Whether work is taking over your life, you’re not moving quickly enough up the ladder or you’ve reached a place where you no longer feel satisfied, there can be many reasons why you can start to feel out of control of your career. So before packing your bags and jumping ship, here are 5 steps to regain control of your career.
Focus on the things that you can control
List out all the areas in your career that you are feeling dissatisfied with and then split them into 2 columns: those things that are within in your control and those that aren’t. This allows you to identify in black and white what’s causing your dissatisfaction as well as helping you to recognise that there may be certain things that are going on in your work that are out of your control. By letting go of worrying about these things, it frees up your energy to start focusing those areas that you can control instead.
Start a journal
Journaling is a great way to instantly to release any pent up emotions and gain insight into your thoughts. You don’t have to commit to writing every day, but noting down how you’re feeling about work and life in general, even just once a week, will help you to build up a bigger picture of what’s going on with your career. It will also help you to recognise any reoccurring patterns or issues that may need your attention.
Take a break to EXPLORE what is it that you want
Weekends are never long enough to give you adequate space to switch off and really reflect, so why not use a few days of holiday, take some unpaid leave or even consider negotiating a sabbatical. Don’t place any expectation on finding the answer instantly, but dedicate the time to doing things you enjoy to give you the opportunity to start reconnecting with yourself. This will also help you to reenergize and gain a fresh perspective on things.
Put boundaries in place
Running out the house every morning, breakfast in hand or constantly checking emails from under your pillow can create a real sense of overwhelm. Establishing clearer boundaries around checking email, bringing your laptop home or working at weekends will help to stop work dominating your life and reduce the negative impact of those difficult days at the office. Creating more routine and discipline will also give you a greater sense of being in control and more time to focus on the bigger picture instead of getting caught up in the day to day.
Get yourself a mentor
A mentor is a great way to gain an outside perspective on you situation, providing you guidance and advice on how you can move forward. Look for someone who you respect, whether in or out of work, who has already reached a certain point in their career or has followed a path you’re interested in so that you can learn and gain insight from their own experience.
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PHOTO: Kayla Seah of Not Your Standard
Written by Hayley Wintermantle.