Getting to the ROOT cause of why you are unhappy?in?your?career

This is Day 1 of the 8-part Diagnose Your Career Unhappiness Email Course.?Want to listen to the?expanded audio versions?of these lessons? You can find them on?Apple ,?Spotify ,?and?Everywhere Else.

Welcome to Day 1 of the Diagnose Your Career Unhappiness Email Course (and audio series).

I’m so glad that you have made it here because being STUCK in the cycle of career unhappiness

is not the vibe.

I’m here to help you dig your way out.

Over the next 8 days I’ll be guiding you through a process to pinpoint exactly WHY you are unhappy in your career.

Let’s dive into today’s lesson.

Understanding Career Unhappiness

First, we should clarify some definitions to make sure we are all on the same page.

What even is career unhappiness?

I think of it as a “catch-all” term that actually encompasses an entire spectrum.

From mediocre middle >> all the way to burnout.

The "mediocre middle," is where, on the surface, things seem decent enough in your career.

You can’t really complain.

And yet, there’s a low-level discontent humming along in the background.

Something feels off. Something’s missing.

The more extreme end of the spectrum is burnout.

Which is a bit easier to recognize.

You’re emotionally exhausted. Depleted.

You don’t have the energy to enjoy your life outside of work.

And basically, just feels like an empty shell. (I’ve been deep in burnout before and I know how horrible it is)

Recognizing that career unhappiness is a spectrum and identifying where you are currently, is an important first step in the diagnostic process.

The Importance of Digging Deeper

You may also be wondering…. WHY do we need to diagnose our career unhappiness?

Isn’t it enough to just know THAT we are unhappy?

Does it matter why?

Yes.

It matters SO much.

When we are struggling with career unhappiness most of us either

don’t understand why we’re unhappy

OR

attribute our career dissatisfaction to surface-level factors like:

“it’s my schedule- I hate working weekends and holidays”

“it’s the 15 min patient visits- I hate feeling so rushed”

or

“it’s my coworkers- everyone is so unkind to each other”

And while those may absolutely be factors that are contributing to your unhappiness.

They are not the full story.

They don’t give us enough information about why EXACTLY you are unhappy in your career.

We need to go one level deeper to understand

• which of your values are misaligned
• which of your strengths are not being utilized to their fullest potential
• which contribution YOU are meant to make in the world- and is that aligned with your current career path?

Through this course, you'll be guided through exercises and insights designed to bring you to that pivotal "aha moment."

A moment of clarity where you'll say,

"This is exactly why I'm unhappy,"

This insight will help you lay the groundwork for a more aligned, fulfilling career path.

Whether it's a minor adjustment or a significant shift, understanding the root cause of your unhappiness is the key to mapping out your best next steps forward.

Determining if you need to make minor adjustments/tweaks

or if there are significant shifts that need to be made.

That’s it for today! I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 2!

For today, your first assignment is to reflect on the following questions:

• Where do you fall on the spectrum of career unhappiness? From mediocre middle > to full-on burnout. What symptoms are you experiencing right now? Take a moment and write down each of your symptoms.
• What are your initial guesses about WHY you are unhappy in your career? Even if the reasons are “superficial”, and not quite getting at the root cause, brainstorm why you THINK you are unhappy in your career. List out all the possible reasons/ factors currently responsible for your career unhappiness.

Want the audio version of this lesson, where I expand on each piece a little more? It’s on the Life After Medicine Podcast on?Apple ,?Spotify ,?and?Everywhere Else .