Are You In The Wrong Career?
by Deborah Brown, contributing columnist

Are you happy when you come to work in the morning, or happy when it is time to go home? Do you look forward to Friday, and then get knots in your stomach on Sunday evenings? If this is the case, there is probably nothing wrong with you physically. You may be in the wrong career.

Most people view their lives as being separate parts: work life/social life/home life. Your life has many components, but when you are in the wrong career, the rest of your life is out of balance.

So How Do You Know If You Are In The Wrong Career? 

Ask Yourself The Following:

1. Do I Have A Hard Time Falling Asleep At Night?

Are you so wound up at the end of the day that you cannot seem to calm down at night? If you are playing the same thoughts in your head over and over again, you are probably trying to get closure for the day. You could also be trying to make sense of what is happening around you. If you were in the right career, you would fall asleep easier. 

2. Do I Have Trouble Making It To Work On Time?

Most of the time, being late does not happen by accident. Yes, outside circumstance could be the reason you are not getting to work on time, but your lateness is probably a result of you not wanting to be there. If you were in the right career, you would make it to work on time.

3. Do I Feel Rundown?

Have you put on weight recently? Stopped exercising? Do you get frequent headaches, stomachaches, or colds? All are tell-tale signs that your career is taking away from your quality of life. If you were in the right career, you would not be punishing your body like you are.

4. Do I Wish I Were Somewhere Else?

If you wish you were something else, then it may be time to make a plan to get yourself there. There does not have to be anything wrong with you for 
wanting something different. If your inner voice is screaming for more, it may be time to listen. If you were in the right career, you might think about doing something else, but not all the time.

5. Do I Believe That There Is Nothing I Can Do About My Situation?

When you are in the wrong career, you lose the ability to see a way out. You become consumed with your unhappiness, and forget that something is better around the corner. If you were in the right career, your thinking would be more clearer.

Choosing the wrong career is a common mistake and it can be fixed. You can use this as a learning experience and move on, or you could use it as an excuse to stay where you are. No matter where you are in your career, you can make it better. The choice is up to you.

So, what will it be? You only have one life to live so it might as well be a life you love.