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Life is too short to spend in the wrong line of work. Furthermore, your working years are even shorter. Hopefully, you are lucky enough to retire in your sixties but that means your career really only spans about forty years. It’s kind of wild when you think about it that way, isn’t it? Let’s be realistic, though: you have bills to pay, emergency expenses, maybe you have a family to support, and you might even have a few trips and other luxuries you’d like to afford. At some point, all of us just take any job to support those expenses. When we’re fresh out of college, it’s normal to take the first job offered to us because we’re just grateful for employment. But too many people just get stuck in that initial line of work, even if it’s not what they really want to do. Breaking the cycle is naturally hard. Finding a new job, and starting over in a new industry, is a daunting concept. But, could it be worth it? To live the life you’d imagined? Here are signs you’re in the wrong line of work.
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Happy professionals make you sad
People who love their job make you sad. Being around them only makes it so clear to you that you do not feel that way about your job. You don’t feel like you relate to these individuals at all.
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You need to leave work at work
You have no interest in attending a weekend seminar about your industry, reading books on your free time about your line of work, or attending the lecture lead by that renowned person in your industry.
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Sunday nights are dreadful
You dread Sunday every week because it is a dark, sad day for you. You cannot enjoy your Sunday, when you know Monday is coming.
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You have nightmares about work
Your job finds its way into your nightmares. You have twisted, frightening dreams involving your office, your coworkers, your boss, work-related documents, and meetings. You never have good dreams about work.
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You don’t befriend coworkers
You don’t have anything in common with your coworkers. You don’t jive with their personalities. You don’t understand them and they don’t understand you.
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Time goes very slowly
Time goes by very slowly, and you check the clock a lot. You leave the minute you’re allowed to—even if you just needed ten more minutes to finish something. That will have to wait until tomorrow.
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You’re often irritable
Your friends, family, and partner note that you’re often irritable. You walk in the door seeming dejected and depressed. You need quite some time at home before you return to some level of joy.
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You don’t want to talk about work
When friends and family ask about your work, you keep your answer short. You clearly do not light up when you talk about work, and don’t feel excited to tell others about it.
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You need an unhealthy escape
You drink a lot at night, or turn to junk food. Maybe you’re so invested in a video game that it’s harming your relationship. You need an escape from reality—every night.
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You do the minimum required
You do just what is asked of you and nothing more. You also try to find shortcuts, and do even less than what was asked of you.
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You need a lot of money to do it
The only reason you even do this job is that it pays a lot. If you got even the tiniest pay cut, you’d walk out the door.
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You aren’t moving up
You haven’t progressed in a long time. That’s not really normal, if you’re in a job you love. Upward movement tends to happen when you’re in an industry about which you care.
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You’re always tired
You’re always tired, no matter how much you sleep. That’s because your work feels like work, and you’re a bit depressed.
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You never take an initiative
You don’t suggest positive changes for the company, volunteer to take on more responsibility, or generally put forward any of your own ideas.
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You don’t think it’s important
You don’t feel, in your gut, that your industry is important. You couldn’t really say why the world needs it. You don’t believe you’re a part of something valuable.
