Saturday, March 14, 2020
Signs youre stuck in the rat race
Signs youre deckenfries in the tipp raceWeve all heard the phrase ratschlag race beforeit refers to a seemingly never-ending, pointless, and even self-defeating pursuit, and its often used when referring to ones job or career. Individuals who are deckenfries in the rat race are unhappily going through the motions in life, trudging through the daily grind of their workday feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and uninspired until they go home at the end of the dayonly to repeat the whole process again. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Individuals who are stuck in the rat race are more than just unhappytheyre actually negatively affecting their health and well-being. According to a recent Forbes article, individuals who hate their jobs face some serious consequences, including increased risks for stress, sleeplessness, illness, and mental health issues. An article by The Atlanticeven goes on to suggest that workplace unhappiness can shorten yo ur lifespanObviously, individuals who are stuck in this unfortunate situation have every good reason to try and get out of it. Are you one of them? The truth is, sometimes people get so busy and wrapped up in the responsibilities and activities they have going on in their daily lives that they fail to take stock of their current situations. You may very well be stuck in the rat race and not even know itUse the following signs to determine if you need to make some changes to your daily life.1. Your energy and enthusiasm levels are low.Are you like the energizer bunny when you get up in the morning? Do you go through an average workday full of get up and go enthusiasm for what lies ahead? Or maybe youre more like a wilted flower or droopy basset hound who practically needs to be dragged through the day, and cant wait to get back home so you canlie around and do absolutely nothing. We all have good days and bad, but if more often than not youre facing each day with a real lack of energ y and enthusiasm, thats a good sign your stuck in a rat race and may need a change.2. Youre stuck in the past.Do you spend more time thinking about past glories than future opportunities? Do you gladly reminisce about days gone by and what you have done at the expense of what lies ahead and what you will accomplish? Individuals who are stuck in the rat race avoid thinking about the present and the future as a protective mechanismkeeping them from having to confront an unhappy reality or an uncertain tomorrow. If this sounds like you, you might just be stuck in a rut.3. You lack purpose.Folks who are in happy places in their lives are fueled by a sense of purpose and gamely tackle each day, along with the challenges and goals theyve set for themselves. Those stuck in less fulfilling situations? notlage so much. And its not hard to imagine the vicious spiral this creates, leading you to accomplish less and less as the days drag on. Dont get stuck in a rat race spiral4. Youre noticing changes in your health and wellness.Weve already touched on this onewhen youre stuck in the grinding gears of the rat race youre going to experience a negative effect on your health and well-being. The ravages of stress, tension, sleeplessness, anxiety, and more will begin to gnaw away at youand youll notice it. Tack on to this that people stuck in the rat race often make poor diet and exercise choices and its easy to see that this is a road to ruin.5. You feel powerless to effect change or think theres nothing better out there for you.One of the real tragedies of being stuck in the rat raceas if we havent mentioned enough of them alreadyis that it robs you of the very ability to see a way out of it. Its common for those stuck in a rut to feel that theres simply no way out or have such a negative raincloud following them that they cant even fathom that theres something better out there. Its not a good place to be.If after reading this youve realized that youre stuck in the rat race and are starting to worry or panictake a deep breath. Its always better to know the truth and its never too late or a bad time to figure out where you are with your job situationgood or badand make a change
Monday, March 9, 2020
8 Lessons on How to Move Abroad For Your Job
8 Lessons on How to Move Abroad For Your Job I still remember that call, asking me whether I would be interested in considering a move overseas to take up a significant role and career change in Singapore.Having been based in the U.K. all my life, it was a fairly life-defining moment for me. Could this be the opportunity I was looking for, as Id been wanting more challenge and instead was finding myself plateauing in my role? Was this fate stepping in?Now, I know that for most people, making a decision to move abroad for a new job is certainly not an easy one. There are so many things to consider, but what I learned from my first overseas move has continued to support me throughout all the subsequent moves Ive experienced throughout my career.Here are eight lessons on how to move abroad for a job.1. Consider whether you are moving alone or with your family/partner.If you move alone, your existing support network wont necessarily be there, but also be mindful that moving others abroad with you comes with its own pressure. Its hard not to feel responsible for how well theyll integrate into the new country, for instance.2. Dont try and replicate what you had at home.Living in a large property with gardens and a garage is often unheard of when moving to certain countries. Be prepared that your living conditions may change, but see that as an opportunity to live as the locals do.3. Recognize that youll be a guest in someone elses country.And that means respecting their culture. Take time to embrace that experience, and be aware that cultural differences may be evident. Often, these are expressed as differing work styles within your new office. One area that still surprises me is that cultures have different appreciations of timeliness therefore, you shouldnt necessarily expect that because you are always on time for a meeting or call, others will be as well.4. Hunt out resources.There are some great tools and resources available to understand how different cultures work, like the site Commisceo Global, which offers free culture guides to over 80 countries. Use those to assist you in improving cross-cultural understanding.5. Make sure you understand the basics like the cost of living.Moving abroad for a job as a local hire versus an expat are very different, so take the time to understand how much basics like rent, food and utility bills would detract from your new salary.6. Make sure you understand the logistics.In some cases, you become a tax resident in the new country depending on your home location, but its important to seek some advice in advance so you dont get a shock later on.7. Appreciate your newly global network.Take advantage of the fact that you went from a local to global network. This is something that has proved a real benefit for me throughout my career in my ability to call upon colleagues far and wide.8. Be grateful for your transformative new opportunity.The wonderful career development and experiences youll gain from it c ouldnt have been achieved any other way.--Lis Brown is a People Leader with more than 25 years experience in the Management Consulting and Technology Industries. She has spent most of her career working around the globe and has truly embraced operating across different cultures and working styles, often being the only woman leader in the room. Lis is a passionate supporter of all aspects of Diversity and more importantly in ensuring inclusive and supportive environments for all. She is known for her strong moral compass and has no fear in speaking out and doing the right thing.
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