Job Fear

Your job is a large part of your life. For many it becomes inseparable from their sense of identity. The belief that your role as a teacher, carpenter, or engineer defines you creates fear. Overcoming the fear of being without work is liberating.

I think more people would like to look for a job that better suits them. I surveyed the group taking part in the Parachute Experiment about their satisfaction with their current role. The average number is 6.5 out of ten.¹ Clearly there is room for improvement.

Valuable Asset

Disconnecting a job from your self worth is necessary for overcoming a fear of changing roles or being without work. To do this you must start by recognizing your value.

Too many people feel their company is doing them a favor with each paycheck. Your company employs you because they benefit from doing so. If your current employer can profit from your skills and knowledge then others can too. The asset your employer is paying for is you, and your value does not change when the relationship ends.

As Good As It Gets?

The second major hurdle is the unknown. Years in the workplace can be soul crushing. You begin to wonder if this is as good as it gets.

A belief that this is the best you can hope for kills momentum to change. You have to pay the rent somehow, and if this is as good as it gets, there is no point in complaining. A mindset aptly characterized by the old adage, “Keep your nose to the grindstone”. Certainly a practical line of thinking, but perhaps founded on a false premise. What if there is something better?

No one can answer that question for you. I have yet to answer it even for myself, but I am encouraged by a number of things. Although the average satisfaction of the people I surveyed was a paltry 6.5 there was a few bright spots approaching ten. Most people are ambivalent about their jobs, but not everyone is. Some people have passion and enthusiasm for their work and I see no reason why you and I should not share in that.

Money Cage

Here we run into our final major obstacle. Wages and obligations conspire to build a cage. Receiving a regular paycheck is a source of security and so the possibility of being without one creates fear. If your wages keep you captive then you are a well-paid slave.

This is a practical problem and, luckily, I’m great with practical problems. So get out a pen and paper. We are going to free you in three steps.

How long would it take you to get a job similar to the one you now have? Write that number down.
How long could you make it without a paycheck? Write that number down.
Start putting aside money until the figure from step one match that from step two.

The worry that you cannot survive without a job creates financial shackles. If you have enough money set aside to carry you to your next job, that fear is gone, and confidence and a sense of freedom replaces it. This is your “take this job and shove it” money. Use it at your convenience.

Take this process one step further. Replace the question in step one with something more ambitious. How long would you need to discover and secure a job you really wanted? How long to search for your dream job? If you can set aside that amount of money, you have the freedom to do anything.

You may be willing to make lifestyle adjustments to stretch your available funds, or maybe the search for your dream job requires that you go back to school. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions posed above. If you are comfortable with the numbers you came up with then you can move forward.

Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work. – Thomas Edison

Break Free

People too often do a job that they fail to find fulfilling. A job is a relationship between employee and employer that is beneficial and desirable to both. You and your employer must want the same things. A failure to meet these requirements is the end of the relationship and, in whatever form it comes, it is positive. You cannot find fulfillment in work that is not wanted.

The chains that tie you to a job are breakable and usually self-imposed. Shed your job fears and you can work towards fixing your current role or finding a new one. In either case, you will be happier.

Resources

I am not qualified or interested on doling out financial advice. A quick Google search will provide you with all the advice you need, here are some resources to help reduce your expenses, decrease your debt, and begin to save money.