Everyone has an excuse for why they are sticking with a job that they can’t stand. Some of those excuses are very valid and others can be easily overcome with a little planning on your part. Use this list of excuses to convict you of what might be holding you back from switching to a career that you love. Also, identify that valid excuses you may have, and how you can overcome those excuses in the long-term.

1. The fear of change
2. Your family relies on your steady income
3. Finding a career you love is a myth. No work is fun.
4. You don’t know where you fit in the working world
5. You’re not qualified enough to switch to another career
6. You don’t want the stress involved with changing careers
7. The money is too good to leave your current job
8. Your parents would criticize you for changing careers
9. You like the people that you work with
10. You can’t find the type of work you want in the city you live in

Excuses such as being the only income earner in your family, not being qualified for the work you want to get into, and not knowing what work you might enjoy, are all valid excuses for sticking with your current job that you hate. Read my about devising a three to five year plan, because many of those excuses can be overcome with a little planning on your part. I will never advise someone to just drop everything to pursue a different career if it means that you put your family in jeopardy of harm or extreme discomfort. That’s why you need to be realistic with yourself and know that changing careers takes time. You might need to take some night classes at the community college, get an advanced degree, start volunteering somewhere during your free time, or start reading more books in that field.

However, there are other excuses in that list that are no excuse for not switching to work you love. The fear of change is powerful, but it’s something you need to overcome within yourself. You need to take some risks in your life if you want to be happy and successful. Just because you make $75,000 a year, doesn’t mean you should sacrifice happiness and self-worth for the money. The money is great, but it gets old after a while. Plus, I guarantee you will make more money in your lifetime by doing work that you love, rather than work that you hate. You’ll have more motivation and more creativity to earn more income and earn what you are worth.

If you have any other excuses you want to admit, submit a comment below. Tell me what’s holding you back.