Is Your Job Holding You Back? How Being Too Content Can Create Complacency

One of my favorite motivational speakers is Les Brown. If you’ve never heard of him, you should look him up and check out some of his YouTube videos. He's the speaker who coined the term “there’s greatness within you”.

I love that line.

It’s always a reminder to me everytime I hear it.

Because there really is greatness in each and every one of us.

When I talk to women, I can tell when they have a wonderful gift inside of them that is patiently awaiting for her to unleash it to the world. It absolutely amazes me that there are thousands of women who have passions, dreams, business ideas, and talents that are lying dormant and not being utilized.

And when I ask these women why they aren’t sharing their gifts or going after their dreams, the explanation I hear most frequently is that they just don’t have the time to commit to it because of their other responsibilities, mainly their jobs. One woman even told me that her job stresses her out so much that she has no energy left at the end of the work day to properly tend to her family. The crazy thing is, I can totally relate to feeling like a job is depleting your energy and making you feel miserable. As most of you know (well, that's if you listen to the All QueensArmy Podcast) I still work full time myself, so I know all too well how a job can drain your creative and productive energy. But, energy depletion and stress are only two of the distractions that jobs can cause. H

ere’s two more reasons that most people never follow their passion and dream and end up getting stuck in a mediocre and unfulfilling job/career.

Fear - The reality is, most of us ladies have to work full time because we have to financially provide for ourselves and our families. This is a fact. And the thought (or risk) of launching a business idea, changing your career, following a dream, or levering your talent to make money is scary as hell. That's a leap that most people are unwilling to take. But, let’s admit it, we can get so comfortable with the dependability of a stable and consistent income that we put our dreams and goals on the back burner for ever. Of course we can’t just up and leave our 9 - 5’s. Nor can we be so enmeshed in building our dream career or business that we neglect the job and risk getting fired. But, we shouldn’t ignore our dreams, talents, and passions only to stay in survival mode. If you are constantly in a state of survival mode, you are not living and eventually that will lead to frustration, bitterness

, and unhappiness over time.

So, how do you balance starting to move your career down the path of your dreams while still managing to work your job full time to pay the bills? Well, my suggestion is we stop using the job as the excuse as to why we’re not investing any of our time working on what we really want to do. Of course, time is limited. I get that. But you can find at least one hour a day to work on your dreams, goals, and passions. So, that’s my suggestion. Set aside at least one hour (or more if you can swing it) to work on your dream everyday. I know you may feel like you’ll neve get anything new off the ground if you’re only spending an hour a day doing it. But I promise you this - spending one hour every day for a whole year will get you further along than procrastinating or making excuses during that same year and doing nothing. That’s 365 hours worked on your dream vs zero hours and still being in the same situation a year from now.

Bottom line, just start. Start small. With minimal time commitments. Not only will the job become less and less of a distraction, it will also eventually become less and less of a necessity if you remain consistent.

Complacency - This is what happens when you’ve gotten too cozy in your comfort zone. It’s what happens when you tolerate the job because of things like decent pay, or ok benefits, or flexible schedule despite disliking other major factors about the workplace. Complacency is also defined by your decision to settle for the job that’s easy, convenient, or familiar just so that you can avoid having to make the effort of finding another job or creating/starting a business doing something that you love.

Let’s be honest, it takes courage and energy to step out of your comfort zone, and that’s why most people opt to sit in it trying to convince themselves that they’re ok for so long. But, complacency is a bigger problem then you may realize. Here’s why.

When you get complacent, you tend to tolerate less than you deserve and not live up to the potential that you have. Both of which causes subconscious beliefs and feelings of inadequacies, low self worth, and low self esteem. Over time, the longer you stay in positions that do not fulfill you, value you, ignite your passion, or utilize your talents you become less happy with your life in general. This becomes a form of neglecting your emotional wellbeing and ultimately leads to a lack of self love. (Yup, I know this just went as deep as the ocean, but I have to give my Queens the facts). Think about it. What does staying in a job (or any situation for that matter) that does not fulfill you or allow you to express your talent and best qualities say about what YOU feel you deserve or what YOU are willing to tolerate? - Nibble on that.

Queen, you owe it to yourself to do what you love and love what you do. You owe it to yourself to explore your talents. Don’t revolve your life around a job, especially one that you are not absolutely in love with. And don’t exchange money or any other comfort or perceived necessity for your self worth. You deserve a career and a life that you enjoy, one that is fulfilling and meaningful, one that gives you the energy and excitement to get up and get your day started. God did not put us on this earth just to survive, work, and pay bills. He put us here to live, create, evolve, and grow. So, don’t settle for the job you tolerate. Take the step to create your dream and do what you love.

Love ya Queens, mean it!

Coach Breezy