I Hate My Job! Should I Quit?

I Hate My Job! Should I Quit? Michelle: G’day. I’m Michelle, and welcome to Thank God It’s Friday! This week we have another legendary lady joining us. Christie Henderson, welcome. Christie: Hi. Michelle: Now, I’ve been lucky enough to know Christie for a number of years, and what struck me most about her legendary status is her incredible courage to keep working her way through different situations until she’s really found success and happiness. So Christie, tell us a little bit about your journey. Christie: I started in a nursing degree, decided I didn’t want to do that after one year. And then I moved into tourism marketing and was there for the whole time, graduated in that, and decided that that wasn’t for me either. And then did a graduate law degree and ended up in quite a big firm after I finished, and thought that was going to be the dream job, the place I wanted to be. And I ended up hating it—it wasn’t for me at all—and had the courage to move back to a small firm. And now I really enjoy my work. Michelle: What’s going through your head during that process? Christie: Definitely failure. This is the position a lot of people would strive for, so to give it up was hard. And especially telling your colleagues in that role, they couldn’t believe what I was doing. They thought I was stupid and it was the biggest mistake ever, and I got further job offers to stay in the big firm in more senior roles, and things like that. But I just knew the environment, the clients, the colleagues, just wasn’t the place for me. And it did take me a year to make that move, so it’s not an easy move. But I’m glad I did it. Michelle: As you’re going through that process of trying to make that decision, what were the things you found most helpful? Like you talk about a year sort of being in that position, what helped to tip you forward in the end? Christie: I sought life coaching from yourself, and I was able to identify what was working and what wasn’t working. And the biggest thing was stepping back, taking an objective look at what I was doing and how I was performing in my role, and seeing where I was excelling and where I wasn’t. And it was highlighting those bits that I was excelling at and then finding a position that matched those skills. Michelle: And as part of that, I know it was really helpful to discover what your strengths were. How important was it to imagine what success now looked like? Because part of what you’re talking about there is you had this vision of success of working in this large firm and doing the law which you love, and then you get there, realize that’s not it. How do you re-imagine success? Christie: It’s tough, because you have this perception of what is going to be great. And I guess, especially in law when you’re studying, there’s a lot of preconceptions about what is success. And I think it’s bringing it back to the basics of what’s success within yourself, and what’s going to make you happy and therefore be successful. And that’s not always what the outside world or society may say is successful. Michelle: So it’s finding those things intrinsically, sort of value your own compass, and imagining a new definition of success around that rather than what other people might have prescribed. Christie: That’s exactly right. Michelle: Thank you so much for being with us Christie. Now, knowing without doing is a waste of your time, and you’re much too smart for that. So take this week’s challenge and step it up. What’s your definition of success? Take a few minutes now and reflect on are you actually chasing extrinsic goals, things that other people are saying you should want, or do you have your compass set around the things that you internally value. Head on over to michellemcquaid.com, tell us what success looks like for you, and see what others are saying. If you like this video, be sure to subscribe and share it with your family and friends. And if you want more tips on how you can create success and happiness on your own terms at work, then stop by michellemcquaid.com and sign up for our free email updates where you’ll hear it all first. In the meantime, stay strong. You are good enough, and the world needs you to shine your light in the way that only you can. Now if you know a legendary lady who’s inspiring you to step it up, make sure you let us know. We’d love to interview them. Until next week, thanks for watching ChelleMcQuaid TV, take care. Michelle: I’ve been sitting here all day talking to myself, just going, no, that’s not it. Christie: Start again. Start again. Cut! Michelle: Cut! I Hate My Job! Should I Quit? 1