Staying stuck in a job you don’t like can happen for lots of reasons.
Maybe you’re not sure what you’d like better, so you stay where you are.
Maybe you feel comfortable in your “discomfort” zone.
Even though your job stinks, you know what to expect from it and that feels more comfortable than not knowing what to expect from the unknown.
Maybe you don’t believe in yourself enough to take that first step.
Maybe all of these reasons keep you stuck.
But by far, the biggest reason people give for staying stuck in a job they hate is money.
Money
You have bills, and so you need a job. I get it.
But let’s look at this a little more closely.
Does it really make sense that for so many people their passions happen to fall into a “no-profit” zone?
It seems that people have a false idea that if it’s a passion it’s probably something that can’t also pay the bills.
Why would it be that passions can’t earn you money?
It doesn’t make sense. Yet I hear this arguement all the time:
“Sure, I love tinkering in my workshop, but I’ve got bills to pay, you know.”
“I’ve always loved writing, but someone’s gotta pay the mortgage.”
“There’s nothing I like better than cooking, but I’ve got to make the doughnuts – for real!”
Ok. Well, talk to Thomas Edison. Talk to J.K. Rowling, talk to Julia Child.
They all took their passion and made a living doing it.
So let’s be more precise about the fear:
We are not truly convinced that we can’t make money from a passion.
The SBP
What we are actually afraid of is the “space between paychecks” (or SBP).
That gap between your last paycheck from your soul-sucking job and your first real paycheck from your passion seems so huge that it keeps many people stuck in lives that they don’t love.
It prevents them from giving their best to the world, and from making the impact they were meant to make.
If you can believe that your passion can be turned into profit, then the question becomes can I manage the SBP?
Well, that’s something you can tackle!
Go ahead and put on your problem solving hat:
How long do I think the SBP is?
Can I cut expenses?
Can I find additional sources of income?
Can I eliminate the SBP by landing a job or starting a business before I quit my current job?
Do I understand my passion and how turn it into profit? Can I understand it so well that I can create a plan for actually doing it? Read: Nobody Cares About Your Passions: The Hollywood Principle
Is it worth it to me to take the less traveled path to reap the reward of a meaningful and passion-filled life?
Am I willing to do what it takes to move toward what I want instead of being victimized by what I don’t want?
Many people decide to close all the doors and not even look at their options.
They blame money and assume they are stuck in a job they hate, when in reality all they have to do is manage that space between paychecks.
You are not stuck. The door is open.
What do you need to be willing to walk through?
Today, just do one simple task. Answer this question:
Am I willing to do what it takes to figure this out?