May, 2016, i resigned from a job of almost 13years because i started noticing a drop in performance, intentionally coming to work late, refusing to do any extra hours after work, jobs and projects i use to find interesting before became boring and monotonous.
I initially thought it was pure LAZINESS on my part. Although there were a few things happening on the management level that was beginning to make work difficult but for years i liked this work! I was always excited resuming to work in the morning and going home in the evening still thinking of where i stopped work for the day and how to proceed the next day.
It got to a point i had to ask for leave to think, rest and try to figure out what exactly is wrong. This is because, up until then, i rarely go on leave. I just collect my leave allowance and continue work.
Have i suddenly become lazy? Has the job become so monotonous that it has become boring? Or is it the workplace?
As Millennials, we must recognise the need to always evaluate our job performance and see if we are still meeting our KPIs. Once you notice a drop in performance, it’s best to take sometime off to evaluate and find out the real cause.
It could be that it’s time to take a break and rest your body. Like we love to say in Lagos – “Bodi no be firewood” and “Work no dey finish”.
It could also be that you are no longer motivated by the project/work and it’s time to switch jobs or even careers. Or it could be that it’s time to relocate or “Japa”.
Nigeria and it’s systems can be frustrating! Every human putting in his/her best at work or a project wants to see results, both on the job and in their personal lives. If those results are not visible, after a while you can lose interest and begin to intentionally or unintentionally drop the ball.
For me, after sometime off work and taking the time to evaluate where i am in my career, i felt it was time to move on. I was no longer “gingered” by the work. I wanted a total career switch. It was a difficult decision but i had to do it for my own mental health.
Making this kind of change can be a risky move, especially if you don’t have a backup plan. Change of job, switching careers or “Japaing” – All these require time and money.
If you are currently at this point in your life or career and you don’t seem to have the required backup, don’t despair. You can begin the process. Change will always require time wether you have the money or not. It’s just that money speeds things up – LOL!
Start applying to new places and positions if you feel that is what you need. Start taking those courses if you feel the solution is change of career and if you think the solution is to japa – then start saving up!
Your mental health can be negatively affected if you remain at a place you don’t want to be. Start doing something about it today! Wish you the best.