We all know how seductive but ultimately destroying it can be when we dig ourselves into a comfortable rut. The rhythms of life kick in and before long we find ourselves almost swept away by the ebb and flow of each passing day. We get ourselves in a comfortable cycle and before we know it, whole years slip by in what seems like minutes as we “just get by” from one weekend to the next. Yet, there’s a gnawing feeling that can’t be quelled by the familiar comforts like a bottle of wine and a movie on a Friday night or a Sunday roast with the whole family. An unquenchable thirst for something more, a small but insistent voice telling you that not only could you be making better money, you could be enjoying a far better quality of life with a greater sense of fulfillment and job satisfaction. Your little internal voice insists that your skills and talents are wasted in your day job; that you’re underpaid and underappreciated.

Yet, when that little voice pipes up, we often quell it by telling ourselves that we don’t have the time or the money to change the status quo… But is that just fear of the unknown talking?

Why it’s almost never a good idea to just stay where you are

It’s unbelievably cliche, but it’s true nonetheless… You only live once! It’s more than just a motto, it’s scientifically proven good advice! How do you think your childhood self would react if they could see you now? How will your elderly self look back on this period in your life? If the answer to either of those questions is resoundingly negative, then you’re likely not making the best possible use of your life.

With this in mind, surely, it’s worth investing a little time and effort into looking into what educational or re-training opportunities are open to you. You may have to work a lot harder for a while, you may have to budget more stringently for a little while. You may face greater risks and you might have to wait a while for the rewards to become tangible… But self improvement is always a worthwhile pursuit and a good investment.

Education… There’s always a way!

If you never went to college, or even if you studied for a degree that proved ultimately useless or of little real interest to you, there’s always a way to get back on the educational horse. A student loan may be yet another form of debt but student loans are often more lenient than other commercial loans and less damaging to your credit rating.

When we’re 18 or 19 we’re rarely best placed to make decisions into which field of study is truly best for us and our future careers. It can be a far more informed decision to make as a full fledged adult. With the exponential growth of online learning it’s easier than ever to get recognized qualifications from the comfort of your own home, learning in a way that doesn’t detract from work or family commitments. If you’ve always dreamed of a career in law, let us help you find your perfect LLM program. Whether you’re starting from scratch or simply furthering your field of study in areas which will open career doors, your education is never a bad investment. Don’t forget to look into available fellowships or other means of funding your career change!

Start off with a side hustle

If you’re skittish about quitting your day job right away, a side hustle may be a great way to transition away from a dead end job that’s sucking the life out of you. A side hustle can mean any number of things. It can be a small business that you run alongside your day job. It can be a creative endeavor like performing in profit share theater productions or selling your arts and crafts on etsy or it can be a blog that you start in your free time then slowly monetize as your readership grows. This offers you the best of both worlds as you can develop a project that is interesting and engrossing to you without having to worry about money.  

Starting your own business

It may be that you’ve long nurtured an idea for a business but haven’t given it much thought since you began your day job. Now’s the time to start developing a business plan. You can lay the foundations without even quitting your job. You can establish your social media presence, register your domain name and develop your prototype if you’ll be manufacturing a product. When your business plan and cash flow projections are ready it’s time to start pursuing startup funding. It may just be the best decision you ever made!