✨ How to fall in love with your job (again).
Reigniting the spark and finding the culprit behind a lost interest.
One of the biggest goals a person could have, is probably to do what they love as a job. That way, work would never feel like work, right? In reality, a lot of people are stuck with this idea, and end up leaving the job they thought they loved so much.
Before you decide to make that career switch, or leave a job you just started, it would be beneficial to take a step back and see what it is exactly that’s discouraging you to move forward with the job.
Should we really do what we love?
There have been many debates regarding whether we should ‘follow our passion’ and make a living out of a hobby. There have even been instances where people are shamed for not being productive with their hobbies because they’re not making any money out of it. Then, is it better to separate hobbies with work, or combine the two?
According to American computer scientist, Cal Newport, following your passion can be a dead end. It’s actually better to identify which skills you have that could be rare and valuable, and then hone them. Here are some of the reasons why:
Most gifted people don’t have just one passion.
The money just might not follow.
Pursuing a passion could distract from present time.
Your bliss can become hell when you add in deadlines and KPIs.
Not even Steve Jobs followed his own advice and passion.
Read more on why it’s better to separate work and hobbies in this Forbes article.
No one is 100% happy
Much like a romantic relationship, your relationship with your work also needs to be maintained healthily. And even then, you might not even feel 100% satisfied. At times where you find yourself uninterested and bored to even show up for work, try out these steps to get yourself out of the rut:
Go back to the beginning. Make a list of your favorite parts of the job, set deadlines to do things that are low in the list, and start delegating menial tasks.
Make time for each other. For an hour of your day, ditch multi-tasking and concentrate on crossing one item from your favorites list.
Take a reality check. Spark up conversations with others in your industry to see if the grass is really greener on the other side.
Get yours. List what you get out of the job (improved skills, wider network, etc.). Still feel cheated? Discuss with your boss on how you would like to be rewarded.
Learn more on ways to reignite the spark with your job here.
Become your life’s designer
If you’re looking for a longer read on how to create your dream job, then this book might be right up your alley: “Designing Your Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
This book talks about creating the life you want from a Design point of view. One tip the authors gave for those who are losing the spark with their job, is to think about specific activities and tasks that energize or engage them.
Try reflecting on when you started dreading your job, and if there was any specific thing that caused it. This could help you define if you resent the industry your company is in, the field you work in, or a certain project that stresses you out.
Some exercises you can do to design your own work life include:
The “Good Work Journal” Worksheet. This asks the questions: What did I learn? What did I initiate? Who did I help?
7th Day Reflection Exercise. Includes 4 steps: Retreat, Review, Reflect, Reinforce.
Maker Mix Worksheet. Involves 3 sliders: Money, Impact, Expression.
Download a total of 13 exercises you can do to map out why you’re losing interest in your job and proper ways to deal with it in this free workbook.
Remember, before you throw away a good thing, it’s better to mend the broken pieces to try and work them out. You might end up loving it even more than you did before!
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Thanks if you did, we’ll see you same time next week!