If you find yourself believing you can do more or become something better than what you are doing now, then you may be discontent. Unhappiness with your current life situation or career path is not abnormal. It is a remarkable condition that can create great opportunity for yourself if applied correctly.
Discontent is about an extraordinary desire to do something different and something better for yourself. Your employment is not creating the challenges or happiness that you desperately crave. You probably want to take complete control of your own life instead allowing other forces to direct your future. This is discontent.
“Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure” -Thomas A. Edison
This situation is probably true for your business. Have you not found new clients recently or has your market become stagnant? You have become accepting with the way your business is being conducted if you are just doing routine work every day and not finding new revenue streams. It is time to put energy toward resolving your dissatisfaction.
How can you create an opportunity from your discontent?
- Assess your skills and abilities. This is not just for yourself, but for your team and what resources you have available in the business right now. It also involves assessing what you are lacking. A complete inventory of your skills and abilities will address what you may be able to deliver beyond your current situation.
- Research your industry. Discover the current market trends including discussions of what may be progressing in the next 3-5 years that can create an opportunity for your business. Stay involved in relevant professional organizations where you can research upcoming trends and watch industry leaders.
- Decide on a niche. Assess the opportunities from your research and what resources you have available. Create a decision matrix to determine what areas you should focus on. What new revenue streams can you grow and adopt?
- Develop a transition plan. How are you going to bridge your research and decisions on new opportunities into reality? Develop a timeline for implementation that is tagged to what you have decided. Use backward planning as much as possible to determine various triggers on how to move on from your present situation.
- Exercise your network. Reach out to your network to find new business opportunities within the niche you are putting your focus. There should be people you know who can help or create an introduction to another person. Writing a post on LinkedIn about what you are trying to accomplish may provide the way to provoke thought in your network.
- Take action today. I always believe in taking action right away even if it is only to create a list or to contact an old colleague to strike up a conversation about the future. Don’t dwell on your unhappiness. Make an effort to change now.
Discontent for your present situation can create incredible motivation for growth and opportunity. Use that desire to assess where you are at and where you want to go. Develop a good transition plan and don’t forget to maximize your network to cultivate your idea. The most important step is to take action today to overcome your unhappiness. Take action!
What are you going to do today to overcome your discontent?
Please comment or email me at comment@stephenmclain.com.
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Copyright 2016 – Stephen McLain