Gloom!

[TheRock]

I am going through a hard time right now mainly because of work and the questions over what am I supposed to be doing in life. I can't seem to find a direction right now.

 

I feel stuck.

 

How do I find direction?

What questions do I ask myself?

[bebecole]

this might sound a little cheesy, but when im down i just keep my faith..

maybe you need to go on a spirtually journey to figure out what you want.

i believe that god has a plan for all of us, and the best is yet to come.

[shes2smart]

I had a career crisis about 2 years ago. I'd been doing the same thing for about 20 years, it was all I ever wanted to do, and I was starting to think I was tired of doing it.

 

I got the book "What Color Is Your Parachute?" and started reading through it. It had a lot of interesting ideas, but the most valuable thing it did for me was introduce me to the idea of career coaching. I started looking around for a career coach and was able to find one locally.

 

Over the course of 4 sessions, I took a psychological test, discussed my work history, interests outside of work, and a variety of other career-related issues.

 

Ultimately, I ended up staying in the field I had been in. It wasn't the work itself that had worn me down, it was the company I had been working for.

 

The career coaching ran about $750, but it was worth every penny.

[Relationship Coach]

I agree with S2S, having someone else stepping in to your life and helping you sort through the positives and negatives of your current life course can put a whole new perspective on what you want. A career coach will help you define where your talents are and put you on the road to make the needed changes. They will also hold you accountable and keep you focused while working on your task at hand.

 

I've done career coaching and it's great to see people make life altering changes and succeed! 60% of what I do is relationship coaching, 30% career coaching and the remaining 10% is divided amongst other needs. Most life coaches provide a variety of services but some do specialize in just one thing.

 

At 36, you certainly are at a point where a career change fits in a 20 year retirement plan. What is it that you want to do? What are you wanting to get away from?

 

RC

[JJRadical]

Embrace the gloom...you are now on the path to...don't hire that coach...you already know the answer...

[TheRock]

I think a career coach could be a good idea. I may look into that.

The questions you pose are the ones that I am trying to figure out right now. I work in the financial field and my current situation is partly due to the people I work with. The chemistry is not there and I am completely burned out right now. I have very little interest in my work, which was not always the case in the past even during stressful periods. That is why I am questioning what I am doing. I have many thoughts about being outside of an office environment, but have not figured out what it is I really would like to do. I thought about the medical field. I thought about other ideas, but they all seem daunting as I have only done this type of work since college.

The other thing is that I make a decent wage and I am worried about my financial condition too. I worked hard to get where I am and now it seems like it could slip away, so I am scared.

Also, it seems like the more sucessful people get, the more hardened they get. I have watched some of my friends grow successful and they seem to be developing some walls and seem less nice for some reason. It is weird to me. It seems less about the friendships and more about business now. I know people move on in life and priorities change, but it does not feel great.

Any comment?

[TheRock]

Also, I have not figured out yet if it is the field I want to change or that it is that I am just burned out in this particular workplace.

[Relationship Coach]

Success can be defined differently by many people, whether it means being good at what you do, financial gratification or having a stress free life. It sounds like the honeymoon period is over and you've lost the passion. As far as letting others effect your attitude, well let's just say that's why I work for myself. Being in a positive work environment can certainly get you past a few bumps on a log in the office but once they have zapped your energy, it's tough to stay positive.

 

As a rule, you need to be prepared for any transition or change at any time. Set aside 3 months salary so as you make the change your stress level isn't overloaded by financial issues. Do you know how many people don't get out of bad jobs or bad marriages because they can't financially take the hit? Too many! Turning hard can happen to some people as their wealth increases, so does their debt load or ratio. This unfortunately turns the nice guy in to the tightly wound guy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. There are many ways to test the waters as to whether it is a change of careers or a change of environment in the same field that you need. When is the last time that you had a vacation?

 

RC

[TheRock]

I am actully leaving on vacation tomorrow. I am so looking forward to it.

Sometimes I wish I would just get fired, so I could be free. However, I know I do not want to be unemployed for a long period. That would probably make me more depressed. I am looking for another job, but so far nothing. I have a had a few interviews, and got pretty far in two of them. I didn't get either though and that is depressing me too.

[TheRock]

I am watching myself slide down into depression. I can't seem to stop it. I have read a number of books, talked to my girlfriend, and visited this site many times. I know much of the standard advice, but I still can't seem to stop this horrible feeling.

I want to be alone more and more, but I don't want to lose everything I built in my life.

Ughhh!