Suffering from the Sunday Scaries — that familiar knot in the stomach and low-level dread about heading back to work – and not just after the Festive Season – but every Monday? You’re not alone. For many people, it’s the signal that something isn’t right.
Maybe it’s boredom. No promotion. Poor management. Broken promises. Relentless hours. Being underpaid. An unstable environment. Constant pressure. It starts to feel less like a career and more like running on a treadmill where the speed is constantly being turned up.
Human beings, by nature, are often poor at making big decisions. We procrastinate. We think ‘Maybe better The Devil you know…? We convince ourselves things will improve or simply grit our teeth and carry on. We tell ourselves to be resilient — even when the needle on our energy reserves is almost at ‘Empty’.
Here’s a hard truth of the modern workplace: unless you’re lucky enough to be in an exceptional (and increasingly rare) organisation, no one else is going to manage your career for you. If you don’t take the wheel, you’re just a passenger hoping the road to nowhere, improves.
New year… new thinking.
If you’ve read this far, you already know something has to change. This doesn’t mean a dramatic, ‘burn-it-all-down now’ moment. It means pausing, stepping back, and taking stock — calmly and deliberately.
Interestingly, the actual decision to change jobs takes a millisecond. It’s the build-up — the mental back-and-forth, the excuses, the what ifs — that can drag on for months or even years.
So try this. Ask yourself three questions and answer them honestly:
- After a normal working week, do I feel mostly depleted or mostly okay?
- If nothing changes over the next two years, will I genuinely be comfortable with that?
- Do I respect and like the people around me, and do I feel even vaguely at home here?
If any of those answers are no, it’s time to stop drifting and do a proper audit. Sit down, look hard at your situation, and take a realistic look at the job market. A few focused hours of research can be enough to make that millisecond decision and start to take action.
If you’re preparing to search, here’s how to do it properly
A job search doesn’t start with sending CVs. It starts with clarity. Skip this and you risk moving from one unsatisfactory role straight into another. Clarity restores control.
1. Get clear on what you want (and don’t)
Look inward first. Be honest about:
• What drains and energises you
• Your non-negotiables (pay, flexibility, hours, values)
• Your nice-to-haves
This isn’t about perfection — it’s about increasing your chances of a good next move
2. Focus on value, not title
Break your role down into outcomes:
• Problems you solve
• What you’ve improved, led or grown
• Where you’ve made measurable impact
Job titles vary, skills and results travel.
3. Refresh your CV and LinkedIn — strategically
This is positioning, not design.
• Lead with achievements
• Quantify results
• Align your profile with where you want to go next
You’re telling a career story, not listing roles.
4. Reconnect before you need something
The best opportunities come through conversations.
• Speak to former colleagues or managers
• Ask for insight, not favours
• Stay curious about roles and markets
You’re gathering intelligence and advocates
5. Sense-check the market early
Have discreet conversations and ask:
• What’s realistic for my background?
• Where is demand strongest?
• What skills are missing but valued?
Data builds confidence.
6. Decide your exit plan early
Choose an approach:
• A quiet search
• A fixed timeline
• Or a financial buffer
If the answer is stay, then it’s time for a re-boot. That means a structured, mature conversation with your manager about what needs to change — responsibilities, workload, development, pay, or boundaries. And crucially, what’s agreed needs to actually happen; and if it doesn’t, the next step becomes fairly obvious. After all, there’s only so many times you can correct your course, before accepting you’re on the wrong journey.
Exclusive offer to Dadsnet subscribers:
Michael and Alan are offering a free, 30-minute one to one coaching session if you are ‘worrying about things out of your control’ or indeed worried about anything!
To secure your session, email [email protected] .
Meanwhile, here’s a link to some short, engaging videos that may help with handling life’s challenges.
https://www.two-gen.com/#videos
Michael Fryer and Alan Found are vastly experienced management/leadership consultants; to find out more about them and their work, visit www.two-gen.com
