What if I’m still not happy?

I get asked this a lot! And it’s a *really* important question.

What happens if you get the brilliant new job, or you make that career change, and… you still don’t feel happy?

I see it happen. 

There are (more than) a few reasons why you might find you still aren’t happy. Here are the most common ones:

You’re still in the ‘wrong’ job. It is not uncommon for people to think “new job, new me!” and dive straight in to more of the ‘same old’ somewhere else, but sometimes it turns out to be a band-aid solution. You might feel happy (happier) in the short-term, but sure enough, within a few months you find yourself feeling a sense of lack. Dissatisfied. A little hollow. If you don’t get really clear on what it is you want BEFORE you change jobs (your career non-negotiables), you are setting yourself up for unhappiness and potentially years of jumping from one life raft to another.

You haven’t done the mindset work. Guess what? Imposter Syndrome, limiting beliefs, a lack of boundaries, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and all those other confidence-zappers are going to follow you into that brilliant new job or career change, UNLESS you tackle them head on. Left lurking, they will only cause further unnecessary angst, and that’s the last thing you want when you have found a great new job or career. Mindset is a huge component in my work with clients, and the good news is you can turn things around and overcome these beasties once and for all.

You’re so focused on your career, the wheels are falling off elsewhere. When there is something missing in another area of your life, but you have been so hyper-focused on your career you haven’t addressed the issues elsewhere, this can lead to BIG problems. This is one of the reasons when you work with me as your coach, I don’t keep our sessions limited only to your career. I’ll make sure we scan all aspects of life, and I’ll challenge you on anything I think you are overlooking (deliberately or accidentally). I have worked with plenty of clients who channel all their energy and passion into their career as a means of avoiding something which feels too painful or out of reach, typically their personal life, relationships with family members, or how they feel about themselves. 

You might genuinely be feeling sad or depressed. The last couple of years have taken a heavy toll on everyone and it’ll take more than a minute or two to bounce back. But if you find yourself feeling sad or low on a regular basis or your feelings of unhappiness are starting to impact you daily, it might be time to enlist in some help. There is no shame in this, and I have a number of clients who work with a psychologist or counsellor, while also working with me on their career.

The bottom line? You can change jobs or career paths, but you bring yourself with you wherever you go.