Forget “New Year, New You”
Going into 2026, perhaps the sentiment to embrace isn't “New year, new you", but rather -“Let’s make tiny changes towards finding more joy in life.”
Far less daunting, isn’t it?
Realizing how many hours each day you spend working, it stands to reason that if you’re unhappy with your job, that you’d be relatively unhappy in life. If you're spending 8+ hours a day doing something you hate, how could it not that not bleed into other areas of life?
If waking up in the morning gives you a pit in your stomach or you find yourself with the Sunday scaries before starting a new week, it's probably time to start considering a job change.
Searching for a job can feel like a job in and of itself, often causing people to stay put and just deal with misery because they're too busy to find time for the change.
Or perhaps change itself is scary.
I get that. You're going from the devil you know into the unknown.
If you’re unhappy in your position, you have to make the time to navigate a change. I know a few people I worked with 20 years ago who were unhappy and when I talk to them today, they are still there complaining about the same things! What wasted years! Complaining won’t make you feel any better – action will!
Here are some things that I would consider doing if I knew I wanted to make a change:
Dust off your resume. If you are not a wordsmith, consider a professional resume service. Choose one that knows your industry for the most effective outcome! A few hundred dollars can mean the difference between landing an interview or not, so it's money well spent. Yes, you can use AI to assist but be careful of too many buzzwords, too much fluff, and weird punctuation (hello em dash!) that are dead giveaways you had some, errr…. robotic help.
Update your LinkedIn. This might seem obvious but I can't tell you how often I go to someone's profile and the contact info is out of date; the picture is 20 years old; their current position isn’t accurate; industry designations, licensing, education etc. aren’t shown, etc. Remember, even if you don't have the full designation, for example, CPCU – you can still list all the courses you have gotten towards that designation. Some progress still shows that you’re committed to growth!
Put quiet feelers out. Engage with respected industry connections. Let them know you are quietly considering a change and an idea of what you're looking for. A well-timed call can be a game changer. As they say – timing is everything!
Be open to having conversations. Remember that timing will never be perfect and you’re better off pursuing an amazing opportunity at a less-than-ideal time than waiting until you are perfectly ready to start your job search because then you'll be at the mercy of whatever is available. Know that timing is rarely perfect, embrace the mess, make the change, and trust that things will work out.
Have patience! It's better to be patient for your next great move than to jump into something with the same problems, a short term fix, a nominal raise, etc. Wait for the role that’s the right upgrade for you. Interviews along the way are a good thing! Interviewing helps you exercise that muscle and, like any other muscle, it’ll grow stronger over time.
“My wish for all of you is that you step into the new year with a job that feels aligned with you professionally while balancing with your personal life and goals. I hope that you love what you do, or at a bare minimum, don’t hate it. When you’re ready for a change, you know where to find me. ”
