Navigating a Toxic Job Environment: The Art of Creating a Meaningful Impact
Are you working in a toxic job environment? What do you do if your job is making you miserable?
As I shared in my Canaversary post last week, for a long time, I was not happy in the work I was doing. Without naming names, you’d be surprised to find out which companies were the most toxic. I’m a survivor of a toxic workplace where bullying and harassment seemed inherent to the culture.1 The toll on my mental health and overall well-being was immense, to the point where physical stress-related symptoms started to appear.
I often wondered: How could I muster up the energy and willpower to go running every day, yet seem to have lost my passion for everything else I used to care so much about?
Physical and mental health aren’t separate, and the environment you spend most of your waking hours in has a huge impact on both. You can’t fix a toxic organization from the bottom up. Trust me, I’ve tried. But without top-down support from executives, any project or initiative is ultimately doomed to fail.
The good news is you can repair the damage, both physical and mental.2 But it’s not like you get sick and then get magically cured after reading that popular self-help book. It’s a fine line. After making some important changes, I’ve not only felt better mentally but also physically. I sleep better, and even my eyesight has improved to the point where I don’t need to wear glasses anymore (except for long days on the computer, if I want to). You can’t change the past, but you can choose to honor it.
Monday's Aren’t the Problem: Your Job Might Be
The line “Monday's are fine. It's your life that sucks” has been used one too many times to promote entrepreneurialism as the blanket solution for everything. While starting your own business can be rewarding, it’s not a guaranteed recipe for success. Nothing is. Be careful with following generic “advice” from gurus and people on social media. They don’t know you or how their advice applies to your personal situation. Finding and following your calling is a personal journey, but that doesn't mean you should do it alone. Find good mentors and never stop practicing.
The idea to quit your job and do something radically different (like travel the world, start a business) has gained a lot of popularity. Just check out the self-help aisle of any (virtual) bookstore, or (if you must) take a look at the “suggested” posts in your Instagram feed.3 You can’t just quit your job and walk away. There are bills to pay and responsibilities to fulfill.
There’s a saying in Dutch: don’t throw away your old shoes until you have found a new pair.
Do something different, sure. But let’s focus on adding something new instead of throwing stuff out.
9-5 vs. 5-9: When Are You Most Fulfilled?
Are you having the most fun and feeling the most rewarded from 9-5 or from 5-9 (when you’re not working)? It doesn’t matter which side you’re on, as long as you stop believing the other side is better. Comparing is at the source of all evil. Sometimes, I like working on the weekend because it allows me to focus on that one project without distractions. But what if every day could be organized that way? Weekends are great. Take the time to relax, enjoy with family, friends, or loved ones, and then also look forward to going back to work on Monday. Live a portfolio life4 filled with interesting challenges and variety.
Building a life (instead of a living) isn’t an overnight success. Far from it. I fell into the trap of thinking that quitting your job and following the dream would work overnight. Instead, I went from making a lot of money to making zero money, overnight. I learned the hard way it’s not an overnight fix. Creating and cultivating freedom is a process that you have to go through. And one day, eventually, you’ll get there.
Add, Don’t Subtract: Building a Life You Love
The first step is to look for additional options to add to your life. Adding good things is a lot more fun than forcefully removing the old. Over time, the addition of something good will work miracles in your life as it has in mine.5 Life doesn’t have to be defined by your 9-5 job; it can include those 5-9 projects you are passionate about as well. (Or the other way around, whichever you prefer.)
It doesn’t require a radical, life-changing move or even quitting your job. Even if you work a full-time job, there’s always some time left in the day that you can choose to fill with whatever you’re passionate about.
I shifted my attention to the things I loved doing, the things that felt good, and added more of those into my life. As a result, my whole life changed.
Get Into Action
Are you motivated to get started, or maybe finally complete something you have already begun on your own?
Here’s my challenge for you today (should you choose to accept it): Add something new. Pick one thing that you have always wanted to do: write a book, turn your hobby into a business, make plans for future travel, master a new sport, or fully embrace an unexplored talent.
Allow yourself to let go of procrastination and need to do it perfectly, and just get started. Success lies in your daily habits.
If you knew ahead of time your endeavour would be a success, would you hesitate to do it?
To help you take the next step on your journey, I’m happy to give you a complimentary pass to preview one of my online courses to work on your most important goal. Also, if there’s anything I can do to support you on your journey, please feel free to reach out to me. You can text me. I hope you'll take me up on this invitation.
I look forward to hearing from you and supporting you on your journey.
This is why I dislike social media so much. Haters are going to hate, but that doesn’t make them more fun to deal with.
I’m no doctor, so get yourself checked out (mentally and/or physically) if something is off. Don’t diagnose yourself using Dr. Google.
Read my post on how social media is polarizing conversations to understand how the algorithm logic works, and the impact it has on the way we interact with each other in our daily lives.
In a nutshell, this is what my Break Free Xperience online course is all about, or check out my third book in the Freedom Project Series: Love 2.0.
My philosophy, which I share in my Freedom Project books, is to live free through travel, work, and love. Ultimate freedom means designing a lifestyle of wealth, health, and abundance without making concessions. My books are for those who don’t want a regular life but dare to choose excitement, joy, and abundance.