It's Not You, It's Me: Three Signs That Complacency Is Stagnating Your Growth

Nowadays, there’s a lot of talk about serial job-hoppers or employees who seem to leave their jobs too soon, but what happens if you stay in a role for too long? Gone are the days when staying at one company for decades-long is seen as an impressive feat. If you’re wondering if it’s time to break up with your current job and find something better, here are three signs that you need to put that plan into action.

You’re Not Learning or Being Challenged

A major thing that keeps momentum up for employees is mental stimulation, and that can be pretty hard to acquire if you’re not receiving the resources or education to do so. Monotonous and repetitive tasks that provide no excitement can also cause a major slump in morale. If you’re constantly sitting at your desk, staring at your screen in intense boredom whilst twiddling your thumbs, it may be time to dust off your resume and find something more challenging.  According to recent studies, the average life cycle of a job is 3-5 years. This means that you’re most-likely to peak in work performance and morale early on.  If you feel like you’re just going through the motions and no longer learning in your role, it’s time to look for something new.  If you find yourself asking, “what’s next?” then follow that mind-state and look for your new career adventure.

You're Too Comfortable

Sometimes being comfortable isn’t necessarily a good thing, and when it comes to career advancement, it can be detrimental. Getting too comfortable in your role and routine can cause you to fade into the background and miss out on advancement opportunities to colleagues who are constantly challenging the same systems and processes that you see no need to change. If your job doesn’t inspire you to do more than the bare minimum, you’ve reached a place of complacency and it’s time to shake things up a bit.

There’s Minimal Opportunity For Growth

Been in the same role for years with no promotions on the horizon? Have you only made lineal progress in moving into new positions? Know your worth. Whether the reasoning being that your company is too small and room for advancement is limited, your boss doesn’t seem to value your potential or skill set, or many other factors that can come into play, don’t sell yourself short and stay in a position that could severely limit your upward mobility.  Sometimes, jobs can be seen as long-term projects that—once completed—have nothing else to offer. If you’ve given your all in your skillset to help a company reach its goals and initiatives and it seems like there’s not much left to do, it’s time to tackle a new project. Otherwise, you’ll either end up in a space of complacency or find yourself becoming burned out or not challenged enough (hint, hint).