Accustomed to Your Miserable Job Heres How to Tell If You Have #8216;Golden Handcuffs#8217; Syndrome

Accustomed to Your Miserable Job Heres How to Tell If You Have 8216Golden Handcuffs8217 Syndrome Do any of these statements apply to you? Im counting the months/years until I retire.I hate my job, but love the income.My job situation is bound to get better if I just hang inthere.I may not like my current career, but I know Im good at it.Im constantly worried about my position being eliminated.Ive lost interest in my work, but I enjoy the camaraderie of the people.My associates know the caliber of my work. I dont have to keep proving myself.The chances of my finding a job I will truly enjoy are slim tonone.When friends talk about their new careers, I wish I had the courage to make a change as well.Changing careers is much riskierthan staying where I am.I doubt I can find an equivalent position at another company.I would rather swim with sharks than start a job search.I tend to focus on the negative s of a career change, rather than contemplating the positives.My family and friends think Im in the catbird seat. They tell me Id be crazy to make a change.Work isnt meant to be satisfying. Thats why its called work.If you checked one or two of these statements, you may have just had a bad dayif you checked several, youre probably stuck in the rut of comfortablemisery.Those who suffer from this malady go through the motions of completing their projects and daily tasks but experience little satisfaction or sense of accomplishment.So, why do professionals cling to their hated occupations? There are many reasonsMany talented professionals question their marketability. Often theyve been employed by one company for a number of years and find it difficult to believe anyone else will hire them. They may also have no understanding of how their skills and experience can transfer to the world beyond their current company.Optimists and pessimists alike tend to embrace the status quo. Optimists are sure things will get better if they stick around long enough pessimists assume there are no truly satisfying positions anywhere, so why expend the effort looking for one?Golden Handcuffs account for a lot of the comfortable misery. A prestigious company, attractive compensation package, impressivetitle, and the promise of more to come keep people from leaving jobs they hate.When a person is frustrated and unmotivated by their position, simply doing thejob can sap their strength. When just showing up at work each day is a major effort, just imagining the search foranother job adds to the mental fatigue.Feedback from trusted others can cause us to rely on the status quo instead of pursuing something better. It is common for people to stay in jobs they hate because their friends and family question their motives for leaving.A comfortable work environment that doesnt expect too much, appreciates your work, and surrounds you with friendly colleagues can be a very enticing place, eve n when the job leaves much to be desired.Lots of professionals stay where they are because they cant face the prospect of looking for a new opportunity. A job search is hard work and often full of rejection. Unless a merger or downsizing forces them into it, a number of dissatisfied careerists will sacrifice long-term gain to avoid short-term pain.