Remember how Cinderella's shoe didn’t fit other people? Some of the princesses squeezed their big feet into her shoe but the glass slipper would not give way. And you may be going through the same thing, forcing yourself into a situation that doesn’t fit. It could be the latest diet fad, a friendship, a new fitness craze, the perfect ponytail or anything really.
The point is if you have to force it, then you should probably leave it alone. But you may ask yourself, what if it's more serious than that, like you're in a job that's not the right fit? Then you should still look at other avenues and find your fit, life is just too short to be unfulfilled.
Here are signs you’re probably in the wrong job.
You feel overwhelmed
A telltale sign that the shoe doesn’t fit is when it takes you longer to complete tasks than it should. If it takes you ages to finish a task but you have a colleague who finishes their work with little to no mistakes before you can even bat an eye then you should ask yourself why. Maybe it's your poor-time management skills, or you procrastinate until the last minute. But it may be more serious than that, you may be in a job that’s not suitable for you. The job you’re meant to do in life will flow and won’t require too much effort. You won’t have to question it or wonder if you’re in the right place or doing the right thing.
You complain a lotAnother sign is when you’re constantly grumbling about everything - it could be the workload, the colour of the walls, the chairs. If you only see annoyances and what doesn’t work then you’re probably in the wrong place. Maybe you were born with a sour disposition or you’re just pessimistic. But if you weren't always like this and find yourself complaining a lot, then it could be that what you’re doing isn’t right for you. Yes, you won’t always want to jump out of bed each morning but you should feel happy to be doing what you’re doing most of the time.
Opposites don’t always attractMismatches often work in TV sitcoms where couples who differ significantly are often paired together and provide hilarious banter. But, unfortunately, the notion of opposites attracting doesn’t work everywhere. And you may be in a job where you’re forced to be something you’re not. If your ethics and morals are not in line with company policies, then chances are you won’t be happy. Or if you’re a carefree person who loves the liberty of being creative and versatile, then chances are you would find it hard to be in a button-down formal setting.
No growth or developmentIf you’re not being challenged, then you might be in the wrong career. Your job should push you and make you grow. You should be constantly learning and evolving as a human being. And if you’re not doing so, chances are you’ll be bored and unhappy. When you’re sitting at a desk all day and you’re uninspired then you won’t get fulfilment from what you do.
Nothing comes naturallyYou may be struggling at your job right now but this doesn’t make you incompetent in other areas. Albert Einstein once said, “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it's stupid.” An accountant can be excellent with crunching numbers all day, trying to balance the sheets but they may be terrible at designing dresses. Be easy on yourself and give yourself permission to reevaluate your life and go back to the drawing board.
Do something about itIf you never get out of your comfort zone and always do what's expected of you then chances are you’ll stay stuck in your rut. Do the unexpected, try something brave which scares you. And you may just find yourself. The more you branch out of your comfort zone, the more freedom you’ll encounter. Because a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. Comforts zones are cosy and safe but they imprison you because there's no growth to be found there. In order to break out, you need to take a risk. For example, you could go back to school and study that HR management course you always wanted to do or climb Kilimanjaro. The sky's the limit and if you never venture into the unknown, you’ll never know what you’re capable of.
Some people know what they want to do from the onset and others need to take a few detours. If you happen to fall in the last group and you still don’t know what you want to be when you grow up, it's okay. There are many people who found themselves pondering the same question. and only “found themselves” at a later stage in life. Whether it was 30, 40or 50it doesn’t really matter, the point is they didn’t stop searching for their purpose. And that made all the difference.
