KEY POINTS:
If you're feeling bored or uninspired and are experiencing ongoing dissatisfaction with your job, then you're probably in a rut and will need to do something about it, says business coach Jasbindar Singh.
"It's quite normal for us human beings to feel this from time to time," says Singh. " It's just a very normal natural human thing that we get into a rut in some sphere of our lives."
She says many of us suffer from a syndrome called 'domination by routine' whereby we lack a challenge, adventure, excitement and inspiration. It can really be a problem if it drags on for a long time and begins to affect our mood. You can start heading down a spiral of anger or depression. In extreme situations people can start to turn to everything from food to drugs to alleviate the symptoms, says Singh. Unfortunately, the most important thing to do in this situation is the one thing which might seem the hardest to do - take action.
"When you're in a rut one of the key things is to actually take that first step. It doesn't have to be massive. It's not like climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. It's just about getting into your gym gear and going for that walk."
Singh says it's important that you stop running on autopilot and listen to your intuition and feelings.
"When you're in a rut you're not really doing yourself or anyone around you a favour."
Singh says people let things drag out when they're in a rut for three main reasons:
* They have a fear of the future.
* They believe there is too much effort required for change.
* We all have a certain amount of complacency when we're in our comfort zone.
But just talking with someone about where your career is at can help you gain clarity, objectivity and insight.
"I think it's really helpful to go and talk to somebody like a career counsellor or an executive coach. Just talk to somebody. Sometimes it's almost irrelevant whether it's a career coach or a really good trusted friend," says Singh.
Finding yourself in a rut may be perfectly normal and natural but staying in one is a path to misery. Singh says some people stay that way for years.
"A rut is a horrible place to be permanently. I think it's really important that we're constantly re-inventing ourselves and renewing ourselves, however you do it. If you don't then life is pretty shut down and miserable."
Being in a rut is an indication that you need a renewal of your mindset and experiences. It shows we need to make a change to regain that energy and spark. Discovering something you really enjoy is the perfect ticket out.
"What we know is that if people are doing things they have a passion for, then they're more likely to be successful at it. If they're doing things that they enjoy then they're more likely to not be in a rut or not to get into a rut again."
But unfortunately many people pull themselves out of one rut only to fall right back into another one a short time later.
Alexandra Beck, Head of People Partners at TPG, says this is most likely because the person may have made only cosmetic changes.
"If a person finds themselves in a rut, they probably need to make more than a few minor changes to their current situation. Without this, there is a higher chance of a temporary lift from a slight modification but then soon after the novelty of the new change has worn off, they will end up back where they started - feeling dissatisfied and de-motivated."
Beck says it's important to take a step back and look at your situation. Talk with an objective third party and find out what the real issues are.
"It might be a work rut but it could also be a life rut. It could be where we live or the relationship we're in. A number of things could come into play," says Beck.
With a work rut, Beck says you need to ask a few questions in order to dig your way out.
* What is it that you're trying to achieve?
* What are your interests and values?
* What activities do you enjoy at work and outside of work?
* What are the current skills you've got and how transferable are they? * How can that be applied in the areas that you want to move into?
The answers to these questions may not be easy.
They might reveal that your current career will never bring you long-term satisfaction.
Real work might be involved and serious changes might need to be made to pull you out of your rut. Beck says too many people just stop there.
"Unfortunately this ends up in the 'too hard basket' and they end up taking an easier option and changing jobs within the same field, rather than going through the hard work sometimes necessary to change vocation."
The lack of follow through is a prime reason why some people can stay in a rut for years.
"I've seen people reach the conclusion that they do need to change something in their lives, but when it actually comes to the doing, for some reason they lack the motivation or confidence or belief in themselves that it will make a difference and things will get better," says Beck.
But since your work life is even shorter than your actual life, it pays to get it right.
"Seize the opportunity. Don't delay and put it off. Go and get some advice whether it's investing in a coach or seeing someone else you trust."
It may be time to invest in some more education. But Beck says you had better do your homework first.
A three-year tertiary qualification is expensive, especially if you take yourself out of the labour market to complete it. You're then missing valuable real-world experience.
"Someone may already have a significant amount of transferable work experience and would be better placed doing a more vocationally oriented short course."
But some higher education remains the minimum criteria for many jobs.
"A tertiary qualification is the entry level for a lot of jobs - regardless of whether you need it or not. Unfortunately that's the reality," says Beck.
Whatever changes you want to make with your career, it pays to be decisive once you know where you're headed.
"When you're more clear about where you want to go to, you can take a more structured approach. It also comes across in an interview situation that you're motivated and sure about what you want rather than taking a scatter gun approach," says Beck.
When making a change it also pays to take into account any financial considerations or other factors that might limit particular career choices.
If you're tied to a large mortgage, then stepping too far down the salary ladder might not make sense.
But that doesn't mean significant career changes can't be made later in life.
"People who have already had two or three different careers and then make the move to their 'dream' job later on in life are often even more fulfilled by their change of direction than a younger person making a similar move."
