Article: I Need a New Job

Don't Wait Until You Feel Like This Guy
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My promise to you--read this article, do the exercise and you will experience a change in the way you look at or approach work life. You won't have all the answers; you will have new knowledge and insight to help begin the process of job or career change.

Feeling desperate. Need a change but don't know where to begin. Friends and family throwing advice at you but none of it helps.

You might even be annoyed with yourself. Your job's not that bad and you can't pinpoint what the problem is. Free-floating dissatisfaction and you need to get a handle on it. Where to begin seems incredibly frustrating.

If the above describes some of what you're feeling then keep reading and perform the Mind Acrobatics job exercise below. It won't take long, commits you to nothing and gives you vital information about what is either near the surface or buried down below in your subconscious.

Mind Acrobatics don't tell you what to do. They help provide insight and data that empowers you to become self-directed and consequently more satisfied. Knowing the 'inner you' makes change easier and ensures finding work and most things in life that suit you best.

If upon completion of the exercise, you have a question or concern, feel free to comment or email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

OK. If you're ready, let's begin.

Exercise: My Job - How Does it Affect Me?

Materials: two pieces of paper, pen or pencil, your favorite tunes and beverage of choice.

Time Needed: About 10 minutes.

Location: Any place you feel comfortable and won't be disturbed.

Exercise Part 1:

Turn on your favorite music.
Take five slow, deep breaths.
Begin writing in stream of consciousness (this means whatever comes to mind) about what you enjoy most about your job. Don't worry if you can't think of anything right away. Give yourself a bit of time. Take a break if needed.
After completing the above write your biggest concerns, challenges, fears, dislikes and possibly hates about your current position. Don't self-censor; put down whatever comes to mind. You're the only one reading this. Let loose.

Stop after you've finished your writing.

Great, you've just completed the first part of an exercise designed to help you begin the process of taking control of your work life by identifying factors that impact you. Relax for a couple of minutes, listen to your music, and when ready begin the next part of the exercise.

Exercise Part 2:

Take five slow, deep breaths.
Read over all the positives you wrote about your job. Think about them and try to recall one particularly enjoyable moment. How did you feel? Attempt to conjure up that sensation for a moment and enjoy it.
Now use the 2nd piece of paper. Divide it into thirds vertically.
On the top left put the word "Negative."
In the middle column put the phrase "How it Makes me Feel."
At the top of the third section put "How I'll Handle It!"
Take all the concerns you wrote on the first sheet and make a list of them running down the left-hand side of the paper under the "Negative" column.
Next, list the feelings associated with negative work-related situations under the middle column titled "How it Makes me Feel." (These might be, sad, depressed, unhappy, fearful, anxious, frustrated, etc.)

This next step will help you put everything into perspective.

For each item in the "How it Makes me Feel" column" write a thought about what you can do or how you can respond to the negative feeling in the "How I'll Handle It!" column.
Think about what you can do to turn that negative into a positive. If it's not possible to make it a positive, think about how you might change your way of thinking and responding to it. In life coach rhetoric we call this reframing. If you find you don't have an answer for a few of the items, leave them blank. It doesn't matter. It can take time to get used to exercises and introspection.

Congratulations on completing your first Mind Acrobatics exercise designed to help put work concerns into perspective. You've identified what feels good and what is causing job-related stress.

Armed with this newfound data mined from deep inside you'll find a more satisfying job and greater enjoyment in other areas of your life. You might even choose to do another one of the 100+ Mind Acrobatics exercises. They are all free and cover most aspects of living a happy and stress-reduced life.

I hope you found this article helpful and thanks for reading it.

Article previously published on the author's page on Medium.com

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