* This post was first published to the Work Happy Now community via email.
I worked in the financial industry for seven years, and I hated talking about how to increase our checking account sign-ups. It just wasn’t fun. . I knew for at least three years that I needed to get out of the industry, but never did anything about it except make it known that I wasn’t happy. I complained way too much.
I made myself miserable. I stopped trying to grow my career.
I was laid off in 2011 and the hard decision was made for me. I was forced to figure out my next move.
I recently watched an interview with Gretchen Rubin by Ramit Sethi. She talked about why she left her successful career as a lawyer. She was surrounded by peers who enjoyed talking shop with each other on the weekend. They read books about law, had casual conversations, and enjoyed the intellectual banter that came along with both.
You’ll notice that the people who enjoy talking shop at work are the ones that are in the right career. They enjoy the talk that goes into creative problem solving within their career.
Next time you are in a meeting or even grabbing a cup of coffee, watch what happens when people talk about work.
Do you join in or do you avoid the conversation?
If you notice that you avoid these conversations, then you may realize that I’m going to suggest that you change or at least tweak your career.
Of course, that is not always simple.
Ok, so I knew that I wanted to leave my job for years before I was laid off. I was moved between 3 departments in less than 2 years. The last department didn’t leverage any of my strengths. In fact it was such a bad fit that I had daily thoughts of quitting.
This same effect can happen as you get promoted. You might be promoted out of your happy state. You might be caught in mostly management meetings instead of project meetings. You might not be doing work that plays to your passions and strengths.
If you notice this trend taking place then look at which conversations at work excite you and which ones you wish you could just hide underneath your desk.
The first step is figuring out what conversations and/or meetings you want to eliminate altogether.
The next step is to create more of the conversations that excite you. Where do these conversations occur and how can you make them a larger part of your day?
Do you enjoy talking shop about your work? Whether you do or not, please take the time to share your thoughts in the comment section.
