Stop waiting for the work to get better

Are you willing to go on a journey on your own? Does that idea make you a little nervous?

For a lot of people, uncertainty is exactly what keeps them from taking the first step toward feeling better at work. When you start down a new path, you don’t really know where it might lead—and that can feel uncomfortable.

We also don’t talk much about self-help or the things we discover when we take time to reflect on ourselves. Those quiet moments of self-reflection usually happen behind the scenes, even though they can lead to some of the most meaningful changes.

We talk about our weekends, our family drama (except me, I of course don’t have family drama), reels we watched, etc. And if we talk about work, it’s often about the things that could be better.

This is what’s normal, accepted, and what we have to work with. Because of this, it can feel isolating to want something different—or to realize you may have to pursue that change on your own.

No wonder it’s not top of the list. For many nurses, it’s not even on the list. Who has time to do something that’s unfamiliar and potentially uncomfortable by themselves? What is it we are even trying to do anyway?

If we wait for the culture to be right or a squad of cheerleaders to come with us, we will never start.

Feeling better at work is a journey that begins individually. It begins with a personal choice to give it a go. Much like starting a new eating plan or exercise regimen, it can be done with or without outside support, but it still depends on you taking the first step.

You must choose to jump in. Being unhappy or unfulfilled isn’t enough; you have to be willing to do something about it.

Are you willing to do something about it?

Are you willing to plan? Are you willing to learn something new, strategies that may seem unlikely to help? Are you willing to investigate options, the same way you might look for new, high-protein, low-carb recipes? Are you willing to enlist a friend for support?

Or are you banking on “things might get better” or silently accepting “this is just the way it is”?

NOOOOO!

Things will not get better without intervention. I wish they would.

And I reject that “this is just the way it is”. We have way more power than to settle for the status quo. We deserve more than settling for the status quo. The work we do is important, and we deserve to be able to do it without suffering.

Feeling better at work, feeling more engaged and dedicated, feeling more alive and not less alive is 100% possible. It isn’t an elusive, magical fantasy.

But it isn’t going to come to you; you need to go to it.

This is one of those occasions where we don’t know what we don’t know.  You may be surprised even reading this, that you had adopted an attitude of passive acceptance.

If you want to get in shape, you have to exercise. It starts with a choice.

If you want to be healthy, you need to put nutritious food in your body. It starts with a choice.

If you want to be financially secure, you need to manage your money. It starts with a choice.

If you want to feel better at work and in life, you have to try new things. It starts with a choice.

You don’t need to know all the options and pathways before you begin; you can figure it out as you go along. Some things will work better than others. You may try things that don’t work at all. This is true any time you attempt a change.

It’s also true that you can’t experience change if you choose to stay the same.

Where you are now doesn’t have to be bad for you to want better. Who you are now is perfectly fine.

AND

Wouldn’t it be exciting to see what would happen if you tried something new?

What if simply deciding to explore the possibility is the first step toward feeling better at work—and in your life?

See you there.

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 If you’re ready to stop waiting for things to change, you don’t have to do it alone.

I offer 1:1 coaching for nurses who want to feel better at work and in life. Sometimes the first step is simply deciding to explore what’s possible. Reach out at Megan@NursingBeyondtheJob.com