Surviving the Waiting Period

There comes a time in almost every job when you realize its
time for you to leave. Maybe you're fed up with the red
tape and bureaucracy. Maybe you've maxed out your growth
potential. Or maybe you're tired of working overtime with
little compensation and even less appreciation. Whenever
you make the decision that its time to go, there is often
a gap between the time you realize its time to go and the
time you actually leave. This is the waiting period.

The waiting period can be difficult to endure, especially
if you haven't decided what is next. It takes some people
months (even years) to leave the waiting period because
they focus too much energy on how unhappy they are or waste
time daydreaming about a better life. Below are 4
techniques to make it easier to endure your time spent in
the waiting period.

1. Focus on what you want instead of what you don't want.
This is especially useful if your next move will be to a
new job. Concentrating on what you don't like about your
current situation is a waste of energy. That energy would
be better spent mentally preparing yourself for your next
challenge or building new skills that will help you in
another position.

2. Abandon the urge to be an overachiever. If you already
know that there is no future in your current job, don't
waste your energy trying to excel. Stop working overtime,
stop working through your lunch hour, and stop stressing
yourself out over stuff at work. Again, you are wasting
energy. You will be amazed at how much of your life you'll
gain back once you quit pushing yourself so hard.

3. Treat yourself everyday. When you're not happy with
your job, its easy to get bogged down in the negative.
Make it a point everyday to do something you love. Treat
yourself to a bubble bath or an ice cream cone or even time
alone.

4. Practice gratitude. Not to sound like your mother, but
remember that there are people out there who have it a lot
worse that you do. Take time out of you day to reflect on
the things in life for which you are grateful.