start doing it on a part-time basis, in a private dance studio, or just teach your friends for a symbolic fee. This will help you feel your way through that hobby and decide how good you really are at it, which will in turn help you decide if you can really do this for a living, or not.

Pursue your passion. This is the name of the game. Do what you love. I know it sounds hard, but isn't it worth the effort when you won't have to hear your boss breathing anymore? The most important thing to remember is that a change like this should never come suddenly, you should take your time with it, so don't rush into resigning from your job, at least not yet.

As I said before, you and your career resemble two people in a relationship, feeling their way around each other until they reach a comfort zone where they are both satisfied. Take it one step at a time, and, with every small step, a new one will arise. You don't have to have it all planned out and clear in front of you, it'll fold out as you go along with it, and it will surprise you along the way too.

So, if you've decided you've had enough, ease your way into a change that would make you feel satisfied because you've done it with passion rather than getting it done as a task you need to cross off your to-do list.

What comes next is entirely up to you. If you feel like this is something you can do for a living, jump in. If you're comfortable with the 'easing your way through it' stage, linger on it a little longer. If you've decided this isn't your passion after all, don't give up; look for another passion!

Don't be scared to try. I wasn't, and here I am, easing my way through my passion for writing. And, so far, it has been worth it...

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