You hate your job.  But you don’t know what to do about it.  You are so overwhelmed, stressed out and anxious.  You are well on your way to getting burnt out. 

Thinking about a new career used to be that light at the end of the tunnel but now it just feels like another weight being added to your shoulders, weight that you just can’t handle right now.

The danger is complete and total burn out.  Of remaining stagnant and things getting worse instead of better.  Of being so afraid of the journey that we don’t do anything.

You just need to get started. 

But on what?  When you are so overwhelmed and your head is spinning it can be extremely hard to think about that first step because you can’t help thinking about ALL the steps you may need to take to achieve your goal of a new job or career. 
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You are over complicating things.  Let’s bring it back to basics and make it super simple for you.
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Let’s figure out your first step and not even worry about the rest.  And it is easier than you think​.

ACCEPT THAT YOU NEED TO CHANGE

Staying where you are is not the answer to the problem.  Yes there are ways to love the job you hate that will put you in a better mindset for leaving your current job but you need to 100% accept that things need to change, you need to change. 

Things are not going to magically get better, in fact they will more than likely get worse the longer you stay.  Leaving your job is no longer optional.

PROPEL YOURSELF FORWARD

You are feeling all the crappy feelings right now.  Good.  Don’t try and ignore them or rationalize them or repress them.  Feel them.  And use those crappy feelings to push you forward towards your goal of leaving your job behind you.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Grab your phone or a pen and paper.  Just write.  Write about all the problems, all the ways life is getting in your way of going after your career dreams. 

HOW CAN I SOLVE IT?

Write down solutions, at least one for each problem. Don’t judge them, don’t try to action plan them.  Just write all the ways to solve each of the problems. 

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Look at that list.  Think about all the different options.  Think about how they make you feel.  If thinking about a particular solution makes you feel stressed, or overwhelmed or trapped then scratch them off for now.  What can you do TODAY.  Just one thing. 

But maybe you are so lost and overwhelmed that that long list is too much for you to handle right now.  So what are some of the things on that list that will give you the biggest bang for your buck?  Here are some ideas:

1. Ask for Help
This is a great first step.  At work you can ask your boss or a colleague to help with the workload.  Or at home, you can ask for help around the house so that you can free up some time to find your new job.  Set up a free call with me, maybe there are some free resources or a way that we can work together that will lighten your load.

2. Sleep
If you are in the throes of a burn out then this could be tough.  But trying to get your 7-9 hours of sleep will help get you in the mindset and give you the energy to take a career change or job search on!

3. Take Care of Yourself
This is an extension of sleep, but I wanted sleep to be its own.  This is eating, relaxing and moving.  Perhaps your first step is to eat 5 vegetable servings, or to take a walk or to meditate for 5 minutes.  Little wins lead to big wins and taking care of yourself gives you that confidence boost while also setting you up for success.

4. Talk to People
If you have an idea of what you want to do or where you want to do it, seek out people to talk to.  Ask for more information.  This will give you the knowledge of whether or not it is worth investing your time into that particular path, plus it will get you excited to know you are doing something and give you the information and a networking connection that will help make your dreams a reality!

5. Create a Plan
Sunday morning, figure out how much time you can devote to a career change/job search for that upcoming week.  Be realistic and easy on yourself.  Any time is better than no time. 

Then figure out when you are going to use that time.  If it is 2.5 hours, are you going to do 30 minutes of work per day or a 2.5 hour chunk of time?  Use my Dream Career Planner to help make it even easier!

6. Build a Support System
This goes hand in hand with asking for help.  But this is thinking about who in your life can help you out – who can cheer you on, hold you accountable, or give you guidance?  This can be one person or many people.  It can be a mentor, a peer, a family member or a coach like myself.  You don’t have to do this alone!
 

Life goes by so fast.  Which means it is so easy to stand still, in a situation that we hate and have hated.  The old classic quote of a journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step is one we all know but not one we live.  Because we can’t stop thinking about the rest of those steps needed.  But we must remember the alternative.  Staying put. 

Don’t let that be an option.  Pick one thing.  And do it. Take that first step.
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And of course, if you need help or want to talk it through, never hesitate to set up a complimentary strategy call with me. 

​Today is Equal Pay Day.  According to Canada’s National Committee on Pay Equity, today is the day that we, women, finally match what our male counterparts earned last year.  It only took an extra 3 months!!

There are so many reasons why this is the case.  And negotiating, while maybe a factor, is just the tip of the iceberg.  But it is the part of the tip that I can help with.
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I’ve written about getting your worth in the past, focusing on the pieces of the offer you should think about negotiating and provided some scripts to make it easier.

Today, I want to talk about some tips on how to be a killer negotiator.

1. Believe in Yourself
So often we don’t negotiate because we don’t 100% believe in our value and worth.  You need to fully believe that you are the person for the job, no one else can do what you can do.  Think positively and be excited about how you will benefit this organization!

2. Know your bottom Line
You must enter the negotiation knowing at what point you will just walk away.  Figure out that bottom line and then stick to it.  Be willing to leave the offer on the table if they can’t meet it.

3. Don’t Speak
This is a classic sales technique.  You tell them what you want and then you shut your mouth.  And you keep it shut.  You do not speak first. It may get uncomfortable and awkward.   Be prepared for that and for that feeling of discomfort.  The other person will break eventually. 
The reason for this piece of advice, is that this is a power move.  The first person who speaks hands over their power to the other person, and you want to make sure you have the upper hand during negotiation!

4. Talk it out
Do NOT try and negotiate over email.  You must get the hiring manager on the phone to talk it through.  Simply email them saying you have some questions.  This way you are adding tone to the conversation which is so powerful.

5. Present your “WHY”
Don’t just ask for more money, tell them why you deserve more.  Create your business case, how are you going to help propel their growth or overcome a particular challenge or solve their problems?  Go in prepared to show yourself off, to convince them of all that you offer.

6. Don’t Rush It
We all want answers right away.  In a negotiation there are more factors at play then you and the hiring manager.  If they don’t have an answer right away, that is okay.  Give them time to go see what they can do. 

7. Keep a level head
Yes you are on edge, you are nervous and anxious.  Not many people like negotiating or asking for more!  Remember to breathe throughout the process so that you can keep calm.  You have the right to ask for more, just like they have the right to say no.  It is ok.

8. Listen
Listen to what they are saying, don’t focus so much on what you are going to say next that you miss out on what they are saying.  This will give you information you can use during the negotiation but also on your decision making.
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9. Think about your feelings
What are your feelings about the whole negotiation process?  Are you nervous about it because you are afraid they won’t like you anymore?  Or afraid that they will judge you for thinking that you are worth more?  Well a few things here, first prepare yourself for these feelings as they will try to derail your negotiation. Second, chances are they aren’t going to think like that.  Probably they are expecting you to negotiate.  And lastly, if they do then that is OK.  They are entitled to those feelings.  And if it does mean you walk away, then you are better off.
 
At the end of the day, negotiating for yourself is hard.  Arming yourself with information and these tips and tricks might not make it less hard but it will make it more likely that you are successful at getting what you deserve.

How do I know if I’m Burnt Out?

Burn out is a state of chronic stress.  It can manifest itself differently depending on the person and the situation, meaning that burn out can impact you physically or emotionally.  It is a slow process, slowly building up until you just can no longer function properly anymore.
This is good news, as there are signs that can help you indicate whether or not you are on your way to a full-fledge burnout breakdown.

Physical and Emotional Symptoms of Burn Out

1. Lack of energy
Are you feeling tired or drained?  Is it getting worse?  Maybe it started out as just so exhausted at the end of the day and now you are depleted the whole day through?  How is your sleep – is it fitful or are you experiencing some insomnia?

2. Sickness
Are you experiencing more pain than usual – is your blood pressure higher, having heart palpitations or episodes of difficulty breathing?  To get TMI on you, are you having any gastro issues – like increased constipation or episodes of diarrhea?  Maybe you are getting sick ALL. THE. TIME.  A new occurrence as you didn’t use to get every single cold, flu or stomach bug but now you are.  For all of these, please go see your Doctor!!

3. Change in Appetite
This is different for everyone, depending on how they handle stress.  Have you lost your appetite or has your appetite kicked into high gear?  You either can’t even think about food or all you can think about is food!

4. Loss of Focus
Your attention span has vanished.  No matter what you do you just can’t focus anymore and work begins to pile up.

5. Anxiety and Depression
This starts off mild.  Maybe you feel on edge or little sad. Maybe the Sunday Blues start on Saturday and are a little bit more intense.  Then it just gets worse from there.  You start to experience panic when you wake up in the morning, or trapped with no way out.  Sometimes depression doesn’t show up as sadness, it shows up as anger (especially in men), so if you went through a period of irritability that has grown into flat out anger at the world and quick to getting in arguments then this is a sign of burn out and depression. Again if sounds like you please seek out your Doctor!

6. Rock Bottom Self Esteem
We blame ourselves.  It is our own fault we are feeling this way – if only we were better at saying no, or if only we were truly successful and live up to our own crazy aspirations or if only we can mold to our toxic’s bosses unrealistic expectations.  So maybe you feel worthless, like you have no value to bring to the world.

What Burnout Can Look Like

We are really good at lying to ourselves.  Plus the above 6 signs usually come on very slowly giving us the time to adapt to this “new norm”.  So it can be hard to recognize those physical and emotional symptoms of burn out.  But there are other signs and there are certain things we are doing in our lives that can indicate we are on our way to burning out.

1. You have put yourself on a deserted island
I’ve shared with you in the past a time when I hated my job so much that I isolated myself completely in the workplace.  I avoided talking to people as much as possible.  After a while, I didn’t want to see friends.  I felt ashamed that I was still stuck at my job that I hated.  This isolation led to detachment.  Now this came real easy to me as it is a natural coping and defense mechanism of my INFJ personality type.  So not only was I isolating myself but I was building walls around me.  Does any of this sound familiar to you?

2. You feel like there is no point.
Are you turning into a cynic?  You feel like even trying to change is worthless, what’s the point after all?  You just can’t count on anything anymore.  So why even bother.  No one cares.  The world is out to get you.  There is no hope.

3. You Suck at Your Job
Well maybe not completely suck.  But you are spread so thin that your performance isn’t measuring up.  You are making mistakes, your creativity has taken a long vacation, your To Do list is just never ending and you can’t seem to get it under control.
 
Does any of this sound like you? 

Then first, do you need to talk to your Doctor?  If so, set up an appointment ASAP.

Next?  Do Something.  Anything.  Pick one thing you can do this week to change your situation.  If you need help; find a support system, set a call me with to chat or talk to someone. 

Accept that it is time to change and make that your number one priority going forward.