Have you been thinking it’s time to get a new job?
Whether it’s because the calendar is inching towards the New Year, or your birthday rolled around, or you had “one of those weeks”, it’s normal to reflect on your life, work, dreams, and goals. Perhaps you feel like you’re in your very own version of Groundhog Day: get up, go to work, slog your guts out, come home, and do it all again tomorrow.
Maybe you’re freaking exhausted from ongoing scary situations and never-ending challenges, whether in your own little corner of the world, or with the global events that are unfolding.
A new job feels do-able. It feels like something you can control. It seems like it will be the change you need to kickstart the better life and work you’re dreaming of.
Not so fast!
Thinking that a new job will solve all your problems is an approach that we call ‘magical thinking’. Because here’s the thing – a new job won’t make much of a difference if you aren’t changing too.
Mindfulness researcher and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote a book with a fabulous title: ‘Wherever You Go, There You Are‘ [affiliate link]. I often think of that title when I’m tempted to do something to “escape” from whatever situation I think is to blame for why I’m not feeling great or enjoying myself as much as I think I should.
Unless I put in the work on myself, I’m going to repeat the same wins and the same mistakes, because I’m still the same person, just in a different context.
Instead of a new job, a new approach to you
One of the coolest parts of being a coach is supporting people who are committed to personal development and growth, and seeing them flourish and thrive as they learn a new way to work with their unique strengths fingerprint.
They get super-clear on what they’re great at and love doing (what I call Genius strengths), as well things they aren’t so great at or don’t enjoy.
And then they get super-creative about how they’ll apply that knowledge.
They realise they don’t have to be great at everything, so they outsource, delegate, or just plain avoid tasks that call on their weaknesses. (Did you shudder in horror at the suggestion that someone avoids something they’re not great at? So do some of my clients, but trust me, it’s a legit tactic, and you can usually do it without letting important stuff fall through the cracks).
They get familiar with the things they’re good at and find reasonably enjoyable to do, and figure out how to weave those things into their daily life and work. These proficiencies provide a stable foundation so they can do good work consistently (even on Friday afternoons!), and act like a launching pad for rocketing off into the flow state with their Genius strengths.
And you can do all of this yourself, without changing your job.
How to get to grips with your strengths
If you want to get clear on your strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between, why not grab yourself a set of The Strengths Deck cards in the Shop? While you’re there, check out Unleash Your Awesome, which is available as a paperback, eBook, or audiobook on your favourite platforms. Or get yourself the Unleash Your Awesome bundle which includes the book and cards at a specially-discounted rate.
Or you can download the lo-fi version of The Strengths Deck, along with The Strengths Deck matrix, and get the instructions on how to use them here.
What if I really, REALLY want a new job?
I’m not going to stand in your way! In fact, working with The Strengths Deck can be a brilliant way to prepare for the recruitment and selection process.
And one of the best ways to stand out in the process of applying for your new job is to be able to tell vivid, compelling stories of how you use your strengths to get great results.
I created a workbook to help you craft powerful strengths stories – get your copy below. And if you’d prefer personalised, 1:1 coaching and training to help you hone your strengths stories, book your free 30min discovery call now.