Published:
August 18, 2017
Last Updated:
February 12, 2021

5 Signs You're Stuck in the Wrong Career - and How to Make the Change

The average American spends 35% of their waking life hours at work. But sadly, 47% percent of people in the United States reportedly dislike or hate their day jobs … which can’t bode well for mental wellbeing. On the flip side, that means that the majority of people actually do enjoy their jobs! So what’s the problem if you’re one of the unlucky ones who dreads heading to the office come Monday morning? Well, maybe it’s not that you hate working—perhaps it’s just that you’re  in the wrong career.

I first found IIN because I was unhappy at my day job. Although I was making a solid paycheck, enjoyed hanging out with my coworkers, and didn’t hate my work, I felt like there was something missing. After examining where I spent all of my free time, I realized that I was kind of obsessed (in a good way!) with health—and I wanted to learn more just to slake my own thirst for knowledge. When I graduated from IIN, it only made sense to make health and wellness my full-time job that I loved!

Thinking about switching careers? Keep on scrolling to see if any of these signs resonate with you.

You have pre-work anxiety
Listen, it’s not normal to wake up in the morning and dread going to work … or to spend all Sunday afternoon wishing that you could extend the weekend by just a few more hours. Of course, there are moments in time when work will be stressful and you’d probably rather call in sick than go into the office. But you shouldn’t have that feeling every day of the week.

You count down the minutes until the day is over
Find yourself glancing at the clock every. Other. Minute? Yeah, that’s a pretty clear sign that you’re not engaged in your work. In this case, that saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” is completely true. When you’re truly in your flow state and doing what you love, the minutes fly by. You become so engrossed in your work that you forget to check your Instagram, go for lunch, or even go to the bathroom! But when you’re disengaged, you’re easily distracted from the task at hand.

You aren’t using your inherent gifts
We all have areas in which we naturally excel, and usually those gifts make themselves pretty clear when we’re working in our flow state. Maybe you’re a really talented writer, or great at connecting people, or never get stage fright and are a wonderful public speaker—regardless of whatever your talent is, you should be using on the daily.

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Your ‘extracurricular’ activities don’t align with your work life
Think about what you spend most of your free time doing. For me, I spent every waking moment that I wasn’t working researching nutrition, clean recipes, and anatomy. It was so clear that I was interested in health and wellness, even though it wasn’t my career! When I realized that health and wellness was truly my passion, I decided to pursue a career as a health coach. And that’s when everything really changed!

Telling people about your job makes you cringe
You should be proud of what you do! When friends and family ask about your work, you shouldn’t feel like you’re embarrassed about your job, or that it’s beneath you, or that it doesn’t suit you. Instead, you should be bursting at the seams to tell the people you love about your passion project.

 

Do any of these signs resonate with you? Comment below if you want to make a change! 

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