“I will give it a month. If I do not get promoted, I will resign.” Sara started working in a renowned financial firm six months ago as a marketing executive and wants to move on. She sounded dissatisfied as she described her short lived career experience to me.
Samir wants to start a business to “make as much money as possible and retire early.” I advised him that he is probably setting himself up for disappointment, as his goals are not defined by passion but by an intention to make millions as soon as possible.
Reena is a recent graduate who lives with her parents and is stressed by the job market as she cannot “find a suitable role which pays her enough to support her lifestyle.” I couldn't help but suggest that her salary expectations are not set realistically, keeping in mind that she lacks work experience.
We are an impatient bunch of people who are ready to quit when something is not working our way. From a bad relationship to a bad job, the ‘moving on’ formula seems to work well-enough for our generation in every situation.
As young, ambitious and smart people, we do not want to be associated with the word ‘slow’ in any variation. It could be a well-suited personnel waiting to climb the corporate ladder or a shabby entrepreneur gleaming with his startup idea –the impatient attitude is a persistent characteristic.
This could be influenced by various social factors. Firstly, we are taught to strive for personal and professional betterment. While self-improvement in the longing for better job prospects is a great attribute to possess, it also develops a tendency to itch for a frequent change unknowingly.
Finding the right balance is quite tricky, isn't it? Secondly, we are inundated with quick fixes in the present world. Our problems become great business ideas that are mostly resolved by a few clicks on the worldwide web.
There is always an app available to deliver any goods or services at your doorstep instantly. The tendency of having one’s needs fulfilled without working hard for them has further nurtured the impatient streak in us.
Thirdly, the digital comparison has preyed upon our minds undeniably. Facebook posts with #ILoveMyJob, work promotions, lavish holidays, swanky cars do admittedly force us to revisit our definitions of success, thereby remaking our perceived individual inadequacies.
How does one understand the thin line between a calculated job change and outright career hastiness? Quittingtimely to avoid the boredom of routine is smart.
But taking a shortcut for career achievement and limiting hard work in the pursuit of immediate golden results is a precarious pathway. Before quitting your job, double check if you can tweak your attitude.
Professional patience will liberate you from external insecurities and allow you to enjoy your work life more than ever. It will also enable you to experience the thrill of chasing the next step on the ladder.
Be patient to embrace the randomness of life. As Deepak Chopra, popular author and founder of The Chopra Foundation says, “At the outset of my medical career, I had the security of knowing exactly where I was headed...Yet what I didn’t count on was the uncertainty of life, and what uncertainty can do to a person.
"If only I knew then, as I know now, that there is wisdom in uncertainty — it opens a door to the unknown, and only from the unknown can life be renewed constantly,”.