Stuck In a Rut? The Simple Test to Tell If It’s Time to Make a Change
We all have bad days. We all feel stuck. We struggle to know when “bad” is just a phase or a new normal.
It can be hard to know when ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. When is it time to walk away and start something new?
I recently shared about a nightmare contracting gig that was totally wrong for me, but if I’m being totally honest, that wasn’t the only thing that’s felt hard over the last few months.
This winter I was totally uninspired by my coaching work.
THIS is my passion – the work I feel called to do and, yet, it didn’t feel right. Honestly, it led me to question EVERYTHING and to use every tool in my arsenal to find my truth. I tapped into my inner guide, I meditated, I prayed, I sought guidance from my own coach and mentor, I read, I drank – searching for the answer to the question: is it time to walk away from this?
I was torn up inside and the answer just wouldn’t come. And then, as luck would have it, the “answer” floated across my Facebook newsfeed. Welcome to the Steve Jobs’ Test:
"For the past 30 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "no" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."- Steve Jobs
Using this simple self-exam, the answer became almost immediately obvious to me: YES – this work is my heart and soul and I want to do it for as long as I can.
I think sometimes things feel bad so we can be reminded of how GOOD they really are. Adversity and growth are our biggest teachers – those who grow from challenges are the TRUE LEADERS in this world – and without them we get stale and complacent. (Seriously, who wants to work with a stale, crusty old coach ;) ?) This was a gentle reminder for me that I need to keep growing and challenging MYSELF so that I can continue to help others do the same.
Are you struggling to know if you should stay or go? If you’re torn between knowing the difference between an uncharacteristic string of bad days and a bottomless pit that you won’t ever be able to dig yourself out of, I challenge you to do the Steve Jobs’ test for 7 days.