Which Direction Are You Heading?

One of the first things most clients say to me is that they wished they would’ve taken the first step in leaving their toxic job sooner. I totally get that sentiment— once you know that better exists, it’s easy to chastise yourself for not running towards it sooner.

Sometimes, though, we run from things not towards new things. We get hyper fixated on the toxicity of our current situation that we run so hard away from the bad situation… and we run into another bad situation. This often feels like job hopping, going from bad job to bad job, and continually running from places and spaces that no longer serve you.

Before you start any job search, take time to inventory what you’re leaving behind and what you’re carrying forward. What warning signs, environments, management styles, companies, and other factors have you discovered take you out of being your best? What needs to be true in your next role to feel supported, valued, and recognized?

Use those questions to create a “hell yes” and a “hell no” list to give yourself boundaries in your search. You’re running towards the hell yes criteria and avoiding the hell no list.

Set intentional goals on what the next thing needs to be and build boundaries to protect it. If you need to flex a boundary, do so intentionally. Maybe the market isn’t paying for a particular skill or you found a role that meets the criteria but it’s in office. Weigh the risk and benefit and intentionally decide if flexing that boundary is something you’re willing to do. Are there tradeoffs?

Protect your energy and intentionally run towards what’s meant for you. The rest is just baggage from bad bosses and toxic workplaces that was never ours to carry in the first place. ❤️