Is Having Career Fulfillment AND a Life Balance Wishful Thinking?

We talk quite a bit about work life balance – we are big advocates of this concept and state of being.

Yet, what if work is actually sucking the life out of your balance – totally and completely – so that there’s zero hope of any kind of equilibrium at all?

Maybe the truth is, you hate your job. But you can’t live without it (yet) either…

What do you do? How do you find career fulfillment in a job that makes you feel utterly and completely empty if you just can’t leave it at the moment?

You know you want out. Sunday night fills you with dread because Monday’s coming and Friday afternoon finds you jubilant. It’s painfully obvious something has to change but right now, you simply have no other options.

How do you make it through until you can make a change if being happy at work – or even work life balance – is out of the question right now?

1. Take Stock of Your Situation

This seems like a no-brainer. Yet, you may be surprised at how many people don’t take the time to do this.

Really look at your situation and get honest with yourself. What is it that you hate about your job right now? Is it your boss? Your role? Your hours? Your workplace? Your co-workers? Whatever it is that is causing you such issue, is there anything you can do to resolve the issue(s)?

2. Take Responsibility and Take Charge

If you have not addressed that thing or those things that disturb you about your current job / career, then you are not helping the situation. Use your assessment from above to consider whether or not there may be a way to change what it is you don’t like. Maybe, by approaching another or others who have the power to help make something about your situation better.

Yes, some of these conversations and/or interactions may be tough. However, their outcome may totally turn around how you feel – and how you approach each day at work from that point forward.

3. Throw Yourself Into Your Job

Instead of thinking about how much you want to leave your job or business on a daily basis, try turning that around and consider acting as if you are trying desperately to keep it.

Maybe you’ve heard the expression, “…fake it until you make it.” This is a similar concept and idea…

When you feel like you can’t take it anymore and you’re just thinking over and over about leaving, flip it around and “pretend” you have to push yourself to do your very best work to keep your job.

This change of perspective may be all you need to totally shift your point of view and this extra incentive may be all your mindset needs to turn things around.

4. Talk to someone

You may find simply discussing how you feel with someone else, could take away some of your dread and/or discomfort regarding your job. Kind of like the nightmare that doesn’t seem so scary when you describe it out loud.

By finding someone you can trust and sharing the way you feel, you may find you realize it’s not as bad as you think and your complaints may even come across as petty or silly when you convey them to someone else. Even if not – again, as with the nightmare – venting to a trusted friend or ally can help weaken the monster of your disdain.

Yes, it would be nice if work life balance was the mythical answer to all situations at work or in your career—the secret to career fulfillment.

However, there will be times when you will find you can barely put one foot in front of another – much less think about finding balance. In those times, learning how to tread water may just be the answer. For a little while.