Is it Time to Move On?
Hello!
So, we’ve done a full week of 2025 already - how’s it shaping up for you?
I’ve definitely had a bit of a mixed bag start to 2025 (more on this in my upcoming life lately podcast, so I won’t dish the spoilers today!).
I know for lots of people that the resolutions will be in full force. Dry January, couch to 5k, keto diets, upping your steps, improving your sleep - these are all really important ways to improve our life, health and well-being. But what about how you’re spending your days in your everyday life?
What about the work you do (paid or unpaid) day in, day out?
Have you given that a health check at the start of 2025 and considered where you might need to make some changes so that life feels more meaningful, so that you have more energy left at the end of the day for all these new year’s resolutions, yourself and your loved ones?
In this week’s podcast episode, I decided to do a deeper look at a question that is the reason why so many people come to me for coaching in the first place -
‘Is it time for me to move on?’
Now, feeling a bit fed up with work sometimes, or not wanting to go on a cold and wet Monday morning, is very normal.
Most of us mere mortals have days and weeks like this.
But if the ‘Sunday scaries’ become a more permanent feature in your life, then it might be time to do something about it.
It’s not normal to dread work everyday. It’s not normal to google new jobs all the time. It’s not OK to sit in your car feeling anxious at the start of your shift.
Not all the time.
Once it’s been established that everyday life doesn’t feel good enough for you, the next question to ask yourself is: is it the workplace, is it the work, or is it you? Now, I talk about this in much more detail on the podcast episode, but here’s a quick summary.
The Workplace
Perhaps the work is good, but the conditions aren’t right. The hours, the pay, the location, or maybe it’s the way work is done - the culture or values. Perhaps there is a misalignment of values, or even a toxic environment that you are surrounded by. This might just need a sideways move to a similar role, in a new organisation, or, it could even be adjusted through some brave conversations with your boss (I need to shift my working pattern if I am going to stay - you never know, if you don’t ask, you don’t get!). By the way, on the podcast I share a bit about how work got pretty toxic for me in a previous season, and how that helped me make a shift.
The Work
It might be that you are doing work that just doesn’t fit you well. You might be good at it, in fact others may think you're excellent at it, but you just don’t love it yourself. It’s not life giving, it drains you. Good work plays to our natural strengths, and a strength is simply something that strengthens you. You might find your conditions at work are nice and convenient, but you’re just not getting to use your strengths enough and this will drain you. You will feel exhausted, and it will take more from you than a job that uses your strengths. 15 hours doing something you love can be less tiring than 7 hours of work that depletes you. If this is the case, then you probably need to do some work on discovering your strengths, and using that data to help you find the right work for you, purposeful work (I know a coaching programme that might just be what you need!)
You
Finally, it could be that work feels hard, but this is more of a symptom than the cause.Something else is going on, and it’s impacting how you feel about work. Bereavement, an empty nest, illness, relationship changes, menopause, all of these things (and so many more) can impact our well-being and how we feel about work.
If some of this is resonating with you, there are three key things you can do as next steps.
1. Listen to the podcast in full (it’s audio this week only - no youtube due to a tech issue!)
2. Come along TOMORROW (or sign up to get the recording) for my FREE Purpose Reset webinar where we’ll talk about how to build more purpose into everyday life, consider our values and avoid burnout. You’ll also find out more about the upcoming Purpose Pursuit programme.
3. If you’re already more than ready, sign up for my online coaching programme, The Purpose Pursuit, designed with this very question in mind. Doors close on 19th January and so time is running out to be part of this cohort!
It’s time to stop thinking about it, and to make a step towards a better 2025, with less Sunday Scaries and more Monday Hopefuls.
1 QUOTE
"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. It is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers."—M. Scott Peck
1 STAT
At any given time, about 30% of us are thinking about moving on from our current work
1 QUESTION
If nothing changes in your current situation, how will you feel a year from now?
Love,
Hannah x