10 Tell-Tale Signs You're Stuck In A Career Rut While sometimes it's hard to notice how much you hate your job, there are some warning signs to look out for- and it's also important to remember that being stuck in a rut is costing you a lot more than just your happiness.
By May Rostom •
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Everyone complains about having the worst job in the world. Whether it's "working extra hours," "working on the weekends," "not getting paid enough," or even "my boss asked me to make him some coffee today," when you're in a rut, every little thing that happens at work just annoys you. While sometimes it's hard to notice how much you hate your job, there are some warning signs to look out for- and it's also important to remember that being stuck in a rut is costing you a lot more than just your happiness.
1. You don't hear the alarm anymore When it takes you a whole hour and three snoozes just to get out of bed in the morning, just admit it, you don't want to go back to the office.
2. You hate your co-workers And by hate, I mean you smile to their faces, joke around with them all day, but once you're home, you don't want to ever see them again! When they call you to go out on the weekend, you pretend to have something more interesting to do- and that would probably be sleeping on the couch with a big bag of chips!
3. You just don't want to do anything You don't want to put in any effort to complete a new task, because you simply know it would be taken for granted. You start asking yourself questions like: "What am I doing here", "Is this where I want to end up," and "Is this even stimulating for me"? And then you answer "no" to all these questions.
4. You repeatedly keep missing your deadlines You just can't hand in the work on time. You keep missing one deadline after another without even caring to bother. It's either your boss gave you too much work to handle, or you're simply slacking.
5. You don't show up You come up with the silliest excuses, killing half of your family members, just so you wouldn't have to go to work again. You don't even care if your boss "bought it" or not; you said your grandma died and believed it!
Related: Your Time Is Up: When Calling It Quits Is The Right Thing To Do
6. You're getting demoted And it didn't move you one bit. You probably even thought to yourself: "The hell with it, it's not like I was a pro at anything." You start to accept the fact that you're getting paid less for the same job you used to do for more. You even sometimes consider negotiating with your boss on fewer tasks to do for less money.
7. It consumes you long after your 9-5 Every conversation you have revolves around how insanely crappy your job is. Not necessarily complaining, but rather mentioning several times that you just hate it.
8. You look like you've been hit by a bus You would rather go to work in your PJs, and even when you meet your friends for coffee after work; you look like the crazy cat lady/beggar just around the corner of the street.
9. You're not proud of what you do When someone asks you where/ what you do, you reply with your given job title, rather than explaining what it is that you do exactly. Your eyes don't light up when you talk about your job; in fact, if anything, you even change the subject.
10. You don't care if they fired you tomorrow You'd think of it as a golden opportunity to go try new things, and perhaps try the job you've always wanted.
We've all had bad jobs- we had jobs we had to stick to just for the money, others just for the title, and some for not finding anything else to do. Whatever your reason is, if you're not happy with your job, quit! Life is too short to be in a job you hate, and remember: money doesn't buy happiness!
Related: The Personal Impact Of Leaving A Corporate To Create A Startup
