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.
MORE RESOURCES:
 Los Angeles Times | April job losses end state's eight months of gains Los Angeles Times Some of those who are discouraged by their job prospects have gone into business for themselves. (Francine Orr, Los Angeles Times / April 11, 2012) By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times California's labor market stumbled in April as employers in a wide ... Fla. April jobless rate drops to 8.7 percent, state loses jobs but thousands ... South Bay adds 3600 jobs, strongest employment gains for April in entire state Local jobless rate declines |
 Boston.com | Report: Wisconsin lost 5900 jobs in April BusinessWeek By TODD RICHMOND Wisconsin lost nearly 6000 jobs in April according to preliminary monthly data state labor officials released Thursday, putting Republican Gov. Scott Walker on the defensive as he faces a June 5 recall election. Recall Roundup: Jobs back in focus as new report shows losses Walker, Barrett continue sparring over jobs Walker and Barrett keep fighting over jobs number |
 Social Barrel | Steve Jobs TV movie to film at the original Apple garage CNET The garage where the first Apple computers were built will be used in the upcoming TV movie about Jobs. by Josh Lowensohn May 18, 2012 4:48 PM PDT Follow @Josh For those wondering how authentic the upcoming made-for-TV movie about Steve Jobs will be, ... Steve Jobs biopic to begin filming in garage where Apple was born Steve Jobs Movie Begins Filming in the Original Apple Garage 'jOBS' biopic starring Ashton Kutcher will shoot in Apple Garage and childhood ... |
Proposed arena a job killer, say Port of Seattle leaders The Seattle Times Seattle and King County leaders say the Port of Seattle can thrive next to a new NBA and NHL arena, but the Port sees potential damage to its plan to expand and add up to 100000 new jobs to the area. By Emily Heffter The sky is falling! |
Best and worst jobs for your health Fox News A healthy job is about more than just avoiding hazards, like dangerous material and machines. Employees need respect, benefits, wellness incentives, and control over their work, says L. Casey Chosewood, MD, senior medical officer for the Total Worker ... |
 Hollywood Reporter | Sorkin says Jobs movie won't be straight biography Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) - Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin hasn't yet figured out how to put the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on the silver screen, but he is certain it's not going to be a straightforward biography. Sorkin, who won an Oscar for his ... REFILE-Sorkin says Jobs movie won't be straight biography Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Hired to Help Aaron Sorkin on Steve Jobs Biopic Aaron Sorkin Says Steve Jobs Film Won't Be a Standard Biopic; Apple Co-Founder ... |
 IGNN | Utah's job growth slows, unemployment rate up Salt Lake Tribune Data show that a sluggish labor market still has some vigor as nearly all sectors of Utah's economy added jobs in April. By paul beebe Job growth in Utah slowed in April for the fourth consecutive month and the unemployment rate rose, suggesting the ... Illinois jobless rate drops but job growth slows Illinois Adds 140700 Private Sector Jobs Since Recovery |
 Bloomberg | Who is the real jobs killer -- Obama or Romney? Fox News When it comes to the audacity of trope, it is hard to top President Obama -- a big time jobs killer. One of the president's re-election campaign websites features a new attack ad in which a steelworker brands Mitt Romney as a person “like a vampire” ... Mitt Romney's claim that 100000 auto jobs have been lost under Obama Fact-Checking Romney's Jobs Stats The Austerity Trap and the Jobs Deficit |
Santa Cruz County adds 3500 jobs in April San Jose Mercury News By JONDI GUMZ - Santa Cruz Sentinel SANTA CRUZ - Santa Cruz County saw a spurt of growth in April, adding 3500 jobs compared to March, and unemployment fell to 12 percent from, 13.7 percent in March even as the labor force grew. |
Summer jobs introduce kids to Uncle Sam, taxes Kansas City Star By STEVE ROSEN Expect to hear those words from exasperated teenagers or college students over the next few weeks as they set aside their calculators and toss their textbooks to start summer jobs. For many young workers, this will be their first time ... |
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