Debunking the Myth of "I Need a New Job"

It was a long struggle, but I finally began to crawl out of my tunnel of “I hate working”. Then I faced an even more challenging inner voice shouting "I need a new job!" You see, I finally believed it was possible to enjoy my work. I’d learned to flood my mind with positive thoughts about work and even surrounded myself with people who were passionate about their jobs. Things were changing.

But then I hit another wall..."I need a new job".

I didn’t believe it was possible for me to enjoy work in my current organization and certainly not the job I had.

I felt boxed in. I was so good at doing the job I hated that everyone saw me as “go to person”. I didn’t feel qualified to make a change inside the company, so why bother even applying. Quitting seemed to be only my only option.

One weekend though I started writing and began questioning some assumptions I’d been living under for a long time. This questioning process opened up new mental pathways to rethinking the limits of my current job.

I discovered the limitations were mainly self imposed.

The box had really been an illusion all along.

Challenging these assumptions for employees often gets mixed reaction. Some people nod their head and say“ Yes!”. I’ve even received a few “Hallelujah’s”. I’ve also heard “You don’t get it!” or “That will never work here.” What they don’t understand, of course, is that their response is proving the point…

Your “thinking” establishes what’s possible. Having your dream job in the company you work for is directly correlated to what you believe is possible.

If you believe it’s not possible, it won’t be. If you believe it is, it can and probably will happen.

To do that, try challenging these common limiting beliefs…

Myth #1: Your job description is what you do all day.

The reality is that most people are doing work beyond their job description (if they can even find it). This means there are core elements to your current job that you must take care of in order to add value. However, everything beyond that is negotiable. This is the realm where you can begin to make things better.

In fact, consider your job description as the “clay on the wheel” that you can mold to you own interests, strengths, and passion. I explain more in this quick video:

Myth #2: You are qualified to only do a slightly more advanced version of what you did in the past.

Your skills are transferable; find the creative way to utilize your skills to benefit your organization and its customers.

For example, if you have people skills and you want to do something in finance, you never know there could be a finance job that needs a “people” person to help things go more smoothly. Or, are you a finance person who wants to get into HR? Well, look around, it could be the HR group that needs a finance-oriented person to help run and analyze the numbers and make sure that things stay in budget.

Myth #3: If you made a proposal to your boss to change your job and do something you're excited about, no one would listen.

If you make a proposal that adds value to what the organization sees as value, and also helps you move in the direction of creating the job you love, people will listen. Just keep in mind these three conditions when proposing a new job:

• Identify how it’s a win-win. Make sure you clarify how your proposal benefits the company, your boss, and you.
• Write it down. Get even more clear on how this a win-win-win by writing it down. Quantify the benefit to amplify the power of your proposal.
• Get the order right –When you share your proposal, make sure you present the benefit to the company and your boss first. If you make it about you, you decrease your likelihood of a success.

Ben

P.S: Download my free report, The Catastrophic Cost of Quitting: How Organizations and Employees Pay the Ultimate Price

Photo credit: Ben Fanning Instagram