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.

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.

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.

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?

A New Year Is Coming...Get Un-Stuck...

I’m fed up with the crappy dead-end life of 60 hour work weeks in a field I never wanted to have anything to do with.

~Worker Living in CANADA ALBERTA OIL COUNTRY

Today, we have to admit that we got stuck for whatever reason.

We got stuck in a job, a profession, a city, an industry…stuck. We don’t have to STAY stuck. We’re adults.  We make decisions everyday about a host of things.

Today get un-stuck.  Make the decision to “Just Quit” & Live.  You might not know when or how but decide to get un-stuck. Watch what happens…the universe gives a collective sigh and says…FINALLY…

Use Your Gifts. Use Your Talents. Start Today.

I work in a call center in collections and I’m a middle-aged mother of three.  I am not doing very well at my job because I don’t enjoy talking a lot. Every morning before I go to work I have butterflies in my stomach.  Am I going to do a good job or not? I ask myself why I can’t be a multi-tasker just like other people. Taking notes at the same time while I am offering payment options.

I am job hunting and studying part-time. Basically I am a god gifted artist (oil landscapes, sketches, portraits, etc.). I always wonder how can I  make a living out of that profession.

Every evening after work I pray that tonight could be my last day at work, but I don’t have another job, so I don’t quit. Even if I quit will I get benefits? 

By reading your article I felt like this was my story.

~Worker Living In Canada

We are all gifted.  We all have gifts.  We either know what those gifts are or we don’t. Life is giving us clues all the time about our unique talents and gifts. Sometimes we make the connection and sometimes we don’t. 

Even when we KNOW our gifts and talents we don’t think we can make a living out of using them.  If we know our gifts and natural talents we need to start using them. 

If you are a “god-gifted artist” then you should do your art. 

If you are a dancer then you should dance. 

If you are a singer then you should sing.

Then we ask; how am I going to support myself doing these things?  Answer:  one painting; one dance and one song at a time…just start using your gifts today.

Self Respect Means Knowing and Doing What Is Best For You

I’m tired of being taken advantage of and disrespected.

I’m tired of working my a** off for minimum wage and pouring my heart into a franchise I can’t change. Along with a penny pinching boss that defines cheap. (Broken furnace gets space heaters).

~Worker Living in CANADA  

Today I will show respect.  I will start with showing myself respect.

One of the universal truths; no matter who you are, where you were born, your race, your color or any other social factors is that ALL people want respect. They want to be treated with dignity and feel like they count.  The only problem is that not everyone knows or understands that universal truth.

You cannot respect others if you don’t respect yourself.

Just for this day respect yourself. Move through your day fully aware of your emotions (feelings) and your needs (physical, social, and emotional). It will start to amaze you as you focus on respecting yourself first and others second;  how the universe around you picks up on it and your outlook and situation starts to improve.

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

Are You "Stepping In" To Fill A Role At Work? Maybe It's Time To Step Back.

I was hired as a Product Mgr. (PM) in a start up with a sound value proposition. I have responsibility to enhance it.

Part of my expectation is that I want to focus on PM, and I was told that they were hiring a VP of Eng. Although the title seemed too lofty, it satisfied my condition that there is a design execution counterpart to my role, so I can focus on the role I want to fulfill.

The Eng. Mgr. did not work out.  After three months of my happy period where I was delivering good work products (not results yet) for the team, I was thrusted into having to add engineering mgmt. to my role. I have the experience to do it, and I am doing it well. But it was not my intent.

Upon two reviews, my CEO advises that he does not want me to ‘help’ with engineering, be engineering or be PM, but don’t confuse the two. There has been a Programme Manager, who played some Eng. Mgr. role, but it was never clear to me what he did before my (and the eng mgr.) time. He is some sort of stakeholder, so I am unsure if he wants to lay back a bit, or has no interest to handle the engineering role, for which I became absorbed, but I was told I need to clarify my boundaries.

I can do the engineering mgr. role but it is not what I want to do – it was clear in my application process. They made a bad hire, and I stepped in to help. The CEO says I should ‘step in’, just do or not do. I don’t want to do the engineering job, but as a Product Manager, if engineering is weak, there is no product for me to manage and evangelize. So I am stuck.

The engineering challenges are large, with an aggressive agenda. 3+ products, each product having 3 modes of sensing, each sensing mode have to be developed. Each of these dimensions has their challenges. The company has resisted division of labour, and wants to remain in a ‘lab’ engineer environment. Each product x modes x sensing development has multiple deliveries within periods measured by months. All staff are multitasking to an extreme, while that is not appreciated, as there are often calls for people to focus.

Ultimately, many of these decisions are CEO/Founder driven. The company is mining technology, and the hiring process has not had many domain experts except for the CEO himself. I came from a FT50 company, whose domain is not mining, not relevant to be specific here. I am an operations guy with a career in Product Management (marketing) as well.

Where operations require suggestions for changes, I have found out from other senior managers that the CEO trumps decisions. You can’t say no to him, this is true for CTO, Programme Manager, and other senior managers. 

I can fight to change the culture, while facing looming deadlines, which will likely face further erosion of my confidence.

There has been resistance for me to directly interface with customers on key projects. While the resistance has relented, the initial reaction is to hold me back. I deal with customers and field projects well. When I do interact with them, it reminds me of the confidence I have in what I do.

After the background – there is founder-itis, and I am now doing more that I wanted to apply for 9 months ago rolling in Eng Mgr. and Prod Mgr. roles, with no increase in pay (they get a 2 for 1 deal), while I watch the senior managers not help even though they must have been doing this before my hiring. At the same time, the forward-looking promises are accelerating all in the name of preserving the runway. The CEO wants to do many things, not focus (“everything is critical”), so there are more hiring’s. More hiring requires more management, for which I have ‘stepped in’ but I am told not to. Someone must do the engineering management, or I do not have products to evangelize.

In the end, I am doing more that I applied for, not recognized for it, told that I shouldn’t do it (secretly, he just wants both done, and accountability, so there are no excuses), the risk of failure is high, and the promises are piling up. 

~Worker Living in CANADA

We can step into roles, tasks and duties that aren’t ours to do.

We can be used and used and used up. This is what happens to ‘good’ employees who want to ‘help’.

Before you ‘step in’ you should ‘step back’ and ask yourself WIIFM? What exactly is In It For You?

Somebody Cares About You...Don't Give Up...Hold On To HOPE

I have been off work from anxiety disorder and depression since July. I believe that the current (and continuing) environment is toxic and triggers my sensitivities to both disorders.

I have been on medication and to therapy since – I have the option to go back in January. However as much as I think I have changed, I don’t think that environment has improved.

While I think I could go back and handle the work, I think I would be very unhappy and it would start to deteriorate all the work I have put into my mental health over the past few months. In the meantime it’s holding me back from moving on and making plans for the future.

I could make it work at this job, but it would be a day to day struggle and I would have to work hard on how to manage the issues I have.

I would rather put that hard work and effort towards something more positive – toward furthering my abilities and career.

~Worker Living in CANADA

Today, just know that there are options. 

We can come up with options for our problems with this job.

If we need to get help then we need to get help. 

Sometimes just knowing that we can get help, helps.

Reach out today if you need to get professional help to deal with your anxiety or depression. Somebody cares.  Somebody cares about you and what you are going through.

P.S.

If you are thinking suicidal thoughts today because of your job tell somebody. Ask them to listen to you. Tell them you are struggling right now and just need to know that someone cares. There is a program called QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) for people to help those who are suffering.  Your family may not know to outright ASK you the question…ARE YOUR THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE?  Consider this someone asking you the question.  Are You Thinking About Suicide Because Of Your Job?  If the answer is YES please tell someone, or call the Suicide Hotline in your country.

You will make it through this time. You will.  You will find a work situation that is right for you. Please talk to someone and get help so that your story continues and you can continue to contribute your essence to the universe.

Staying In A Job You Know You Need To Quit...Is Like Not Voting...Then Complaining...

I’ve come to a very difficult point where all I can think about is just quitting my job.

I hate it so much.

Ever since working there my friends and family (and even myself) have noticed that I have become extremely unhappy with life and very depressed…all because of this job!!

I need out!

~CANADA

We can vote for ourselves, our lives, and our happiness.

We can get out of our job; we are only stuck if we STAY stuck.

Yes, You CAN Find A Better Way To Live. Don't Believe The Big Lie That You Can't.

1. I found out that management’s style was in conflict with my professional code of ethics;

2. I’m undervalued, and when I talked to the VP, I was told that “You are blessed that I allow you to work in this company” and “You will never find anything better”;

3. I’m underpaid for my position on average. Also my employer breached the contract by not implementing the benefit package after probation;
4. There is tension between the office manager who attempts to control other department’s functions;
5. Management gives much more preference to the ethnic group of their own. For example, like taking extra days of available vacation back to Sri Lanka are PAID, while they deduct days for another employee who got into a car accident.

I’m an accountant in a small company which means I’m HR and IT as well.

~Canada

Don’t believe the lie when someone tells you…and someone will (your boss, your spouse, your parents)…that you won’t find anything better.

If YOU are miserable where you are now, then it’s not good for YOU.  It’s not right for you right now.

As long as you are moving towards your authentic self, passions and greatest skills, it’s better than staying stuck and unfulfilled….for what?…the money???…the benefits??? 

We can do better.  We will do better. 

Finding Your Purpose - Work You Love; You're Good At It; The World Needs It and You Can Get Paid For It

I’m tired of working in the financial industry.

I feel like I’m not suited for my current job.

I don’t see the value in the work I’m currently doing.

~Worker Living in CANADA

Doing work that matters…matters to us.

We can do work that matters.

We must believe that we can.

We must search for it and believe we will find it.

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

Your Dues Have Been Paid In Full...Now Go...Live Fully

I’ve been incredibly unhappy the past few years.

I started by taking jobs that no one wanted to do in my department in order to “pay my dues”. Now I’m doing the job I had thought I wanted but I’m still unhappy.

The staff has changed since I first started out, and my boss who mentored me is gone. My bossy co-worker is my new boss and doesn’t have any idea of the weekends, evenings and happiness I sacrificed in order to get here. He doesn’t trust me to do my job without looking over it, and requires everything to be just so.

There is no room to grow in this department, and I feel as though I’m not developing any skills in my profession.

I don’t enjoy the work, which also has tight deadlines and causes me so much stress that I’m exhausted when I get home. 

I have random fits of tears and depression, panic attacks and I can’t get my digestion to get back on track. I also feel like it’s preventing me from losing weight despite all efforts.

It’s not what I see myself doing in the future.

~Worker Living in CANADA

We have “paid our dues”.

We have all already “paid our dues”.

Stop “paying your dues” and start doing what you are capable of doing.

Why are we acting, doing, and being less than we are?

If you can’t wrap your head around the fact you don’t need to “pay your dues”; then pretend like it’s 10 years down the road and you have already “paid your dues”; after that time what would you do?  If you know the answer to that and you feel you are capable of doing that right now…then do it now…why wait?

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

Endings Lead to Beginnings...Begin Again...

The company culture does not support the unit, or me.

It affronts my values.

I don’t respect my boss because she chooses not to trust me.

~Worker Living in CANADA

Knowing what we value helps us to find a profession that we love and are passionate about.

If we know that where we are currently working affronts our values then we need to determine when we will bring this job to an end.

The cycle of life consists of new beginnings followed by an ending.

Birth, death, and rebirth.

Use the fact that you know what you value to help you bring an end to this particular job,  so you can start doing something you are passionate about.

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

 

What Are YOUR Goals for the Next 5 Days, 5 Weeks, 5 Months, 5 Years & 50 Years?

I am so busy at work that I don’t even have the time to look for another job unless I quit my current job.

~Worker Living in CANADA

Today, if I am too busy working day in and day out at my current job, and I am not happy, and I don’t have enough time to look for another job; then I need to immediately go to Step 2 – Dealing with Finances. 

If I am working this hard and this much; then it needs to be worth it. 

It needs to be worth it so much that I can see a plan to have six months of expenses saved. 

If I do my spreadsheet and things are not adding up, then I have to ask myself WHY am I so busy doing this work…where is it getting ME?  

P.S.

Please don’t just read this.  Write down one goal you want to achieve in the next five days, then one goal in the next five weeks, then five months, five years and one goal in the next 50 years.

START with the goal 50 years from now. It will help you understand the IMPORTANCE of your life.  It will be about your LEGACY. This is not a dress rehearsal. This is YOUR life and the world needs you to do what you are meant to do…and you are not meant to be miserable day in and day out.

You might be reading this and are absolutely miserable right now today…BUT…five days from now YOU can make a goal that will help you NOT be miserable…EVEN if your goals/plans haven’t worked out so far in your life…just give it one more go…

Stop reading…stop surfing the internet…pull out a piece of paper and start writing…50 years from now I want to be or I want people to remember me for???

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

Breathe...The Universe Is Taking Care of Everything Else

I hate my job. I literally hate it. I’m miserable there.

I spend long hours stuck in traffic, driving from appointment to appointment (I work in home health care). I’m overwhelmed by the number of clients that I am expected to see. My boss keeps pushing me to see more and more people and I already feel that I can’t keep up with the number that I’m expected to see now.

I spend countless hours in the evening and on weekends writing reports and answering emails. I feel like my job is taking over my life. Sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe because I am just so stressed and overwhelmed.

I don’t want to get up in the morning because I don’t want to go to work. I just hate it. I have never had a job that made me this miserable. The worst part is that I’m not even making good money. My boss is completely underpaying me and profiting off of me. I’ve been looking for months and can’t find another job.

I’m just worried that if I quit I won’t be able to find something else.

~Worker Living in CANADA

Today, I will accept the fact that if I am working for someone else and receiving a salary that I am making someone else rich and helping them achieve THEIR dreams. Once I accept this fact I will ask myself if I can continue to do this or not.  If I can; I will still think of something ELSE I can do for myself to achieve MY dreams. If not; I will make the decision to “Just Quit”.

I will work the Steps and I will breathe.  I will rhythmically breathe focusing on my heart area, because I am alive and I am on my way to a better life for me, my family and the family of the world. I am determined to find my purpose and use my highest skills for the greater good.

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

Get Ready. Set. Live.

I want to write graphic novels and scripts and paint portraits and write stories.

~Worker Living in CANADA

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

 

Today, starting today, while you are still working your job do the things you KNOW you want to do. 

• If it is to write graphic novels: write one line of a graphic novel. 

• If it is writing scripts: write one line for a new script. 

• If it is to paint portraits: start painting a portrait. 

Today START moving towards what your heart, mind and soul is telling you that you were born to do.  START TODAY, even while you are still working at your job (that you want or need to quit).

Just START and things will open up for you.  

What About If You Just Trusted YOURSELF? What Would Happen?

The corporate culture is not a good fit. I knew that before I accepted the job, but the $$ was good so I went for it. The long hours, stress and negativity (there is always an issue and anything you do is not good enough for the client) are impacting my health. I was ill & felt off for months. I wasn’t able to sleep. I rarely saw my family and I was always angry.

In 15 months in this job I can count on one hand the number of days I would call “good” days.

I am looking for a new role and it has been challenging as the long work hours leave me exhausted with little energy to actually search for something else. I want to be able to spend the holidays with my family, improve my health and make the time to find a new role that is a good fit. That is why I am looking at quitting.

~Worker Living in CANADA

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

 

We know when we know. 

We know when it’s time to leave. Sometimes our body makes the decision for us.

Consider it a gift to you when you know when you know.  You can trust yourself.

Don't Give Up...Find Your Life's Work

My current job is too stressful and work just keeps piling up without more people resources. 

There is very little support from my managers.

I do not enjoy this work any longer and need to follow my path once and for all.

~Worker Living in CANADA

If not now, then when? 

When will we find our path and follow it?  Really, just think about that for a minute.  If we don’t start today, then when will we start?

It’s unfortunate but no one is going to do this for you, because no one can.  You are an individual with your own preferences, interest and skills. 

The reason you are here, on this earth, is to live up to your potential, find your path and follow it. 

We Know What We Need To Do

I can no longer stand being around my boss who is not willing to expand her horizon nor allow anyone to make an impact to the betterment of the organization.                                                        

~Worker Living in CANADA

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

We know when we are working for someone who is not as smart as we are, and what it is like when THEY know it. 

We know when we are working for someone who is jealous of us and THEY show it. 

We know when we are working for someone who is holding the company back and THEY don’t care as long as they can continue to be the boss.

It’s not very likely that they are going to change.  It’s not likely they are going to go back and pick up the skills or knowledge that they need…they’ll have to admit that they are inadequate in their role to do that…so… it’s very unlikely you can make them change.

We can change.  We know what we need to do.  We know.