This week’s blog theme has been happiness; where do you deserve more and how can you get it? I’ve discussed how to deal with people who feel stuck in their position in work or school, how to abandon the idea of boredom, and questioned if Americans are spending enough time at one job to master it. When you’ve been searching for a job in your career for the last six months, it might be hard to have positive thoughts about your career choice. When you’ve been doing the same monotonous task for the last 3 years or have been struggling in a new job since your first day, it might be hard to feel happy about what you do for a living.
So, when do you know when you need to demand something more from your job and how do you move forward?
- Assess: If you’ve been on the job search for a long time with no luck, maybe it’s time to open your mind to other options. What makes you happy? What is something you’ve always wanted to try? Should you go back to school? If you’ve been on the job for a short or long time without any joy, you could be in the wrong field or with the wrong company. Even in a tough job market, you can be searching for alternatives.
- Expand: If you’ve been at the same job for a long time or are unhappy with the job you just entered, you can enhance your work life by choosing a second career. In the article, “Earnings and Yearnings: Meet the Slashers,” “slashers” share their insights on having a work life that’s split between two careers, like computer geek/comedian, corporate recruiter/water aerobics instructor, or PR coordinator/horror writer. Slashers have two careers so they can transition easily into another job, have a job to fall back on, and have a “diversified” portfolio.
- Reinvent: What makes you happy? What doesn’t make you happy? How can you balance these out? Write down one goal you have to increase your happiness quotient and make one step toward making it a reality today.
The state of our economy may make you feel like you have more restraints than you’ve ever experienced. But there are still many options that can make you money and keep you happy. What can you do to have a happier outlook on your career? What is something you enjoy doing? Is there an opportunity for it to become a second career?
