The average working week in America is 47 hours, and this means that if you don’t like your job (and ideally love it), you’re going to be miserable for those 47 hours. Why should this be the case? If you are unhappy for around a third of your life, surely there is something that can be done about it?
The reality is there is something you can do about it. You can find another job, perhaps even another career, and start to be much happier. This might be starting a career in an area you’ve always wanted to work in, for example, or perhaps starting your own business so you have more freedom and can work the hours you want to. Whatever the case, knowing you’re in a bad job and finding a way out is crucial.
However, what if you’re in the right job? This is just as important to know, as you wouldn’t want to look elsewhere if you’re already doing exactly the right thing for you. With that in mind, here are some of the signs that you’ve chosen the right job.
Time Goes Quickly
We’ve all had those days when time seems to slow down and the entire day drags. No matter how much work you think you’ve done when you look at the clock, you’ll see only a small amount of time has ticked by. This will happen to everyone, no matter what job you do and no matter how much you usually enjoy it; no one can love every aspect of what they do. What you need to be wary of is when these days happen more and more frequently, until every day is a drag just like the one before. If this happens, it’s a good sign that you’re in the wrong job.
Conversely, if you find that days go quickly and you’re often surprised at just how fast the hours fly by, then you’re probably in the right job. This is especially true if you’re being extremely productive during that time.
You Challenge Yourself
Everyone likes being in their comfort zone; that’s why the phrase contains the word ‘comfort’, after all. However, when you are happy and confident in your life – and your job – you’ll be more willing to take risks once in a while and step outside that comfort zone, which is good for you. Doing this makes life more interesting and makes you a more well-rounded person with lots of knowledge. If you don’t like your job, you’re not going to want to take these risks or do anything over and above what you have to do – why should you?
If you love your job, on the other hand, you will do this. You’ll want to be better, you’ll want to do more, and this means trying new things and taking some calculated risks. If you’re happy and willing to go the extra mile and you challenge yourself to do as much as you can, then it would seem as though you’ve chosen the right job.
You Have Energy
How do you feel when you get up in the morning and after work? Do you have energy, or are you exhausted and miserable? If it’s the former (even if it takes a cup of coffee to wake you up a little, as it does for many people), then you are probably in the right job. If, however, you never have time or the inclination to do anything after work and you drag yourself from bed in the morning, and no matter how much coffee you have, you still feel tired, then you should start looking into what nurse practitioners do, or how teachers make a living, or even how to start your own business.
In fact, if you don’t like your job, you might have trouble sleeping in the first place. You’ll be lying in bed worrying about all the things you have to do and thinking about how much you don’t want to do them and not being able to sleep as a result. This means that it will be even harder to get up in the morning, and you’ll have even less energy. A job you love will be mentally stimulating, and therefore you’ll be much more awake during the day and able to sleep much better at night.
Your Boss Pushes You
It might not sound like that much fun to have a boss who pushes you at work, but actually, this could be a sign that you’re in the right job, no matter what you think of the situation overall. Although you might consider a good job to be one in which your boss leaves you alone to do your work, the truth is that if they are pushing you, it means they see potential in you, and they know you can do what they are asking of you.
A good boss like this will understand your strengths and weaknesses and will be able to ensure that you are in the best place within your workplace for them, the business, and for you. They will know exactly what you can do. They might suggest you go back to school to gain additional qualifications, for example, or perhaps they’ll give you extra training or responsibilities. In this way, not only will the job be good for you, but you’ll be successful in it too.
You Have a Good Work-Life Balance
If your job takes up all your time and zaps your energy, then it is not a good job, even if you quite like what you’re doing. A job should not be everything in your life, and if it is, then you don’t have a good work-life balance, and you aren’t giving yourself any chances to live your life.
Work is just one aspect of living, and although it is important, it’s not everything. You also need to be able to enjoy your free time to spend with friends and family, to get involved with a hobby, or simply to rest and re-energize before you go back to work. If your job isn’t allowing that to happen, then it’s not the right one. You should certainly look for something else; otherwise, you’ll have regrets about how much time you spent working.
