What a thing to wrestle with.

The more awesome a vacation is, the harder it is to go back to work after it’s over–assuming you work at a 9-to-5 sort of job. A certain amount of this feeling seems to go with the territory after a vacation. But when these feelings reach a certain level, they may be sending you a message. And it’s one you’d do well to heed.

Some people cannot wait to get out of bed each morning and get to work. These individuals are doing something they love–or have found an answer to a calling–and are truly fortunate. But it seems like a lot more people are unhappy–or at best, neutral–about their jobs and haven’t yet found their niche.

Some people are happiest when working with others on a daily basis, and office-type positions work well with the kind of work they enjoy. Jobs fitting well within this niche include many supervisory positions. Jobs requiring regular interaction with coworkers also fall into the category of office-type jobs.

But for some people, every trek into the office reminds them that they’re in the wrong place. Maybe they’re working for the wrong company; or perhaps the wrong industry. Or maybe it’s their specific position that fails to bring fulfillment. Whatever the case, going through the motions of living life is a pointless pursuit, if it brings no joy from life. Even working to fund the REST of your life–in other words, your off-work time–is too great a price, when you consider how many hours you spend at work every day.

Please do yourself–and the other special people in your life–a favor. If your job is something you dread–or even if you feel neutral towards it–consider making a change. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing sort of change, and it doesn’t mean you have to march up to your boss tomorrow and quit on the spot. But you owe yourself the chance to do something for a living that is fulfilling–dare we even say fun?

When considering what you’d really like to be doing for a living, be honest with yourself–even if you’re afraid the answer will mean short-term stress for you or your family. Just remember that each step of the way, every choice is yours to make. No one will force you to go back to college, take professional art classes, start a dog-breeding business, open a home daycare facility, or anything else. But if you aren’t completely honest with yourself when it comes to what your heart longs for, then you didn’t give yourself a fair chance–to be happy.