When work takes up most of your life, it's hard to imagine entering professional circles in the hours surrounding your 9-5. However, doing so will reinvigorate you to meet people who work outside of your corporate bubble.
The data tells us that at least 85% of jobs are landed through warm connections (I suspect the actual figure is higher). Growing your network to people outside your current organization is invaluable to your long-term career trajectory. Not sure where to begin? Start by asking people who you professionally admire which non-company specific networking events they like to go to, and ask if you can accompany them!
Next, look up networking events near you on sites like Meetup.com or your local city's calendar of events. If you need accountability, recruit a buddy to come with you to networking events. Then, hold each other accountable to getting out there regularly!
Maybe you played tennis throughout college, but now you never get the chance. Or maybe you were a competitive scrabble player, but now Words with Friends is your only outlet. Or, like me, you're an animal lover and have always wanted to help dogs in need. Pick an activity that brings you absolute joy, and make a commitment to doing more of it.
Next, specify your intent to the people around you — verbalizing our goals makes us more likely to accomplish them, and it helps our coworkers feel more connected to us as human beings. Tell your family and your colleagues "I'm going to get back into tennis this year!" or "I have two foster puppies at home from my local rescue!" Now, when you head out at 5:01 p.m. on the dot to meet your friend for a game or hang out with your dogs, nobody will bat an eye.
Did you used to love to make jewelry, but now you never do it anymore? Maybe you used to freelance in the evenings for a data analytics company, but you backed off when work got too stressful.
When you're feeling stuck and frustrated at work, this can be a great time to refocus your free time and attention towards a part-time revenue generating activity, also known as a side hustle. I have clients who side-hustle in dog sitting, personal training, data analytics, selling crafts, and more. It can bolster our self-esteem to have multiple sources of income. And, most importantly, this practice can remind you that there are other ways that you can make money besides your day job, so you're probably not as stuck to it as you might feel.
While these activities won't explicitly change your current job, they will give you something different and energizing to look forward to as you rethink your current work situation.
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