Things that stay at rest continue to do so unless acted upon by an external force. I paraphrased one of Newton’s laws of motion to a scientist who was working in the biotech sector in New Haven but yearned to be back in academia. That one line – he told me later – became a mantra for him over the following year as he did what was necessary to make the transition.
“I guess I’m just lazy.” Griffen, a twentysomething from the same biotech company in New Haven (after being referred by our scientist career counseling client), said about why he stayed in a job that made him so unhappy for the last three years. I explained that he needn’t be so hard on himself. Through a combination of biological wiring to stay and K-12 culture that automated change but did not compel us to initiate change, most people do not actively leave secure jobs, even when the jobs are soul-sucking and misery creating.
Career Counseling Connecticut is often the active force that creates movement to happier and more successful work.