Get Off Your Butt and Out of the Rut

It's amazing to see so many people who are prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their careers.

I'm sure you know of someone like that. They get up at the crack of dawn, drag their weary bodies out of the house and head off for another exciting day at work. Ten or twelve hours later they head home totally exhausted with all their energy sapped from their body.

They might make the effort to find out how the rest of their family's day has been, even read their children a bed-time story. Finally after having something to eat, taking a hot shower or bath, they then veg out on the couch. They immerse themselves in the newspaper (again) or watch the news or some mindless television show (if they don't fall asleep beforehand).

And this is a common scenario for many people who work for someone else! I can understand it if you own your own business where there's so much extra pressure riding on you, yet to sacrifice so much for someone else???

The Solicitor

I met Jerry at the gym. He was telling me that for the past two years he has been working at a legal firm in the city. An average day commenced at 8.00 a.m. and finished at 7.00 p.m. Working weekends was common. Lunch breaks and time off were unheard of. This was the culture instilled at his company! No wonder staff turnover was high!

Here was a young man, only 25 years old, absolutely stressed to the max.

He felt he was on a rollercoaster and couldn't get off.

Clearing the Clutter

Jerry was so entrenched in his situation he couldn't clearly see what he could do. He felt powerless so did nothing.

I suggested to Jerry he write a list of all the options open to him. Some of these were:

Speak to his boss and work out a compromise.

*Plan his working day and be strict about the time he would leave each day. Take charge himself by starting later if he had to stay back. Or finish earlier if he had to commence work earlier. Learn to say 'no'.

Look for another job where they put their people first. (According to Jerry most legal firms treated their people the same way). See our newsletter Look After Your People and They Will Look After You Jerry really did know his options and just needed to have someone to confirm what he already knew (and ask a few hard questions).

So what did Jerry do?

He spoke with his boss who agreed to a compromise. Unfortunately that only lasted two weeks and Jerry found himself in the same situation.

He did what he knew deep down he should have done months ago but couldn't be bothered doing as it was more pressure in his life. He allowed time to go job-hunting. I suggested he use our weekly planner so he could plan his week effectively with the key focus on finding a new position.

He contacted everyone he knew and told them about his situation. Jerry scoured the internet for vacancies and the weekend papers. He invested time and energy into his own life. Within three weeks he had a new position handling legal matters in a medium sized business (not a legal practice).

By taking action Jerry moved forward. He got himself organised and focussed and took control of his life. He realised he had the power to make the change.

Are you holding yourself back? Is it time for you to stop drowning and start swimming?

5 Ways to Get Off Your Butt and Out of the Rut

#1 Make a list of what you'd like to change. (eg. Change job, lose weight, find a partner)

#2 Prioritise which item on that list is the most important and write no. 1 next to it. Continue numbering the rest of the items.

#3 Look at the first item and prepare a list of the possible solutions. (e.g. Change job - contact everyone I know and see if they know of any openings. Contact companies I'd like to work for. Start my own business - attend a small business course)

#4 Decide which of those solutions is the first one to take action on. (e.g. Change job - contact everyone I know and see if they know of any openings)

#5 Act! (e.g. Phone or email everyone you know and make sure you follow up)

The Final Word

Whatever is happening in your life it is all down to you. If you're happy and content with both your work and home life that's fantastic.

If you're not, then maybe it's time you got off your butt and out of your rut. You can either do nothing or take action. The choice is yours.

Lorraine Pirihi, principal of The Office Organiser is Australia's Personal Productivity Coach. She specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life.

---

?How to Look Your Best in a Down Economy?

As you know too well ~ many jobs have been... Read More

Get That Job: Mastering Job Interviews

I've heard it said?in fact, it might well have been... Read More

What Everybody Ought To Know About How To Change Their Career or Profession and Still Survive...

Dr. Denis Waitley, trainer of leaders, including Super Bowl and... Read More

The Top 10 Reasons to have a Career Coach

Many people in the last decade have experienced for themselves... Read More

Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You?

PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially... Read More

Think About a Nursing Degree

If you decide to get a degree in nursing, there... Read More

Resurgence of the Time Sheet: Why You Should Write Down Your Workday Activities

One day I walked into my boss's office and said,... Read More

How to Crash - Proof Your Job Search

Think you have the speed, endurance, and know-how to fix... Read More

What To Do

Ever had that perfect life when everything seems perfect yet... Read More

Experience Hear-See-Do

Research indicates that we retain only 10% of what we... Read More

Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute, Part 1 of 2

Are you desperately trying to find a telecommute job so... Read More

Make a Good Living Doing What You Love

Don't let anyone talk you into going to college when... Read More

Revitalize Your Recruiting for 2005

Happy New Year! The forecasts are in agreement: Hiring is... Read More

What is Workers Compensation Fraud

What is FraudFraud occurs when a person knowingly or intentionally... Read More

Salary Negotiation: How To Earn More Money and Respect From Your Employer

Despite how important fair pay is to most of us,... Read More

Where Do I Go From Here?

Making Your Future Work Better For YouIt's the commonest concern... Read More

Jesse And Al Should Read This!

Instead of getting all bent out of shape over innocuous... Read More

Job Hunting Tips: Organizing Your Attack

Looking for work is an energy-devouring ordeal, often leading to... Read More

Focus On White-Collar Crime: Accounting Fraud and Computer Crimes Creates Need; Qualified Investing

An epidemic of white-collar financial crime has resulted in the... Read More

Aptitude Tests Reveal the Difference Between Your Aptitude & Ability

Aptitude tests measure your skills, abilities, values, interests and personality... Read More

Career Transitions : Fearless Flyers

You may have read one of my previous articles on... Read More

Adapting To Change In A Changing World

Have you learnt a new skill or improved upon your... Read More

Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love

Tough words... but I truly believe that folks who make... Read More

10 Steps to Getting the Most Out of Job Fairs

Many job seekers tend to overlook job fairs. They can... Read More

Are You Taking Your Inner Brat to Work?

Is your inner brat taking over your job? Everyone has... Read More

I Just Lost My Job: How Am I Going To Tell My Kids?

One of the responsibilities of a human resources professional is... Read More

Do You Need A Mentor? And How Do You Find One?

Whether you're self-employed or you work for someone else, you're... Read More

Career Advice On Freelance Writing Jobs

Sometimes the freelance writing jobs available are those that no... Read More

7 Steps to Effective Communication

The success of any business or organization depends largely on... Read More

The 10-Step Resume Critique

Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan... Read More

Sample Cover Letters ... The Hidden Pitfalls

You can benefit from sample cover letters as they can... Read More

Free Resume Examples: Use Them, But Dont

There are lots of free resume examples (or free resume... Read More

Working with Recruiters: 5 Critical Words for Candidates

As professional recruiters working both retained and contingency search assignments,... Read More