Just because you don’t like your job, it doesn’t mean you have to start your own business.

Not liking your job is probably not about what you think it’s about.

And jumping into “fix it” mode could do more damage.

Let me explain.

Stress and overwhelm starts to build when you’re focused on what’s not going right, which causes a vicious cycle of things continuing to not go right.

(Just think back to the last time you got stressed you were running late, focussed so much on how late you were and everything you did slowed you down – you spilt your coffee, couldn’t find your keys, and forgot you needed to iron your shirt, all making you even later).

Not knowing what gets you into that stuck cycle in the first place means that no matter what job or business you go to next – your coping mechanism or pattern of “surviving” is going to catch up with you and keep repeating. Until of course you change it.

Maybe it is really your job that sux.

But wouldn’t you much prefer knowing that whatever your next move is, you’re guaranteed to feel better and not get stuck back in that same dread?

When I tell people I got burnt out in my previous career and transitioned to something different—often it’s assumed that I had an awful and stressful job, or that I “hated” it.

The truth is, the job and career path I was on was actually pretty incredible.

I got to work with smart minds, dedicated mentors, and had access to really contributing to making a difference in the world (at least some of the time).

When I started to feel unsatisfied and stressed out, it was natural to think that my next “action” step was that I need to fix my “job”. i.e. I needed to jump ship because this one wasn’t right for me.

I think we’re trained to believe that’s how it works.

If something isn’t working we need to jump on to the next thing. To keep moving so you can feel like you’re achieving. To keep being promoted.

For me any step I took towards that “ship jumping” felt forced and out of place.

I kept up with the motions of it but was still feeling that lurking dissatisfaction as I ventured towards those “promotions” or next achievements.

When you can identify the root cause of your dissatisfaction, you get to tap into a long term (and sustainable!) solution to feeling satisfied, regardless of the job you have.

When I stopped paying attention to the symptoms – and started asking myself the deeper questions, each step I took from that point felt more aligned. Like I’d finally slotted into the kind of fuel source that could keep me going for a very long time.

That’s what I want for you.

To start thinking of any stuckness in your life as a symptom—and to be much more curious about the root cause of it.

Because when you do, not only do you transform that stress and overwhelm you were experiencing, you also access a new way forward. One that—regardless of what precise step you’re taking—is always in the right direction for you.

I can’t wait to hear what you discover.