Who Are You? To Thine Own Self Be True

I do not make enough and this job is destroying my health and happiness.

I am turning into a person I do not want to be.

~Worker Living in Oregon

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

Today, sometime today, ask the all-important question: 

“Who are you?”

Not your many roles, not your job title, not where you live, not your gender, not your race, not your name…get beyond all of the labels…ask…”Who am I?” 

By really  taking a deep dive and soul-searching we can be who we are, connect with ourselves and do what we need to do to align our lives and future with where we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing.

The Answers You Get Depend On The Questions You Ask

I do not enjoy the culture or the work. 

I’ve become demotivated and bored.

~Worker Living in the UNITED KINGDOM

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

Today, we need to dig a little deeper and get beyond just naming how we feel and what we don’t like about our jobs. 

We need to ask why and what. 

Once we have named it: my boss, the culture, the work, or boredom –  we have to ask ourselves: “Why don’t I like my boss?” “What don’t I like about the culture?” “What is it about the job itself that I don’t like?” “Why am I bored?”

No one is going to care as much as you are about your career, so start going deeper and ask Why and What questions, so that you will learn from this experience. 

You Are In Control Of Your Life. You Can Change It...Just Like That...

I am depressed at my current job.

I hate it and it is making me insane.

I have so much more to offer. 

I get talked down to and treated like crap by everyone who works there. 

I work with my ex, and my boss is an a**hole. It just kills me inside knowing I have to work there.

~Worker Living in MISSOURI

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

Why do we think we can’t make a change? 

Why do we feel so helpless and hopeless sometimes like we are stuck here in this place, dealing with it all?

We have to know that things will change. 

One day things will change. 

Things always change.  It is just a matter of time. 

While we are here, dealing with all that is this job, and this place, we will endure it for now because we know that it will change.

Things always change.

At The Center Of Your Being You Have The Answer

Lack of passion; Boredom; Repetition; Overwhelming tasks; No enthusiasm for system tasks; No great enthusiasm for co-workers; Expendable; Cog in machine feel; all wrong; not me. 

~Worker Living in MASSACHUSETTS 

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

What words or phrases would describe how you are feeling about your job today? 

Pick up a pen or open a Word file and put down how you are feeling about your current job. Just start writing or typing the words or phrases. Don’t think about it very much, it will come naturally. Just let the words or phrases come through you. 

Take a look at your words or phrases.  What does it all mean?

New Day, Another Chance To Change Your Life

There is the inability to gain (any) work, as such I need better skills and experience to progress.

I really do nothing all day except read the newspaper, and no one sees this as an issue.

~Worker Living in AUSTRALIA

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

Today if you are pretending to work; if you know that when you go into work and do your eight hours on the clock that you’ll only do about two good hours of actual work; then YOU are the one wasting your time.  

This is just a choice — to pretend to work. You are making this choice to waste your talents and gifts that are stored inside of you…but it’s your choice…you can keep pretending to work or you can work on developing yourself and your skills one day at a time.

Do something productive…today

Life Is Like A Camera...Sometimes You Have To Take Another Shot

Tasks are allotted in clumps. Once I’m done doing a task, I often have little to do for days. There is simply not enough work to do in the average workday.

My boss lies about things to avoid having to give accurate explanations for her thinking. I work alone with little human interaction. Opposite of a team-based work environment.  There is very little creative expression. My boss assigns tasks via verbal command, oftentimes not remembering what she has told me to do. Oftentimes she gets frustrated when the task I complete turns out differently than she envisioned in her head. Of course, there is no way for me to know what’s in her head, other than by her taking the time to clearly explain what she wants.

I have been tasked with tasks outside of my job description, i.e. for the dental office. I don’t mind the work, but feel as if I’m being used. 

I’m very unhappy during the day and never once have desired to go to work. I’m not really complimented on doing a good job, not that I need it to do a good job.

The Foundation has been around for 20+ years, but there is no employee handbook. There are no comprehensive guidelines or procedures that allow new employees to do their job well. This results in frustration for everyone.

I have no idea what I’m going to be doing for two weeks in Ecuador. I fear that I will become her personal assistant, given her record of becoming a super-diva when stressed. I could ask her, but I have a feeling from talking with volunteers that I will become her assistant.

If I leave soon, it gives her enough time to hire and train someone new before the trip. I have no benefits, vacation time, sick time, or personal leave time until August. I feel that I’m not gaining any “new” skills. In other words, the only thing I’m gaining/learning through this job is “experience” for future jobs.

~Worker Living in MARYLAND

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

Sometimes we look around and wonder why are we here, doing this, this way.  Why is it like this?  It doesn’t have to be.  Things could be more organized.  Things could make more sense.  It actually could be a half-way decent place to work; but it’s not. It’s confusing and frustrating for no reason.

But…there is a reason.

There is a reason you are right where you are, working where you are working. There is a lesson in this for you. Look for the lesson.

Work lessons are life lessons.

We Have Three Needs: Love, Purpose, Hope

I am not passionate about my job.   I feel I am so stressed and I don’t have any energy left for my kids and me. 

I feel bad every morning getting out of bed.

It’s horrible when I have to pretend the kids are fine, when no activities are done and their grades are not that great. It just sucks the energy out of me rather than boost my spirit to deal with other things.

~Worker Living in EGYPT

Today, make yourself dedicate at least thirty minutes to your family, your children, your spouse, or someone that you love.  You may not be able to do this every day, but TODAY make an effort to really be present and there for someone that you love. 

You could be totally stressed out from work, but focus in on someone who is important to you and spend quality time with them.  It will help you remember what is really important in life…family and loved ones.