A significant number of clients who come to see me about their working life are dissatisfied with varying aspects of their job, but one variable that often unites them and they don’t want to change is their earnings. Are you someone for whom the golden handcuffs are getting tighter as you cling on for the next pay rise, promotion or bonus? If so, positive psychology coaching can help you slacken off your grip on the financial aspects of your job and ease you into alternative work options which may just provide rewards beyond the monthly pay cheque. I see a range of clients that are high earners but bound to their unsatisfying jobs in order to afford the finer things in life that their salaries can provide. Therefore, breaking free from your golden handcuffs can be hard and may not always be the best idea. Positive psychology coaching can help you consider the following points before you make any rash moves.

• Acknowledge the advantages of the gold. Become mindful of the advantages that come with your job. If your schedule and energy permits, focus on your time with family/friends and engage in activities which give you meaning, if at this point your career is not.
• Search for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. For many the pot of gold is retirement. If retirement is a long way off, then develop skills and experience that can lever you into a more suitable position.
• Stage of life. If you are providing for children and have a hefty mortgage, then providing a stable livelihood for your family is a priority. Covering the expenses that come with responsibility, may mean that the financial security is the lesser of two evils than feeling chained to an unsatisfying job.

Coaching can help you gain perspective about the gold, but if those handcuffs are really rusting, then we can work together to take the right steps in the right order to transition away from the old into the new. Using a wide variety of coaching tools, we can work out a new vision, so you can enjoy earning your money as much as spending it and look at how you may be seeking material comforts to dull the existential pain of working without integrity. Research suggests that beyond an income of £70,000 per year, more money stops equalling more happiness. Coaching can identify how rich your life can become in many rewarding ways not driven by money alone.