are you running toward or running away?

Maybe this sounds somewhat familiar: you feel under appreciated, stagnant, and  a little bit bored at work. You and your partner have been arguing more than usual. Your best friend has been distant. You’re lonely, antsy, maybe a little irritable, and ready for a change. So, what should that change look like? Should you turn over a new leaf altogether?

Sometimes, it’s best to stay put and work through your problems. Other times, your situation is no longer serving you and it’s better to move on.  Almost always, however, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.  When seeking change, ask yourself: Are you running toward growth opportunities or simply running away? Are you pushing yourself out of your comfort zone or merely abandoning ship? The answer isn’t always obvious.

If you run away, you might fall into a pit.

Have you ever heard the expression, “Wherever you go, there you are?” Moving away or getting a new job won’t automatically resolve all the issues within yourself. Don’t get me wrong: I understand why running away seems appealing. Depending on the severity of your problems, you might feel all the choices you’ve made up to this point were totally wrong.

Hang on one second, here. You’ve worked hard. You’ve forged great relationships. Even if you know you need a change, you deserve to be proud of all the progress you’ve made and the person you’ve become. Throwing your existing career and relationships completely to the wayside may set you back.

Remember: drastic isn’t necessarily better. Uprooting your life, relocating, and finding a new job and new friends might seem glamorous, but it will not solve all your issues. What will you do when you inevitably encounter problems or boredom in your next situation? Continually running away is not a long-term solution.

Instead, run toward your goals.

We constantly evolve. You easily may have outgrown your current position at work. Maybe you and your partner really have grown apart. If you decide to move on from a given situation, make sure to stay grounded in your rationale. Check in with yourself about what you’re really seeking. Once you’ve realistically assessed where your problems are, where do you think the solutions lie?

Make no mistake: big changes aren’t bad. In the process of making those changes, however, it’s important to stay grounded in your intentions, dreams, and concrete goals. Don’t run toward your problems. Rather, run toward the big, wonderful life you deserve.

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