When do you know that it is time to either change your attitude or leave your company? That is a hard question to answer, but there are warning signs. Ask yourself the following:
- Do you hate coming to work each day?
- Do you find excuses to be out of the office?
- Do others consider you hostile and defensive?
- Are you always upset?
- Have you had these feelings for more than 6 months?
If you've answered yes to 4 out of 5 of these questions, you got a problem. Do something about it. It may be that you are burned out. In the IT field it happens a lot. We’ve all been there. Big projects, unreasonable deadlines and bosses, stress at home, and too much to do with too few resources are just some of the causes of IT burnout. Sometimes you have to take some time off and get your life back in order.
When I experience burnout, I pull back a little and reassess my life. I spend more time with my family and less time at work. I stop worrying about the areas that are out of my control and focus on the ones I can control. I delegate so that others can “feel my pain” and to lighten my load a little. Also, I pray a lot.
What if you tried those ideas…and a few others…and nothing happened? Well my friend, you’re not burned out, you are checked out. What do I mean by being checked out? Checked out means that, like Elvis, you’ve left the building---only you don’t know it yet. If you’re in this situation, find a new situation. Start looking. I promise you, it’s not going to get better till you do. If you stay at your current job more money won’t help, new bosses won’t help, new responsibilities or that raise they’re promising you if you stay won’t help either. Get off your duff, brush off your resume, and find a new job. Until you do, you will continue to answer yes to the above questions.
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