If you’ve got to the stage where you’re no longer inspired to do a job you’ve trained hard for, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that you’ve made the wrong decision about your career and you need to change.This may be the case but it’s important to ask yourself a few questions before you jump ship.

1. When did I last have a really good day at work?

The point of this question isn’t to make you feel even more depressed. It’s to encourage you to think about what brings you to life.

Even if the whole day wasn’t great, perhaps there’s something you did which made you lose track of time. What did you do? What was so good about it? Who was involved? Go through this process for another 2 days then ask yourself the question, ‘how can I experience this more in my current job?’

This could be a topic for discussion with your Line Manager.

2. How has my role changed since I started the job?

What activities are draining? Think about the times when you’ve said, ‘if it wasn’t for this or that, the job would be fine’. How can you eliminate or reduce time spent doing these activities in the future? Is there scope for delegation?

3. What’s changed in my life since I started the job?

Maybe you’re the one who has changed. It’s quite normal that the things you considered to be important in the past may no longer be important to you now. Big life events such as bereavement or starting a family can often change our perspective.

How do your present, personal values match the outcomes and implied values of the company you work for?

4. What do I think about my boss/colleagues?

Research suggests that people leave managers, not organisations. You can’t change your boss, so think about what YOU can do to make things better?

5. What needs to change?

Think about those ‘If I ran this company…’ conversations you’ve had with colleagues over lunch. Which of your ideas will benefit both you and the organisation? These are the types of suggestions that any good boss would love to hear.

6. What opportunities exist for self development?

What skills do you want to use more often? What new skills would you love to learn? Could you move department rather than move company? Again, this could be something you discuss with the boss.

Sometimes, small changes can make huge differences. However, if your answers fail to provide you with the impetus to rescue a lost cause, it’s time to look for a job that will bring out the best in you.