We keep hearing the same question on repeat lately:
“How can I survive this job I’m miserable in, while waiting for something better to come along?”
We get it. One of the most frustrating, overwhelming, and stressful situations you can be in is to feel trapped in a job you hate and really want to quit — with no clear idea of when it’s going to be over.
Most of our clients, and likely you as well, don’t want to be too hasty or irresponsible; you don’t want to up and quit with no plan … but sometimes, it can be very tempting.
So, for anyone who might be in this boat, we decided to have a Side Chat about how to get through a job you dread going to, while still trying to find something better. We’re talking about how you can …
- Inject a new burst of energy, motivation, and purpose into your work day;
- Seriously cut down on the time you spend working each week (maybe even by half, like one of our clients did);
- Bring a healthy dose of freedom and flexibility to your job, without people noticing;
- Create a “secret support group” of likeminded coworkers to bond with;
- Give yourself things to look forward to that legitimately speed up the work day;
- … and more!
It’s about 30 minutes, which is the perfect length for your commute, a walk, or a break from the office. You can either play it right here on the page or download and save for later.
{Press play to listen now or download by clicking the arrow in the top right corner.}
After you’ve listened … share your take, in the comments!
NEVER HEARD OF SIDE CHATS?
As you can imagine, when two best friends run a business together, there’s SO MUCH MORE good stuff — insights, revelations, struggles — that we’re talking about behind the scenes than what you’re reading in blog posts and #ClarityGems.
Our random back-and-forth conversations — while we’re supposed to be “working,” while we’re eating tacos, while we’re chilling in sweatpants on the couch — aren’t planned at all, and that’s why they’re good … anything can and does come up.
We always find ourselves having these good conversations and thinking, “It’d be cool if people could listen in to this, fly-on-the-wall style.”
So, we decided to just press “record” and start sharing with you.
We’re calling these “Clarity on Fire Side Chats,” and there’s no big plan for them. When inspiration hits, which is usually at random, we’ll press record and share another with you. The freer it flows, the better it usually is, anyway!
Want to catch up on previous Side Chats? Check out the archive.
Enjoy!
Much Love,
Kristen + Rachel
What if you have colleagues who even though they might be in the same mindset as you regarding their feelings for the company, will probably tell your bosses about the support group as a means to try and “get on the good side of the company”. Basically i do not trust anyone in my office to have a support group with even though I know we all mostly feel the same way about where we work.
In that case, starting a support group inside your office might not be the best idea! Of course, all of the ideas we shared are very general, and you have to use your best judgment about which make sense for you and your situation. However, just because you don’t trust your colleagues — and definitely never start a group of any sort with ANY person, or multiple people, whom you don’t trust — doesn’t mean that you can’t still have a “support group” of sorts! Having regular get-togethers with likeminded friends where you offer each other moral support and inspiration is so valuable! Just as long as the group isn’t more of an excuse to complain and commiserate — in that case, it’s likely not a very valuable get-together. The intention is to uplift, not drag you down!
*Corporate Ninjas… :o) I liked this side chat. It also made me realize how much “free” time I do have during the working week, that I spend going through the motions (checking Amazon etc)
I know what you mean! It’s amazing to pay attention to just how much time you spend doing random unimportant things. I’m the worst about “checking on things” all day long — checking email, checking social media, checking on random business things. It takes up so much time! Imagine if you used that time to do something productive for yourself. It could make huge difference. Thanks for listening!
Hi Kristen & Rachel! 🙂
Wow it feels so amazing to hear your words of inspiration once again! I am so grateful for this side chat – thank you so much for sharing!
I’ve been at my current job since February this year and it has been very overwhelming and stressful. I’m tempted to quit but I did that with my previous job and that is how I found this one – out of desperation.
I know that this a temporary position until I plan my internship but although I’ve been telling myself that – it’s unbearable to be the only one handling the entire workload on my own. I’ve tried to plan classes and things to look forward to after work but it never ends up happening. I always end up cancelling and working overtime – so the work can get done. These past few months I’ve been living with this anxiety over my head – always stressing about how much work I have to do and how I’m supposed to get it all done.
After listening to this side chat, I have decided that I will spark some healthy rebellion! I will confront my boss and tell her that if she can’t get a second person helping me full-time then I quit. This job is not worth sacrificing my personal health.