On sitting up straight and being bothered

When we are tired and jaded in our work, when it seems to offer no scope for improvement or opportunities for challenge – or we can’t be bothered to seek, create or accept them – our performance may plateau or decline. That is not a happy place to be and exacerbates a situation that has already become devoid of pleasure and interest. 

And while it can happen at any age, the difference at 50+ is that the feeling may be compounded by fear or despondency that it’s too late to change anything anyway. Even the thought of making one small adjustment – if only we knew what that might be – can be wearying. 

So we slump in our rut. And retirement – somewhere out there on the horizon – begins to look like the only way out of it. If we just sit and wait, it will arrive and then we can get up and take control of our lives again.

This situation is no fun for anyone. It’s testing to experience personally. It’s also tricky for a manager to manage, particularly without recourse to the solaces of ageism, which used to (🤔) explain everything away and got you off the hook of doing something about it.

Are you experiencing this state of inertia and lack of stimulation, interest, control, hope? Is this how you want to be spending your precious life? No? Would you like to talk about it?

Do you suspect that someone you manage feels like this? And is it taking its toll on you, too? Would you like to talk about how to help them shift from passive, glum resistance back to active, engaged contribution? Do you want to sit up and do your bit?

It’s my job and my mission to stop people from slumping in a rut of career unhappiness for fear of change, for lack of insight or information, or from a sense of disempowerment and hopelessness. 

So get in touch and start sitting up straight and looking around. Life looks so much more promising from that angle.

Photo: Michaela Filipcikova on Unsplash