Would you work for someone who stresses you out even if the money was good?
Did you know that the percentage of adults with great jobs rarely tops 10% across most of the world?
Also, did you know that only 15% of the world’s one billion full-time workers are engaged at work?
According to Gallup, being engaged means that they:
- Love their jobs
- Contribute with excellent ideas
- Enjoy working with their teammates and customers
- Believe in their company’s mission
- Feel that their job uses their strengths, so they make their organization and country better every day
The remaining 85% of employees are NOT engaged at work – they’re just physically present there.
This indicates that there’s very likely a whole army of dissatisfied people who detest their jobs around the globe. Aren’t these facts sad and discouraging?
Which group do YOU belong to?
When the alarm goes off, are you happy to jump out of your comfortable warm bed on a cold Monday morning to run to work and embrace new challenges?
Or do you dread going to work so much that you start sobbing into your pillow right away?
The latter?
But you’re getting paid very well, right?
Then, why doesn’t it reflect on your mood and general satisfaction level?
We know the reasons and you do, too… Take a closer and deeper look into your heart if unsure.
Here are some helpful questions about job satisfaction:
The following are several most common unmistakable signals you should quit your job even if it pays perfectly well.
1: Your Current Job Makes You Unhappy
Being unhappy in your workplace does not necessarily mean your days are completely unbearable.
You may be able to afford a brand new car you’ve always wanted, live in your dream house and take your family to expensive restaurants and on exotic holidays. Isn’t it happiness after all?
It depends on you solely. Is it?
Are you happy with your current job? In other words, do you feel your employer supports you and appreciates your great ideas? Or you’re still there just because of the money?
If you figure out you’re unhappy and that your high salary is the only factor against the job change, perhaps you should carefully consider the following.
What specifically is making you unhappy and dissatisfied with your current job:
- The work tasks
- Your coworkers
- Your boss
- The working hours
- Commuting … or anything else?
When you figure out what exactly is causing you unhappiness, maybe you’ll be able to change the situation so that you can keep the job and become content.
Similarly, if your final decision is to quit, you’ll know precisely why you would be doing so.
Think about whether you’d be happier in another position or with a promotion. Make your choices and shape your ambitions, then make a move.
2: It Isn’t Aligned With Your Genuine Life Purpose and Passion
OK. You’ve realized what makes you unhappy at work and done your best to change the circumstances such as talking to your supervisor about changing your tasks or team you work with.
Still, you see your present job as a grind which isn’t fueling your true life passion and isn’t nourishing your purpose. In such a case, no reason against quitting seems to be convincing enough even if you’ve been holding the position for a couple of decades.
Why would you want to stay in a toxic place that doesn’t support what you strive for?
You have the right to live your life to your fullest potential!
That’s not what you’ll achieve if you keep the job you know is not the right for you.
On the contrary, you’ll trap all your natural inner forces if you’re not doing what you truly love and enjoy.
There are many people who’re suffering in positions and organizations which are morally misaligned with their core ethical values. Isn’t it sad?
Don’t be among those who are afraid to follow their passion.
3: You’re Keeping the Job Not to Disappoint Your Parents or Spouse
Yeah, yeah, we know how persuasive your mum and dad can be. And it feels wrong to reject a job offer your university teacher recommended you for years ago. Of course, you don’t want to disappoint your spouse, your other family members, friends, teachers…
Still, remember that YOU are the only one who needs to go to that office in the morning and stay there working most of the day. It’s not them but you.
So, you should be the only one to make the big decision no matter how hard it is. Resist the pressure from your nearest and dearest ones and find your way out of the tough situation.
Remember that it’s perfectly acceptable to disappoint other people. Even better than to disappoint yourself. You all want what’s best for you, right?
So, take your life in your own hands because you’re behind the steering wheel and you know what’s best for you. They’ll understand you need to do it and it will lead to a healthier relationship in the future.
Don’t always try to please everyone because it’s impossible to achieve.
4: You’re Staying There Just Because Your Friends Work There
You love your friends and working with them provides all of you a wonderful opportunity to spend more time together and to grow and learn together. Your friends are all excited about the job and you sharing the workplace. But do you feel the same?
Or is the opportunity to work with your friends a rare blessing of your current employment besides the high salary?
If so, think twice. You probably don’t have the same life goals or values as your friends. And it’s OK.
It’s amazing to have them close at work, but that should not be the only reason for keeping the well-paid job that makes you feel miserable most of the time.
So what if your friends are enthusiastic about the work? You’re not and you have the right to change it. Give yourself permission to listen to your intuition and explore other opportunities. True friends will understand it and support you.
5: You’re Stagnating With No Further Opportunity to Grow
A job which leaves you absolutely NO place for professional growth, honing skills, gaining experience and knowledge is the one on which you shouldn’t waste your precious time regardless of the paycheque.
If your job is not bringing about to developing your expertise, you’ll end up feeling stuck in life, which will eventually make you unhappy.
Therefore, if you see:
- Your skills have been underutilized
- There’s no intellectual stimulation in your present occupation
- No chance for further development or
- Getting a promotion
It’s time to find another job where you’ll be able to thrive. You owe it to yourself.
6: You Lack the Energy and Motivation to Perform at Your Best
Feeling uninspired and unmotivated to do your best at work may mean you’re not lazy but fed up with your job. As a result, you become short of creative and innovative ideas and fall into a robotic daily routine.
Losing motivation for work often happens when you feel your voice in the company doesn’t matter at all or when you don’t receive due recognition for your job performance. Such a situation typically prevents your progress and you get trapped in a magic circle of feeling stuck and dissatisfied.
You don’t want to live the next 20 or 30 years like this day in and day out, do you?
If you’re experiencing such a situation and cannot change anything (e.g. team members, department or your job role within the company), it may be the right time to move on and find the position that is way better for you.
Your creative juices will start flowing again, which will bring you more motivation and satisfaction with your work and life.
7: Money Is the Only Satisfaction You Get From Your Job
OK, It’s time to admit it to yourself:
You’ve chosen this job just because they generously offered you a competitive salary. Your decision was NOT based on life quality criteria, was it?
However, now you’ve had it enough and you want so many things that money cannot buy.
Isn’t there a single supporting reason for keeping the job?
Besides the highest possible salary ever offered to you, of course.
No?
If the answer is still negative even after you’ve carefully thought it over, then don’t hesitate to search for a better job you’ll be completely satisfied with.
You need something to fall back on when the times get hard at work, so don’t let the money be your only guide.
Perhaps this was the first high-paid job offer in your life and you were afraid there would be no better offers so you accepted it even though you knew it wasn’t right for you.
Now you’re older, more experienced and wiser. Don’t let FOMO (fear of missing out) hold you back this time.
And don’t rely on other people’s opinions.
Remember – you don’t owe your company, family or friends more than you owe yourself.
Land the Job That Provides What Matters Most to You
Be completely honest with yourself about what makes you unhappy at work. If you can and want to change something, go for it. If not, don’t be afraid to move on.
Obviously, quitting a well-paid job is not an easy decision you make overnight. It’s seious and you’ll have to live with it, so you’re the only person who should and can make it.
You need to weigh all the key factors and your priorities to be 100% certain that’s what’s best for you, as well as to plan your further steps first.
Only then should you take a deep breath and go to find something bigger and better waiting for you out there.
Look before you leap. Examine the possible risks, do some strategic planning and when you feel it’s the perfect time, just make the move you believe is best for you.
Good luck!
