Clutter affects our physical space and then oftentimes gets us stuck in many areas of our lives. And most of us experience that feeling of being stuck in our careers.
So I invited minimalist and career coach Emmy to give us some insights on how to get unstuck in our careers. If you are in that stage of your life where you feel stuck, don’t know what to do next, or something happened that compels you to change something, this discussion is for you.
Let’s navigate that weird time in our lives and stay organized in the process!
Listen to the podcast:
How do you know you’re stuck?
It will be different for every person, but most of the time, it is when you feel frustrated because you cannot move forward. Whether that’s a career, relationships, home, etc. It could also be financial constraints. Financial obligations often hinder us from pivoting into another venture that we are passionate about. Sometimes you won’t even know you’re stuck until you’ve seen an alternative. Or you could get a gut feeling. But whatever it looks like for you, the underlying theme of feeling stuck is that humans are designed to be either green and growing, or we are ripe and rotting.
The danger of being stuck
One may think that being stuck is just a random emotional phase, but it actually affects your well-being and it is usually a signal that something needs to change. You would feel:
Burnout. Anger, resentment, and stress will start to build up in your body and it would make you physically unwell. Burnout is having too much going on and we are overwhelmed. Meanwhile, you could be…
Bore out. It is being bored, disengaged, not fully showing up, and disconnected. The problem with bore out is you just stop caring and you don’t bring your whole self into what you do. You just do it because you “have to.”
A person spends an average of 90,000 hours of work in their lifetime. Imagine wasting a thousand of your life’s hours disengaged, angry, or frustrated. That’s why being stuck is dangerous!
Getting unstuck: the first steps
If you look at the pie chart of your life, how big do you want your working life to be? You don’t have to leave your job in an instant, but you can start by expanding your life in other areas like travel, relationships, social life, etc.
You don’t have to take instant drastic changes especially if you have certain constraints. Taking step by step, responsible changes are sustainable. Remember that progress is better than perfection!
Identify your values
If you are able to find work that aligns with your values, you will be happier. Do you take the importance of integrity? Authenticity? Organizational structure? Variety?
Because looking at your values is looking at how you can spend your time, money, energy, and space in a way that is more fulfilling to you. And you can quantify how happy you feel by counting how many of your values are in alignment with the work that you do.
For example, you can be more content when you apply your value of organization to your work ethic. Or you can work for companies that align with your value for sustainability.
So in order to figure out your next move, identify your values or what’s important to you first.
How to stay organized while transitioning
Baby steps.
Getting out of the ‘stuck’ feeling is a process. Like sustainable organizing, you can maintain progress by having some steps to follow. If you are trying to make changes in a particular area, take two to three things first then make them small and tangible. It could be as simple as finding a coach, working out your values, or job searching that aligns with your values.
Have a tracker.
This way, you can track your progress and celebrate your milestones. Seeing that you have applied for 20 jobs this week it’s a reassurance that you’re making efforts to change your situation!
Get accountability.
You can have somebody to check in on you and keep you accountable for what you promised to do for yourself. It could be your partner, friend, parent, coach, or yourself.
Soft landing job
It is getting out of something toxic. It may look as simple as parental leave, going to a new place, working up on your confidence to do something, finding another alternative job, etc. The thing is just to get out of something that has been bad for you. Like a breather. It is a good step forward if you are still struggling to figure out what to do next.
Declutter.
In making any kind of transition in your life, clear any sort of clutter first. Whether that’s your mind, physical space, career, relationships, etc. The philosophy of decluttering is we need to clear the clutter to create space for growth. The same thing goes for our careers!
Take the first step in your decluttering journey
About Emmy Petersson
Emmy is a career coach and minimalist with a love of travel and adventure. She is passionate about helping mid-career professionals unlock what’s next in their careers to truly enjoy and connect with the value they add. She also works with organizations to help train and support their team members to grow and align their career paths.
Emmy is a certified coach who has worked with people in transition between career changes, countries, or challenging life situations since 2013.
She enjoyed a varied career of different roles herself and knows firsthand how rewarding it is when you find the place that’s right for you.
Get a free career consultation and checklist on her website: thebridgecoaching.com.au