In this episode, we embark on a catharsis regarding bosses who change their minds, can’t make a decision or jerk us around.

When bosses change their minds it impacts us as workers. These changes mean we often redo our work or work we have done becomes unnecessary. This impacts the meaningfulness of our work - and what was useful work is often not meaningful work when we just need to redo it. The impact of mind changing can also make us feel disregarded and not valued - and demoralizing.

Implicit - and maybe obvious - in changing a decision is there is change and change is hard and lots of change can really mean chaos.

What are some approaches to managing situations when it seems like direction from those above us is changing? Harvard Business Review suggests a “tee-up” with what changes in process, events and decisions have occurred that led to how your team got to a particular place - through whatever circuitous journey. Another idea is to ask questions about the change, which can help us understand how we got to the place and may provide useful feedback to your boss. Bosses do not have all of the information we have and communicating that can be helpful.

And it may be you just need a cocktail or a hot bath - or both - because change and revisiting work can be exhausting especially when it happens again and again.

Thinking about making a career change? Feeling stuck in your job? Curious how to change directions, after you’ve spent years (or decades!) building your career? You’re not alone. According to an Indeed survey, the average age for people making a drastic career change is 39. The leading cause? Happiness.

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, we discuss signs that indicate it might be time to consider a career pivot, such as persistent unhappiness, lack of motivation, health implications, increased comparisons to peers, and reticence towards career commitments. We also share Crina's story of feeling burnt out and uninspired in her job, prompting her to consider a change.

Of course there are ways to make a successful career pivot, especially when you focus on the "working identity" approach. Instead of following the conventional wisdom of knowing what you want to do next before taking action, we explore why doing comes before knowing in the process of career change. And of course there are pitfalls of relying on self-knowledge, advice from friends and family, and consultations with career professionals when considering a career pivot.

Tune in to learn more about how to navigate a career pivot successfully, what to expect after making a change, and how to build a new working identity that brings more happiness and fulfillment. Thank you for listening!

GOOD READS

A Mid-Life Career Shift Is Not a Crisis — Here’s Why You Should Consider One & How to Pull It Off

How much work is too much work? Can you ever turn it off? We’re exploring the roots of workaholism, its impact on our lives, and—most importantly—what to do about it.

What is Workaholism? The term was coined by psychologist Wayne E. Oates back in 1971, likening chronic overwork to addiction. Just like any other addiction, workaholism can interfere with our health, happiness, and relationships. So, how do we know if we’re truly addicted to work or just really engaged? The answer lies in the motivation behind the grind.

Could this be you?

Sometimes we overwork because of external circumstances such as financial problems, distraction from an unsatisfying marriage, or maybe pressure from our workplace. The differentiating feature of real workaholism from similar behaviors is the excessive involvement of the individual in work when it is not required or expected.

Norwegian researchers the University of Bergen created a work addiction scale which uses the following seven criteria to assess the likelihood that an individual possesses a work addiction:

1. You think of how you can free up more time to work.
2. You spend much more time working than initially intended.
3. You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and/or depression.
4. You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.
5. You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.
6. You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and/or exercise because of your work.
7. You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.

If you answered with “often” or “always” to any of these points, you may be a workaholic. And if we are agreeable, neurotic, intellectual or imaginative, we are more likely

People identified as workaholics often ranked high in terms of these three personality traits:

• Agreeableness – Workaholics are more likely to be altruistic, compliant and modest.
• Neuroticism – Workaholics tend to be nervous, hostile, and impulsive.
• Intellect/imagination -Workaholics are generally inventive and action oriented.

But what to do about it?

• Redefine “urgent”
• Reinvent the to-do list
• Learning to say “no” and delegate
• Fixing the workaholic clock
• Controlling rumination
• Embracing rest and recovery
• Psychological detachment.
• Physical activity.
• Relaxation.
• Mastery experiences (which mitigates the inclinations around workaholism)

Our lives are too precious to be consumed with work. While work is fun and rewarding - it is not all things, so let’s not get caught in workaholism or even workaholic behaviors.