The Settling Cycle: The 5 Phases of Faked Contentment
Reading Time: 5 minutes
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If I were to ask you if you’ve settled in your career, what would your response be? The hard truth is that most people don’t even realize that not only have they settled, but they’re actually currently stuck in the settling cycle. And it’s this vicious cycle that keeps many professionals from ever achieving career satisfaction.
PHASE 1: “I Want Something New.”
The self-induced illusion of your phony contentment is finally starting to break. You’ve actually realized that you aren’t happy in your current state and would like something new. But, here comes the fear of the unknown with a dash of anxiety trying to paralyze you and keep you from moving forward.
PHASE 2: “I’m Just Starting To See Some Success, So I Shouldn’t Leave.”
This is where you start to over embellish whatever small victories have come with your current state. For example, you could be well aware that your current position hasn’t allowed you to utilize most of your talents, knowledge, or skill set. Yet, you might justify this by citing those 3 times in your year with the company that your boss gave you a little creative freedom or the opportunity to take on a small task that you enjoyed. News flash sis, that’s not enough!
PHASE 3: “My Team Really Needs Me Now, So I Shouldn’t Leave.”
This idea that employees should stay with companies or positions that don’t benefit them or make them happy just because they “need” them is toxic. It’s the same thing as that ex from your past who guilt-tripped their way into trapping you for way longer than necessary. Similarly, you need to just rip the bandaid off and facilitate the “breakup.” The longer you stay, the deeper the attachment. Also, let’s not forget that if your company needed to cut labor costs to reduce overhead, you’d be out the door in an instant. So, let’s not kid ourselves by thinking this is anything more than “just business.”
PHASE 4: “I’m Desperate! Now, I NEED Something New.”
This is the point where you finally accept that you’ve been procrastinating this entire time and that you should’ve taken that leap long ago. So, you’re freaking out! You’re allowing all these feelings of time wasted and “ever nevers” to push you to your breaking point.
PHASE 5: “I’ll Just Take Whatever I Can Because I Don’t Have Time To Be Picky.”
There it is. That devil of a predicament where you almost trick yourself into repeating the cycle ALL OVER AGAIN. It’s that “rebound” of jobs. This phase will have you taking any new job opportunity you can, just so that you can have that shallow, short-lived satisfaction of saying, “I left.”
If you’ve found yourself trapped in the settling cycle and would like some assistance freeing yourself, we can help! Grab a copy of The Ultimate Career Guide to help you gain clarity and identify the action steps needed for your career move. Because honestly, it will NEVER be “the right time” until you plan your time RIGHT.
