Is it your job that needs to change, or something else?

If you are feeling less than happy in your current role but can’t put your finger on where the dissatisfaction is coming from, you’re not alone.

It’s something I hear a lot from people who get in touch with me for help. They are feeling down about their work life but not sure what to do about it, feel like they are going around in circles, afraid of making the wrong decision, and generally overwhelmed by conflicting advice from others.

It’s understandable to feel confused about what to do. That’s because it’s entirely possible to be enjoying elements of your job, while at the same time, feel completely worn out by it.

No wonder people feel lost and stuck in that situation. Torn as to whether they need to stay the course and make the most of it since there are some things that are okay, or whether they should leave to redress the balance and have a better life.

It’s important to find a way out of that confusion though, because if your career wellbeing is low, chances are it's affecting your ability to thrive in other areas of your life.

In fact, Gallup research shows that of the five broad categories of wellbeing (career, social, financial, physical and community), career wellbeing had the greatest impact on overall wellbeing. Researchers found that people with high career wellbeing were more than twice as likely to be thriving in their lives overall (see “Wellbeing – The Five Essential Elements” by Jim Harter).

However, wellbeing at work seems to be in short supply. In Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace report, 43% of those surveyed in New Zealand and Australia were actively looking to leave their jobs, 67% were not engaged and only 23% were thriving at work.

If you are one of the disengaged and want help to identify what areas might be affecting your happiness and wellbeing at work, try our Career Wellbeing Quiz. It takes less than five minutes to do and you’ll get immediate results. I hope this helps, and if you need more support to clarify what needs to change, get in touch.