1. In the last year or so, I asked
myself, "Why am I doing the work I'm doing?" or "What is the point of the
work I do?
2. I'm not exactly sure what doing
meaningful work means to me, but I'd be interested in finding out.
3. It's important that I directly
touch or make a contribution to others as often as possible in my work.
4. I'm feeling more and more that
there's no reward or challenge for doing the work that I do.
5. I fantasize about "throwing in the
towel" and going to work for a nonprofit organization or a specific cause.
6. There are several charities or
special causes that I'm very interested in learning more about, and
perhaps getting involved in, even simply as a volunteer.
7. My family and friends don't believe
that I'm making a difference in the world with my work.
8. I've experienced a traumatic or sad
event in the recent past that has caused me to think about what's really
important to me as a person in both my work and life.
9. I have an interest or hobby that
I'm passionate about and that I wish I could become more deeply involved
with.
10. At one time, it was important to
me to meet my financial and achievement goals in my work, but this doesn't
seem to matter much anymore.
11. My work is no longer providing me
with opportunities to do what matters to me, yet I'm used to my income.
12. I feel as if I've achieved a lot
in my current career and would love to try a different kind of work, but
I'm afraid that I wouldn't earn what I do now if I did try something else.
13. Earning the same amount of money
or more is important to me so that I can take care of my family, but I'm a
little bored.
14. I really enjoy my work but feel as
if I've had every possible experience in my career. Despite this, I
honestly can't see changing careers because it would probably mean earning
less money.
15. I have a lot of financial
responsibilities that cause me to feel insecure about changing careers and
earning less money.
16. While money is a big reason that
I'm afraid to change my work, if I think about it, I can find a realistic
way to reduce or even eliminate my expenses in the next year or two.
17. I'll admit that I've been pretty
bored and unchallenged in my job lately, but I'm hard-pressed to think of
anything else I could do and earn the same paycheck.
18. I've had a tough job experience
that caused me to lose my job or derail my career for a period of time,
and it's still hard for me to describe my experience or even think about
it without feeling angry, upset or having other negative emotions.
19. I don't feel optimistic about the
future of my career, in part because of my past negative work experiences.
20. I have been fired at least once. I
still feel bitter about my experience, and though I'm not thrilled with my
work situation, I can't think about making a change for fear it could
happen again.
21. I'm unemployed and can't seem to
find the energy to focus on finding work that I enjoy, let alone a job of
any kind.
22. I don't trust the corporate world
any more. When I started working, company loyalty was important. Joining a
company meant you stayed there forever.
23. I've experienced some hard knocks
in my career. I've been laid off, gotten caught in company politics, been
discriminated against, or my company has been sold. How much more do I
have to take?
24. It seems that companies keep
changing what they want from their employees. I just don't know if I can
keep up this pace any longer, but I can't afford to stop working either.
25. I've thought about becoming
self-employed or changing careers, but I've been so burned that I'm afraid
to make any changes.
26. I've been working in the same job
for more than two years without a change in responsibilities and can
perform my tasks effortlessly without stretching myself.
27. I've invested a lot of time and
energy in my work and am considered an expert in my field, yet I feel the
need to change something about it, however minor that change may be.
28. I am so busy with tasks and
projects that I don't have time to "smell the roses."
29. I have been having trouble getting
out of bed in the morning, especially during the week, and feel
unmotivated when I'm at work.
30. I daydream about quitting my job
and doing something entirely different because I don't feel passionate
about my work anymore.
31. I am experiencing feelings of
burnout (anger, frustration, depression and/or anxiety) at work.
32. After so many years in my field, I
guess I should think about doing something different. But what would I do?
33. Although I know that my peers
respect me, I'm starting to wonder if people think that I have any passion
for my job anymore. In fact, I've been wondering that about myself.
34. I moved from another firm in my
industry a few years ago in hope that I would feel reinvigorated. I'm
starting to feel the way I did before I changed jobs -- stale and
unstimulated.
35. I've just begun to notice that I'm
not being included in important meetings regarding policy or strategy as
much as I used to be. I'm feeling as if I'm not contributing anything new,
either.
36. Meetings, employees and clients
are all starting to look the same. This feeling scares me, but I'm not
sure what to do about it.
37. I no longer feel fulfilled by
working for someone else and just don't think another job will give me
what I'm missing now.
38. I'm increasingly dissatisfied with
the way the company I work for is run, and I'm convinced that I can do
things differently and better.
39. I grew up in an entrepreneurial
family or am close to someone who's an entrepreneur. I can see the
advantages of having my own business more than I fear the disadvantages.
40. I'm so envious of people in their
own businesses. I know it isn't easy, but the thought of being my own boss
is so appealing.
41. I've always dreamed of being in my
own little business. I know there are plenty of resources out there for
entrepreneurs, but I'm not sure where or how to begin.
42. I know that being on my own
doesn't have to mean starting a company. I would like to learn more about
my options for self-employment because it's very attractive to me.
43. I know I want to go into business
for myself someday but have never been a good salesperson. I'm afraid that
not being comfortable with selling will cause me to fail.
44. I've thought a lot about the kind
of work I'd like to do next, and I'm convinced that being an entrepreneur
is my next move.
45. The idea of being an independent
contractor or "free agent" is incredibly appealing.
46. I'm very independent and have
always had trouble with politics and working on teams. I'm beginning to
think that some form of being on my own makes sense for me.
47. The truth is, I would like to stop
working right now. It just seems unrealistic to do so financially.
48. I never want to stop working
completely, but I would like to slow down my pace a bit and do something
different and less demanding.
49. I've been obsessing about not
working and spending more time with my family and my hobbies and
interests.
50. I'm stressed out from the demands
of working, and my health isn't what it should be. I'm seriously thinking
about retirement.
51. I'm worn out from working. I've
thought about my alternatives, and partial retirement seems like the best
one for me as long as I can work part time.
52. I've worked for a long time and
would welcome ideas about structuring the next phase of my life.
