My email fills up with new client inquiries after their gut grumbles loud enough to contact me. Our first call is part gripe session, part daydreaming of calmer times ahead. Like the cycle of Grief, wanting a career change moves through contemplation, anger, analysis, sadness, disbelief, bargaining, and—hopefully—acceptance. Each stage compounds emotions like a middle school science experiment.
Reacting to career frustrations is vastly different from proactively shaping your day-to-day work for your future.
Are you assuming work will always be available? Will your role always exist in some form? The average lifespan of a company before merging or folding is just seven years. Over a lifetime, your job is likely to be eliminated in some capacity—through restructuring, Downsizing, or automation.
Both can be true—new opportunities are possible, change is inevitable, frustrations will arise, promotions will happen AND you might be taking your current role for granted.
Before panic tightens your ribcage and lowers your oxygen intake, don’t fear—seasoned professionals will always be in demand.
Notice I didn’t ask if you’re a complacent employee. You can control your personal Growth while still shuffling to work.
Work can feel frustrating—especially when bonuses shrink, promotions pass you by, or teammates resign without replacements. Rapid growth without enough hiring or losing talent to salary battles, can leave leaders constantly climbing. These challenges can drain motivation, but don’t let them.
Compounding discouragement from daily resourcing issues threatens our work purpose. This purpose fuels our growth mindset. It’s on you to extract what you need from your job, even if you do not love it. If you take your ability to work for granted, your employer is doing all of the taking FROM you.
When life hands you lemons, sometimes everything sours for a while. The season of making lemonade may be a ways off. That’s why staying in the zone now is important, one day you might not be able to literally be at work.
Another career disruptor? Unexpected time off. Mid-career, seismic shifts don’t just happen at work—they happen in life. Your body or mind may require unplanned leave. If not you, then a loved one. On every team I’ve managed, associates have taken short- and long-term disability—maternity leave, medical recovery, family care. My own medical setbacks have sidelined events, projects, relocations, and promotions.
The average full-time employee takes three sick days a year. Thirty percent will use short-term disability. Those needing long-term disability are often out for five or more years.
Over time, most people will be forced to take extended leave. Annually, 6% of professionals step away from work for medical reasons—not including FMLA or disability. Many of my clients, like me, want to be at the forefront of work and life purpose.
Even when work is vexing, show up. Focus on building skills or Relationships instead of carrying resentment into every meeting.
1. Find Your Next Boss – Strong professional bonds can lead to new roles, teams, or companies. The workplace is always shifting. Stay connected to people you respect. If you take work for granted, you’ll miss out on career-changing relationships.
2. Your Work Best Friend – True office friendships can be key in your next transition. When it’s time for a move, a trusted colleague can help you land where you belong. Don’t take these connections for granted.
3. The More You Work, the More You Learn – Staying relevant creates new opportunities. Confidence attracts the next role. If you take work for granted, you’ll miss valuable growth moments.
4. Expertise Matters – When you operate at a growth edge, you know more than most. Even frustrating experiences can serve as talking points in interviews. If you take work for granted, you’ll overlook key details that could propel you forward.
5. Grit is Found at the Bottom of the Barrel – Desperation is unattractive. If you take work for granted, you’ll cultivate resentment instead of resilience. Leave negativity at the door and maximize your current role—whether or not you plan to stay.
6. Long-Term Strategy Wins – The best career moves come when you’re already positioned for success. Taking work for granted keeps you stuck in a fixed mindset. A growth mindset keeps doors open.
By shifting your energy from entitlement to appreciation, you transform not just your career, but your outlook. Whether you’re in a season of frustration or fulfillment, your work experience is shaping your future—if you let it.
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