The New Year is a great time to analyze your job and the satisfaction you get from doing it. Running the rat race is just that, scurrying around only to find that at the end of the day or week you are still not happy about who you are and what you do. For many people they think exercise, changing their eating habits, or learning a new sport or language will make a difference in their emotional and physical well being. Fortunately for some that's all it takes, but for others a complete job makeover is the only way.

Today, changing employers is nothing that can be accomplished over-night. It may take a year or more because good paying jobs are scarce. There are, however specific things you can do to begin this metamorphosis. You must first acknowledge that a change is imminent and that drastic measures are needed. Below are ten signs that clearly indicate that you need a complete job makeover.

1. You become physically ill upon arriving at work or feel the need to drive past the parking lot and return home

2. Friday offers no relief, it is just a distressing reminder that Monday looms in the not too distant future

3. Work activities are dull and boring and you sit with your door closed or in your cubicle playing computer games

4. You physical health is failing, you feel exhausted and listless

5. You stop playing office politics and avoid trying to please your boss and keep peace with co-workers

6. You come to a realization that no matter how hard you work or what you accomplish nothing satisfies you

7. Your promotional options no longer exist; the company has permanently frozen the Human Resource Department

8. You go home talking to family and friends about how horrendously unhappy you are at your job

9. You dream of leaving your job and moving to a remote island in the South Pacific, no seriously, leaving friends, family, your life and never looking back

10. You feel lost, hopeless and no matter what anyone says there is no real answer, it's a lose-lose situation

It's no secret that most people will not admit that life has gotten this bad, but for those special few it is a sad reality. What's a worker bee to do? Exercise your options. Research your career field and consider a career change. Changing jobs can mean exchanging one sad situation for another or it can be the life saving rope that pulls you into a new existence. Don't just start putting in for jobs, go to different companies that peak your interest and ask to visit and talk to those who work in your "ideal" field. The best time to do this is when you have a job and you're not pressed for a new one. Make little personal calling cards, not business cards, calling cards that say:

John K. Doe Project Manager (555) 555-5556 Cell (555) 555-5557

The back of the card should read:

Just a reminder?

I visited on (date) to get information about (your project management teams) Thanks for your assistance,

I will keep in touch. (And do just that, every 8-10 weeks drop the person an email and find out how things are going at their company, you have now possibly made a friend or at least a contact in an industry of interest)

Update your employment information and references

Write a new resume and begin calling your references to make sure you are still in good standing. Apply for a few jobs out of state or in another city. You don't have to accept an interview but you do need to see who is hiring and what they are expecting from the new applicants they're bringing onboard.

Once you decide that you must follow through with this transformation, brush up on your interviewing skills and start to prepare for the best. Nothing lifts the spirits more than knowing you are of real worth to another employer.

There is no reason to walk through life being unhappy when you are spending almost half of your "life-time" at a job you dislike. Don't plan in a vacuum, let your family know how you feel, their support is important. Whether you are a mom, dad, or single worker bee you are the glue that binds your family and friends together and your happiness is essential. If a cross-country move is in order, do it. Plan accordingly and know that change is truly an natural part of life.

D. D. Davis is a writer with over 20 years of experience, and has produced a series of e-Books that support parents in creating a good life for their family. Dee may be reached at detra_davis@supportingourchildren.com, or by mail at J. Davis & Associates Publishing, P. O. Box 44782, Detroit, MI 48244-0782, Attention: D. D. Davis. To learn more visit: http://www.supportingourchildren.com