You Owe It To Yourself

A coaching client of mine, we’ll call him “Corey”, was terminated in a reorganization. He received an impressive severance package after more than 10 years with the company. Through our work, I helped him to consider that this could be a time of opportunity rather than dismay. Working 50, 60, sometimes more hours per week, when would he have had the time to explore new options? Now, he does.

Corey has been in the same field for most of his professional career. Is it the right thing for him or does he stay with it because it’s familiar? Well, if you’re not like Corey and still working, but perhaps not happy at your job, try taking a vacation. Many need time off due to all the stress but an added stressor could be the cost of taking a vacation. Maybe you don’t want to travel and spend money that you should be saving. So, why not take a stay-cation, a vacation at home?

Take a few days off and research career alternatives; maybe a long weekend. Perhaps you need a complete change. Take the time to review your alternatives. You may be surprised. Evenings and weekends are often consumed by other activities. Quiet time, at home, alone preferably, for a day or two or maybe a whole week, could bring you new answers. When you’ve found a promising lead, make an appointment for an interview, even an informational one where you can learn about new things. You have nothing to lose, but a little time, and a good chance at landing a new job you will like even more. And if you’re unhappy, you could be doing your employer a favor by moving on, allowing them to replace you with someone who can bring more to the organization. You owe it to yourself.