Here is the complete transcript of the podcast
This past weekend, I was at a conference. And briefly, I was introduced from the stage. So I got up there. I did whatever I did in a few minutes. And then when I walked out, a few people followed me into the hallway. Now, this is a 600-people conference. So a few people came out. And some of them are listeners of the podcast. So they started asking me questions. So today on the podcast, what I want to do is, take one question from a bunch of those questions and highlight that today. And over the next couple of days, I’m going to highlight a few more questions. But this one is an important one. This has to do with career. So if you are in a job, you’re looking to change your job you want to grow in your job, I’m hoping that my answer to this gentleman is going to help you.
Now imagine the scenario, the setting where there are a lot of people, the hallway, a bunch of booths, and a lot of conversations happening. So this gentleman walks up to me and says, Sweeney, I listen to your podcast. And I have a question for you. I’m stuck in a job situation, I do not know what to do. So he describes his entire situation. And I’m listening to him for about three minutes, four minutes. Long story. But then the synopsis or the gist of the question is, I’m stuck. I don’t know what to do. And what would you do? What would you do if you are in my situation? In fact, he didn’t ask that. I said that. I said, Listen, I don’t know what to tell you. Because I don’t know you. But then if I were in your situation, this is what I would do. So I explained a concept. So I won’t explain that concept. Today. To you. I’m hoping that this is going to be of help. If it is then do leave me a comment here, or text me or email me, just let me know. Okay, so let’s get into this. So stuck in a job don’t do not know what to do. That’s the problem statement.
Now, what I want you to do is, I want you to imagine three squares. One about the other. The bottommost square is a job, or environment, or job in an environment. Then the one about that square is your skills and capabilities. And one of the topmost ones is you. Okay, so the topmost one is you below you are jobs and skills. And below that is, I’m sorry, the topmost one is you below that are your skills and capabilities. And the bottom one is the job and the environment. Okay? So you with a bunch of your skills and capabilities, go to a job, and you work in an environment to make a difference, make an impact and make money. Now, when somebody says I’m stuck, the thing that that that goes into my mind is where are they stuck? Are they stuck in the environment, they’re stuck at the skill level, or they’re stuck in their mind? So let’s talk about the job environment for a second. When the feeling of getting stuck, when somebody is expressing that feeling, or somebody is talking about it, that means they have all already tried many things to escape, escape the pain escape the suffering, they want to escape the tried many, but somehow they have given up. That’s when they are like I don’t know what to do, I’m stuck.
So they have come to a conclusion or they made a conclusion consciously or subconsciously, that it is better to stay here and take the pain rather than make an effort and escape. Now, I’m not asking, or I’m not suggesting that you escape or you leave, escape means leave. I’m not suggesting that. You see there is a cost for everything. And there are many reasons why people choose to leave or choose not to leave. And it’s very difficult to understand that psychology, it’s it takes time to really really get into people’s minds and really understand them. So obviously there is not much time there was no time there and there is no time here either. So here is the question that you should ask. Now that I’m in this situation, what can I change? You see, when you move, when you’re unhappy in a job, you leave the job, you go to another job. It’s just a change of place. It’s not necessarily the solution to the core underlying problem which could be something else altogether. So people move people change Jobs people move houses, people move places, but they still become unhappy, because there is something else that is incorrect within them.
Now, is it possible that he can stay in the same job or he could stay in the same job? And he can better the situation by going up one squared, which is looking into capabilities and skills and saying, Okay, if I can get some more skills, some more capabilities into me, maybe this environment is, after all, not that bad. The question that, that you have to ask is, what skills and capabilities do I need to develop within myself so that the environment within which I’m doing this job becomes better for me? So I get the respect, I get the recognition, I get, or build my reputation. Now, skill and capabilities are very tactical, you know, sometimes it’s a hit and miss. Sometimes you can acquire a skill, but then you don’t know how to make it tangible. And sometimes, it could be very tangible, who knows, would not know but there has to be a debate in the mind. That’s, that’s important. Now, let’s say that you change jobs, you move from the place where you are right now to a different location, different company, or maybe a different industry altogether. And then still, you are unhappy, you make a few moves, few changes over the next five 710 years, but you still continue to stay unhappy, then the discussion becomes says, Can I acquire some more skills, more capabilities and completely position myself at a higher level? What is that higher level that you know, you want? See, everybody says I want my boss’s job or my boss’s boss’s job. So I do not know that level, but you get the idea.
So people are always striving for something better and bigger. So you know what that is for you? So is it possible that you acquire some skills, talents, and capabilities, and then, you shoot for that role? Now, let’s say even though you accomplished, but still, you’re unhappy. Has it happened? Yes, happened to me. I’ve seen that happen with multiple people. Now, I also made a comment that I told him, I said, I don’t know this gentleman or some other gentleman, but I said, usually, this guy, this is fatigue. And this fatigue kicks in between the age of between the time of 13 and 23. So 13 years into a career, and between 13 and 23. So typically, the teenage years of your job, so 1314 1516 1718 19, those are the years very hard. And that’s the time when people are like, Okay, I don’t want this job, I don’t want this career, maybe I’m gonna do something else. And we’ll walk away from everything and try completely, you know, maybe a business, maybe something else, but I don’t want to deal with this nonsense. It’s in their mind, it’s nonsense. And in fact, you use the word nonsense, the gentleman anyway, so you get the idea. So then, if let’s say somebody is through this process, they’re in the 19th 20th 23rd year, and they’re struggling to frustrate the stock, no matter what they’re doing, it’s not happening, and they’re not able to break through. Now the third square on the top very top comes in, which is, this is no more about skill, talents, capabilities, jobs, environments, or titles, this is more about that individual’s mindset. And that individual’s mindset has three things to it, their values, their beliefs, and their identity. That set their values, their beliefs, and identity. So here’s the most interesting part in all this every level, at every level, you can make a change today, you can make, you can decide that I want to have a new job, you can create a resume, you can talk to a bunch of people, and you probably can have a job as early as January or February, whatever, next year, easy, easy.
Now, you can say, Okay, I’m going to work the next three months, and acquire some skills and then make a change. So now you’re in the middle square, right? Or you can say, I’m not going to worry about my job, I’m not gonna worry about my skills. All I’m going to do is shift my mindset about them. So I’m going to work on my identity. I’m going to work on my values and beliefs. And I walk into my office every day angry, and irritated, I’m going to walk in I’m going to step in with a mind of gratitude and compassion. I will accommodate everybody. I’ll be nice to everyone. I’m going to really stay honest, all the stuff that I’m going to be doing all day You so you simply shifting the identity and kind of weighing in some good values. Now suddenly, the whole environment is different, you walk in there, you feel good about this place, you walk in there, you feel good about whatever you’re doing throughout the day because your skills seem to be right, somehow the skills are working somehow because everything is falling in place. Everything involves investment, there is a cost for everything, when somebody says I’m stuck, I don’t know what to do, that means they’re giving up, that means they’ve surrendered to the environment, they’ve surrendered to the circumstances, they’re not able to raise themselves above and beyond than what is happening on the ground. So here is my message to you. And this was the message to this gentleman also, which is you need to stop behaving that you are one variable in the environment, you start behaving as if you control the environment, I choose to be in this job. Hence, I’m choosing this and why I’m choosing all that comes with it, I will choose to be in a better job. In a better environment, I choose to deploy a few other skills, I choose to define my identity differently, I choose a set of beliefs, I will choose a set of values, hence I’m different. See, nothing is stopping you. From defining yourself differently today.
Nobody is stopping you from telling the world that hey, starting today, this is who I am, this is what I’ll be doing this is what I’ll be known as this is how I’m going to operate, behave and execute myself. Nothing is stopping you from doing that. But you choose not to because somehow you think that I don’t have the power within me. So my message to this gentleman was go create power. The power comes from your beliefs, your values, and your identity, and you get can you get all these three things intact, your behavior will change the environment, and wherever you are working, people will see the change within you. And that’s what we call transformation. So message on the podcast, as you’re listening to this is to Ask questions, what can I change in this environment? What can I change? What skills can I change? What skills can I acquire? And then what is what change can I make about myself? My values, my beliefs, my identities, my behaviors? What are the changes I can make? I mean, this, this could be a long discussion, drawn out discussion, but you get the idea. Okay, I’m going to, I’m not going to drag this out. Beyond this, you go enjoy your Friday weekend. And before you know it, I’ll be with you as a list model. Or before I wrap this up, before I wrap this up one thing for every 10 jobs that you have to change to find happiness, you only need to change three skills. It’s better to change a quad three skills and stay in the same job and become happier. For every three skills and 10 jobs, you have to 10 jobs, you have to change three skills you have to acquire. All you have to do is change one of your values on the top. And everything below. You don’t need to change. So one value changes and you don’t need to acquire any new skills. You don’t need to change 10 jobs.
That’s how powerful your values and beliefs are. Okay, I’m going to stop here. That’s all that’s all for now. You take care.