Recently, I met with a group of other coaches and we got to talking about our different businesses. Life coach, business coach, corporate coach, NLP coach etc.
My first thought was “I could never be a corporate coach, everyone would end up quitting their jobs”.
It made me laugh so much!
Can you imagine? I’d get hired by the CEO of a company to coach his employees to be more effective in their jobs and then I’d encourage all of my clients to throw away their “safe” corporate careers to do something WAY more exciting and fulfilling, like…
Becoming a Feng Shui consultant
Moving to L.A to be an actress and photographer
Quitting accountancy to go travelling around the world
Starting an exciting new business
(These are all people I’ve supported or coached in some way)
I meet people all the time who hate their job but rather than help them wallow in their misery, I try and help them see the possibilities. What do you want to do instead? What’s your dream job?
Maybe you want more pay or less stress. You might want to get out of corporate life and do something much more fulfilling. Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to work for yourself.
Being in the wrong job can be soul destroying.
Life is infinitely more fun and exciting when you create it exactly the way you want it. And it CAN be done. For some, it will just take a snap decision and you’ll resign immediately. For others, it will require a slow and steady plan – maybe out of your current job into part time work for example.
I’ve had two friends dramatically quit their much hated corporate careers only to jump straight back into very similar environments just weeks later. Why? Because they didn’t have the support to change at a deep level. They didn’t believe their dreams were that realistic. One dear friend wants to be a writer and photographer. She’s a born creative, gifted with languages and yet buries that talent behind well-paid but soulless jobs. (She’s making a transition now and promised to write about it – look out soon)
How do you know if you’re ready?
If you’ve got a financial buffer, for example some savings or you have a supportive partner willing to bankroll you for 6 months, then go ahead and hand in your resignation NOW.
If you’re making yourself physically sick from going to work or you’re getting bullied or depressed from your job, then you should seriously consider changing jobs NOW.
However, if you don’t have the emergency cushion and your sanity is relatively intact, I wouldn’t recommend quitting just yet. The stress of paying your bills can suck the creativity right out of you and make it difficult to start from scratch.
But, start your apprenticeship now!
Most careers have a learning curve. I coached people for free before I felt confident charging clients for sessions. Most actors have to audition a lot before they land a big part. You can start your apprenticeship, even when you have a job you hate. At least you can feel like you’re doing something about it.
Put your website together, order some cheap business cards and start working for free. Get that experience and credibility you think you need. Just do something.
If you’re that serious about your dream, you will find time to do it, even if you have a crazy life. Stephen King wrote his first published novel on his lunch-break at the laundromat he worked at, but he had been writing for years, sending in short stories to magazines since he was in his teens.
So, if you’re sitting at work and longing to be somewhere else. I have some questions for you.
In the last month…
How many auditions have you been on?
How many photos have you taken and uploaded?
How many stories, blog posts or articles have you written?
How much study have you done towards your course or degree?
How many clients have you coached (even for free)?
How many classes or workshops have you run?
What books are you reading?
Who have you reached out to for advice?
How many speaking engagements have you done?
How many press releases have you sent about your new business?
How many customers have you got in front of?
What steps have you taken towards your dreams?
If the answer is zero, nothing, nada… you have to ask yourself “Do I really want this?”. Because you have to know deep in your heart that you are destined to do more than sit at that desk frustrated.
When you begin your apprenticeship, you will start to believe in your talents and the day will come (sooner than you think), when you can easily take the leap and start making money from your passions. It gives you the confidence to think “this is only temporary”.
Life feels a bit sweeter, you have something to look forward to at the end of the day and you don’t have the mental head-space to worry about your job.
And trust me – the universe always rewards action. You’ll start to attract opportunities, people, experiences and money to help you on your way. Life starts to get very exciting.
But seriously, don’t work with me if you’re comfortable, because it’s not fun for me to work with people who have a wishy washy approach to their dreams. Because if you HATE your job, I’m not going to listen to you whine about it and agree that “nothing can be done”.
It’s okay to be scared and not know what to do, but you have to take the first step and working with a coach can be an excellent way to move you forward.
I’m not going to make you quit your job, but I will help you come up with such an exciting dream for yourself and together we’ll put it into action. It will be a programme of practical steps but above all, learning to believe in yourself and know you deserve to live a fantastic life.
Please don’t spend another year hating your job. If you’re ready, find out more about my coaching programmes and we can start doing something about it.
Good luck!