You Can Learn Great Things From Your Mistakes When You Aren't Busy Denying Them

I can’t stand this workplace, the environment is negative, the workers are unhappy, the customers are ghetto and classless.

The Store Director has a chip on his shoulder.

It’s a very political place.

~Worker Living in California

When we are clear of what is not working for us in our jobs, we are half-way there.  We know what we don’t like.  We know not to put ourselves in that type of work situation in the future.

There is something about your current job that you do not like.  What is it?  Just name one thing that you don’t like.  Sometimes just naming it helps.

  Try not to forget what that one thing is so you don’t end up back dealing with that one thing again in another job down the road (out of desperation or just forgetting what was not working). There is something that this work situation is trying to teach you, learn it so you don’t have to repeat it down the road.

When Writing The Story Of Your Life Don't Let Anyone Else Hold The Pen

It is a sales job and I’m interested in the marketing side, specifically market research. My current sales job has heavily increased the amount of merchandising I do, and I feel that I didn’t go to college to do something I did as a teenager for a summer job.

My boss also enjoys taking responsibility for big sales I make. 

I often work 8am to 8pm while being asked why I didn’t get to all my stores. My superiors play a game of willful ignorance about customer level issues that cause all the sales reps to work long, unpaid overtime (which is illegal-they’re getting sued for this) because their hands seem tied in terms of covering their own “butts”.  Even talking to them about any technical issues in the slightest results in a response of: “I don’t understand. I don’t see how that could be” and me slamming my head against the wall.

Our territories in the past two years have become overly large due to not replacing old territories and we’re still pushed to do what 2.5 sales reps could barely handle two years ago.

Other members of my company come into my territory and screw things up with my hot leads by trying to sell without me, often claiming sales while not actually ever speaking to the decision maker, and then I have to defend myself later when the sale never comes through.  

I’m surrounded by work 24/7 because our selling displays are in my house.  I work from home and go into the field every day.  I have files and boxes all over my house.  

The Monday-Friday article you wrote perfectly describes my life every week, and I need time to learn SPSS and other statistics programs to make a change. However, since my life revolves around this job I have a hard time finding time to work on my skills.

~Worker Living in Wisconsin

We all have a work story. 

You have a work story for this job and every job you have ever had.  A story has a beginning, middle and an ending. 

How do you want this job to end?  When do you want this job to end? This job WILL end and you can help orchestrate its ending the way you want it to end.

Maybe You Don't Have To Push Yourself Forward. Maybe You Just Have To Stop Holding Yourself Back. ~Doe Zantamata

I’ve been there too long, going nowhere; in fact I’m going backwards.

Work has affected my mood.

~Worker Living in South Africa

Sometimes not only are we not going forward but we are going backwards.

We are losing ground.

If you are going backwards, it’s time to stop and regroup.  What do you need to do today to stop this slide backwards?

Never Forget Who Was There For You When No One Else Was...Find Support

I am sick to death of my job.

I’ve been through a crisis and my work city is not where my support networks are.

~Worker Living in the United Kingdom

At the end of the day we need support. We need others to be there for us.

 We need someone we can trust to talk things over with.  We need a system or a network of support. 

 Today, cultivate your support system. Find one safe person in your life and talk to them about what is going on at the job. If you can’t find one person then trust yourself…say: ”I can trust myself.  I can support myself.  Everything will be okay.  I will get through this.”

Learn To Balance A Dream And A Job Until Your Dream Becomes Your Job

I lose a lot of time on work and cannot pursue my interests which in turn cannot be created into a career that I want to create it into.

So, it is a vicious cycle of making ends meet so that we have some money to pursue what we really like, but lose time for pursuing the things we truly like. And we get back in the cycle of earning more money and trading time.

~Worker Living in New Jersey

Yes, there is a cycle of doing what we are doing to make money verses having the time to do what interests us.

We have to find balance between the two. 

We have to look around at our life, make sure we are in balance and pursuing our interests.

 

P.S.

Below is a pretty interesting post about finding balance and doing something now towards your interest/dreams even while you are stuck in your day job.

HOW TO START OVER Post 

If You Always Do What You Always Did You'll Always Get What You Always Got ~ Einstein

I have been looking for another job for the past 5 years.

I have done at least 2-4 interviews a year and still haven’t gotten another job.

I’ve been burnt out from my current job for the past three years (I’ve been at my current job for 9 years).

We recently changed companies and the new management has been hard to deal with. More than 5 managers have left on their own just within the past 5 months.

I try to go in with positivity but it always quickly turns into negativity due to the lack of communication and the style of management.

~Worker Living in South Carolina

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

We need to listen to the messages that are coming to us. 

We can’t keep doing the same things and hoping and praying for a different result.  If what we have been doing is not working we need to do something different that we haven’t tried before.

1. Should we be looking for another j-o-b?

2. Should it be in a different industry?

3. Should we be at a point we can freelance or consult?

4. Should we update our interview skills? (Here are some great tips from The Ladders)

If what we have been doing has not been working then we need to switch it up.

Once You Make A Decision The Universe Conspires To Make It Happen - Emerson

I’ve already made the decision.

No growth.

Dead end.

I give more than I receive.

No respect.

Company is too small.

~Worker Living in North Carolina

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, ask yourself: Do I need to quit this job?

It’s a yes or no answer.

No big deal, just a decision.

Make it.

You are not deciding “when” or “how” to quit; you are only deciding “if” you need to quit.

Who Am I? Ask Yourself That Over & Over Again.

I am quitting my job because my boss is disrespectful to all his employees.

He has no problem belittling and embarrassing us in front of the patients and he is just rude in general.

I am constantly stressed, always in a sour mood and have gained 15 pounds since I started there three months ago.

I do not have another job lined up but I feel that for the sake of my mental and physical health this is the best solution.

~Worker Living In Wisconsin

Today, take a good long look in the mirror and ask yourself;

“Who am I?” 

Ask that same question over and over and over again while looking at yourself in the mirror.  This will help you determine your next move.

P.S.

To provide you with a little help to recognize who you are once you get beyond your name, title, stuff you have, your ego…

• OSHO’s thoughts on the subject are here.
• Kate Tempest take is below.

Stop Struggling To Figure Out Why You Are Stuck In Your Job

I am stuck in an abusive job.

I love the job itself but my immediate boss is a megalomaniac and sociopath who wants everything done how he would do it, but with the added benefit of shirking accountability for anything that is instigated by him.

He keeps me in hours and hours of useless meetings just to find fault with my hard work which until now was always praised by others.To him, everyone is stupid and useless except him and he verbalizes this frequently.

His boss is so paranoid of losing his job that he doesn’t care how anyone is affected by seemingly arbitrary decisions that invariably affect us negatively. The final straw was a recent demotion for which not a shred of an acceptable rationale was given.

No guidance from either manager, just impossible timelines, expectations and harsh criticism.

~Worker Living in Canada

Today stop struggling to make sense out of why you are stuck in this job.  Struggling to figure out why you are working for your boss.

You know there is a reason. 

You know there is a lesson.

You didn’t do anything to deserve to be stuck here.

You deserve more.

Just be patience because better is on the way for you.

Dancing Towards The Sunlight

I used to really like my job at the local phone company…I started working there in my 20s; great salary, union job with benefits. Over the past 26 years the company has become so corporate with its mergers and micromanaging. The stress is unreasonable and now with the new monitoring equipment, every key stroke is looked at.

Working in an environment that fosters creativity is no longer an option; you are just a number and are never heard. Bottom line is I hate my job. HATE with a passion. 

I leave work and my shoulders are so tight because I feel like I’m always hurrying up to do my job to make my numbers. Customers only matter in as much as the amount of revenue generated.

Corporate America goes against the very fabric of who I am: creative, passionate, and curious. So, I’m quitting!!

I’m giving up all of the financial perks of working there and decided to DO WHAT I LOVE. Life is too short. I’ll be 50 in a few weeks and want to enjoy what I do….I want to be creative….I want to make a difference in the world.

I am seeking employment in the nonprofit business sector and couldn’t be happier.

I feel as though I’m emerging from some hot, sticky, murky pond of goo and dancing toward the sunlight.

Thank you for sharing what you did….funny how we are given surprising gifts in life at just the right time.

~Worker Living in Pennsylvania

 

You too can emerge from the “hot, sticky, murky pond of goo and dance towards the sunlight”.

You might feel stuck, but it’s not cement that you are in – it is goo.

To let come the sunlight you have to let go of what is keeping you stuck in the goo.

Feel Broken? Feel Stressed? Feel That; Then Put Yourself Together & Fly Away

My health has been declining from the stress. I cry almost every day. The stress has become unbearable.

I want to have time again to relax and to rediscover myself without stress surrounding everything I do. The stress at my job currently follows me everywhere so it’s hard to just have fun outside of work even.

I also want to make a career change and want to narrow down what I’d like to do (I am pretty sure I want to become a programmer or web developer.)

I feel broken and want to feel whole again.

~Worker Living in Colorado

Emotional stress can make us feel broken. 

It can make us not find pleasure in anything. 

We can put ourselves back together. We WILL put ourselves back together one piece at a time. We will not let this job break us down, not today.

Don't Think You Can Hold On? You Can...Just Hold On...

I hate my job. I dread going into work every morning, and I am always looking for an excuse to get out of work. It’s not that I don’t like the actual job itself, but I don’t like the management style, or the environment that I’m in.

My boss, who I used to think was a great boss, is actually a terrible manager.

I don’t know how much longer I can last.

~Worker Living in Canada

A part of getting through the “Just Quit” process is to learn to wait.  To hold on.  Even though “Just Quit” is about letting go; you have to hold on until you are SURE that you need to let go. 

Today, just hold on.

• Hold on to the fact that you have come this far. 
• Hold on to the fact that you are not alone.
• Hold on to the fact that you KNOW you will survive this. 
• Hold on to the fact that one day you will look back on this time in your life and be able to share your story with someone about how to make it through a job that they need to “Just Quit”.

For today, just hold on.

Take Your Monday's BACK...Sunday's TOO!

I start to dread Monday morning at 9:30 am Sunday morning.

I’m ill all the time due to the stress.

I’ve not been healthy for over a year.

The job is pointless and there is no satisfaction at all. I’m not appreciated. In fact, I believe I’m being actively encouraged to leave and I’m disliked by my boss.

~Worker Living in the United Kingdom

Monday mornings are the worst.

The absolute worst.

We already know this, so instead of dreading it, just “feel it”.  Feel how HORRIBLE you feel on Sunday’s as you anticipate Monday’s.  What is happening in your body?  What are you thinking?

NOW — how many more Sunday’s and Monday’s are you going to go through this?  When will this end? It’s up to you. Really IT is up to you.

  You can DECIDE to “Just Quit”. You can decide to create a plan to get out of this situation. You can not only ENJOY Monday mornings; but EVERY Monday morning.

It’s a radical thought, but it’s true.

Fear + Anger + Hate = Suffering. Stop Suffering & Work Your "Just Quit" Plan

I wake up dreading the coming day.

I feel mentally drained after work and can’t concentrate on anything. I feel physically sick/anxious.

I’m sick of taking sh*t from other people that think they are entitled to it because they are above me on the corporate ladder. Every single day I want to grab them by the ears and knee them in the face.

~Worker Living in Finland

Today, acknowledge that you may be angry and may feel rage but that you will not be violent.

If you think of violent things to do to anyone at work, recognize that that is not the answer.

You can be kind to yourself and acknowledge that you might have reason to think these thoughts, but don’t act on them.  Instead work your “Just Quit” plan and leave this job gracefully.

Say "Yes" To Yourself. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I have my own business that cannot thrive or grow without me devoting more time to it. It has gotten to the point where the things that need to be done for my business require more time and more effort. I am so drained from my job during the day, that I lack the energy to want to do anything else. In truth the time is there I am just worn out.

I also no longer enjoy what I do because I am being overwhelmed by too many unrelated job tasks. I feel that now that it is just me and one other person there are 9-5 responsibilities that shouldn’t necessarily be mine, but have become my duty.

I don’t feel that I am good at graphic design and having the pressure of doing something that I don’t think that I am good at is stressful. This isn’t what I signed up for and I have the skill but it’s not an area where I excel, so I feel like the pressure of my work not being good enough.

 My job title is Project Manager but I have no team to manage or assist with anything, everything is on me.

~Worker Living in New Jersey

Our first duty is to ourselves.

Today, we will focus on what WE want.

It's A New Year - Focus On Taking Care Of Yourself This Year

I don’t like my job.

I don’t like the people I work with.

It is taking away my happiness mentally and physically. My job is causing me issues in my marriage, and with my immediate family.

I feel stuck, depressed, and unable to take care of myself.

~Worker Living in Oregon

We can take care of ourselves. 

Sometimes we are the only ones who can take care of our situations.  As much as we want someone to step in and figure it out for us, sometimes that someone is only us. 

We are able to figure this out. We will get through this.  We will survive it.

Claim Your Freedom & Move Towards What You Want To Do In Life

I’m quitting because my current job gives me anxiety.

I hate teaching and planning lessons.

I don’t see myself doing this the rest of my life so why should I stick this out the rest of the year.

~Worker Living in North Carolina

Claim your freedom to move forward with your decision to “Just Quit”.

If you know this is not the job or career that you want for the rest of your life, so it’s just a matter of time before you make a change. 

Today move towards that change.

Speak Up For Things That Matter. Say Something. Do Something.

I don’t like the customers. 

There are too many weird and/or dangerous incidents.

I am feeling burned out and I am tired of doing the same thing all the time.

~Worker Living in Illinois

Today, speak up if there are unsafe working conditions.

No Soul. No Joy. No Reason. That Is How Today's Workers Feel.

Because I have no soul, no joy, no reason to maintain this equilibrium anymore.

~Worker Living in California

Today, find your soul, find your joy and find your reason for being.

Another Work Monday On Your Current Job...Two Down...50 More To Go...

I’ve survived in an incredibly difficult and low paying job that’s affecting my health, has left me filled with rage and depression for the past two years, and shows every sign of getting worse.

The people I work for have proven to be distrust-worthy on more than one occasion. They constantly employ bad business ethics and bully anyone who stands up to them. For instance: it is routine to deny minimum wage workers legal overtime pay for many overtime hours worked on a WEEKLY BASIS. I am in a management position, and have tried to curtail these practices with every plea–short of filing a federal wage claim (which I was also bullied about)–to no avail.

My family has pleaded for me to leave this job because it has left me completely isolated, emotionally and physically unwell, beyond stressed, and very angry to be unable to stop corrupt business practices.

Also, did I mention I’m working in the food services industry?

Oh, and I’m also barely making above minimum wage myself.  I’m uncompensated for overtime hours worked, and I’m not allowed my basic benefits or raises at all because apparently “the franchise doesn’t have money”.

I’m also no longer able to work a set schedule, and I’m never allowed to request a day off for illness, family matters, or otherwise, in two years of work–which makes scheduling an interview difficult. 

~Worker Living in Arizona

You can make decisions that are right for you and right for others. 

You can make decisions that you feel good about. 

You cannot control everything that is happening on this job that is wrong, but you can document it.  If you want to you could take it up as a cause and start a non-profit.  

You can do anything that you put my mind to…can’t you?

P.S.

This year work your “Just Quit” Plan so that the next 50 Monday’s aren’t like last years 52 Monday’s…enough already….forget feeling stuck and hopeless…PLAN, PLAN, PLAN

YOLO - You Only Live Once & Then You DIE...In Memory of Connie

I hate it.

I feel like I’m wasting my life.

There are so many things I want to do, but I don’t have the time or energy because of my job.

What if I only live once?

~Worker Living in Ohio

 

This is a plaque I made to remind myself to live each day fully…it’s a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh

This is the only life that we are SURE that we will have.

We are living it right now…our lives…we need to PRETEND like we will only live once.

Now, what will you do today if this is it…all there is…this life…right now?

P.S.

I few years ago I texted my friend Connie to make sure she was okay.  She wasn’t. She was dying. I remember talking to her friends and family who were at her bedside and they told me that she wasn’t expected to make it through the weekend.  

Death is real.  It is coming for each of us. Each and every day that we wake up and “pretend” all of the crap in our lives is important.   It’s not.  We know it’s not, but we keep on pretending. 

As I reminisce about my long-time friend Connie and how much she taught me by how she lived her life FULLY…FULL OUT…nothing stopped her…nothing…nothing…nothing. Honestly I don’t even know if her dying from cancer really STOPPED her because of the impact she made on my life and many other lives.  

We have all had Connie’s in our lives…teachers, mentors, big brother, big sister, showing us the way, giving us advice, asking about our progress, cheering us on, showing us the possibilities, being our true friends in this life…you know the type of people who you know you were destined to meet along your journey…those are the Connie’s… 

…So…Connie is gone and one day so will I and so will you. That is real. As real as life will ever get. 

So Live Fully…FULL OUT

P.P.S.

As my reminder at 2:14 p.m. EST on January 11, 2015 I got the call from Connie’s husband that she had died that morning. 

 

What Is The Point Of Faking Happiness When You Can "Be" Happy?

I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m not happy every day. I don’t enjoy going to work. I’m my happiest when I’m not at work.

I’m tired of being other people’s crutch to do whatever they want me to do. I need to be my own person.

What’s the point of faking happiness when there’s real happiness to be found and experienced? I need to be out of my comfort zone for once to kick myself in the *ss to do something for myself professionally.

~Worker Living in Canada

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, ask yourself if you can ever be happy in this job.  

Not, are you faking happiness and making others BELIEVE that you are happy; but are you really happy or could you be? 

If the answer is no; then you need to get out of your comfort zone and take some actions TODAY.

Lose and Find Yourself In The Things That You Love

I am miserable every day.

I hate going to work on Monday’s.

I hate that I never see my husband.

I hate my hours and I hate my customers.

~Worker Living in Pennsylvania

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Naming what we hate helps us determine what we love.

If you hate that you never see your spouse; then you know you need a job or opportunity that will allow you to be with them.

Don’t stop at just “hating”; balance it out with what you love.  Naming what you love will lead you to a lifestyle that includes what you love.

It's Time To Get Back To A Normal Life

The job is poisoning every aspect of my life and makes it impossible to live a normal life let alone look for another job.

~Worker Living in Canada

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

If  you feel like your job is poisoning every aspect of your life and you can’t live a normal life you will have to figure out EXACTLY what the poison pill is. 

Is it the job itself, your manager, the politics, the industry, the commute, the workload, or the hours? 

In order for you to get the poison out of your system you need to know EXACTLY what you are dealing with.  Once you have determined the poison then, you need to find a way to remedy it.

How do you get back to a normal life if things are out of whack?

See Things Differently...Look For The Possibilities...

I would like to have the chance to explore independent consultancy with more flexibility and a chance to work on more varied projects.

~Worker Living in Nigeria

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, is there any space and time for you to work on some other projects that interest you — even if they aren’t currently assigned to you? 

Can you take a project that you’re working on to the next level or in a different direction? 

If those opportunities aren’t there in this job, do you have enough energy during your time off to explore freelance opportunities – no matter how small they might be – just to give you some different types of projects to work on?

P.S.

Google Freelance Opportunities…at a minimum you need to have or develop the skills to be ABLE to work freelance gigs.

If You're Feeling Trapped In Your Job...Admit It & Live Differently This Year

I feel trapped in an endless cycle with no end.

~Worker Living in New York

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, ask yourself if you feel trapped in your job, at your organization, with your team, at the location you work, or working for your boss.

 It’s a yes or no answer –

DO YOU FEEL TRAPPED?   

P.S. (This is for all the people out there looking for a link, or a video, or ANOTHER inspirational quote.)

NOBODY is going to give you the answer to the above question.  Stop looking for other people to figure this out for you.  Stop beating yourself up about the situation you are in.  Stop lying to yourself about it. Just face it. Stare it down.  Look at it.  It is what it is.  Take a good long look at your work situation, because until you face it you’ll STAY stuck for ANOTHER year.

You CAN get un-stuck this year.  You MUST get un-stuck this year. Step-by-Step you can do this.  Yeah YOU can wake up and WANT to JUMP out of bed. Why NOT you?

P.P.S.

If you’ve read this far…put your hand over your heart…leave it there until you can feel your heart beating. (It might take a minute to tune in and feel the beating…you might even have to close your eyes to focus in.)

Now, this is your reminder that you are alive.  You are still alive.

STOP EXISTING & LIVE!!!

 

Work-Life Balance Starts Within...Make Sure What You Think, Say & Do Are In Harmony

I have no work life balance, however, I still don’t have time to do my work properly.

~Worker Living in Malta

Finding balance starts within.

Today, find balance within yourself.  

Ask for balance in both your inner and outer world. Ask for a sense of peace within. 

New Year Set Boundaries - Decide What You Will NOT Do On Your Job

My current job forces me to act the opposite of my values.

~Worker Living in Singapore

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, be true to yourself.

Clarify your values and what is important to you.

Set boundaries of what you will and will not do on this job.

Another Year...Monday's Coming...Alarm Clock...Feeling Like A Robot? There Is Another Way...Celebrating Life

I just know I am not where I am supposed to be. I need to be doing something else.

My life cannot and should not be boiled down to the repetitive robotic tasks I complete each day.

I believe in a higher purpose. I refuse to sell my soul, my hours, my relationships, and my all, for sustenance. It’s just not right. I quit.    

~Worker Living in Lebanon

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Today, remember you are not a robot.  You are not a machine.  You are a person and you have feelings, relationships and a soul.  

Do not allow this job to take away your essence.

When you begin to feel like your tasks are robotic in nature, remember that you do have control over your thoughts while you are performing  mind-numbing tasks, and because of that,  you ARE in control of my life.

 

Gratitude Changes The Game...Play To Win...

I am not suited for the role. The constant criticism has created lack of confidence and I feel it dipping every day.

I don’t like my boss even though I think he has done as much if not more for me to help me.

It’s hard to find time to interview with other companies. The constant stress and hatred towards what I do is affecting my personal relationship. I have been a horrible girlfriend constantly whining and complaining.

~Worker Living in Massachusetts

You are reading from the book “Just Quit” & Live

Being grateful changes the game.

You can’t be grateful and miserable at the same moment.

Just focus on being grateful for one thing. It’s a start.

When you focus on gratitude it is a fertile ground for more things to grow that you can be grateful for.