Even if you’ve been lucky enough to hold a job through this unemployment crisis, that doesn’t mean everything’s been a bed of roses. According to a recent CBS News report only 45% of currently employed Americans are happy in their jobs/careers. That’s the lowest it’s been in 22 years. Most likely the reason is people don’t feel comfortable taking a leap into the unknown when the job market is so precarious. So even if they aren’t happy with their current work they stay where they are.
A logical choice, however if you’re feeling stuck in your career, but don’t feel comfortable moving on quite yet (after all, unemployment is still 8.9%, the lowest it’s been in two years, but still too high to get cocky about finding a new job) there are things you can do to keep yourself motivated at work without changing employers. Here are four ways you can “spring clean” your career so that you’re able to wait until unemployment is down to a respectable 3% before make any drastic moves.
1) Identify the Missing Pieces
If you’re unhappy at work, it’s usually because there’s something missing from your workday that gets your juices flowing. Do some soul searching and figure out what that is. Be honest, is it because your job isn’t challenging? Do you let yourself get passed over for promotions? Do you lack confidence in your ability to do your work? Whatever it is, you’ll never figure out how to improve your situation until you identify what your situation is in the first place.
2) Be Patient
If you feel like you’re at a dead end with your job (or career) it’s probably because you can’t make changes right now. Naturally, when uncomfortable circumstances arise you want them resolved immediately, but sometimes that’s just impossible. So don’t confuse a bad temporary situation with a hopeless indefinite one. If you can’t get what you need at the moment, then figure out what’s standing in your way and set a goal to make changes when the time is right. For example, if you want to leave your current job, but don’t feel you can because you have a kid in college, then set a goal to make changes after your kid graduates. But in the mean time, make less dramatic (but still significant) changes in the interim WITHOUT expecting all your problems to disappear overnight. The short term solution to motivation could be as simple as taking some classes that will help you be ready for the big changes when the time comes.
3) Don’t Freak Out Over Setbacks
If you relate hindrances to permanent failures, then you’re hosed. Too often people consider setbacks as roadblocks that prevent them from trying anything further. Instead, look at setbacks as opportunities to get creative and maybe even take some “safe” risks. If you’re really bored with your job, a setback could be just the challenge you need to get you moving in a productive direction. Consider the reasons your attempt didn’t go the way you’d hoped and then let that experience inspire you instead of defeat you.
4) Ask For Help
The poet John Donne wrote “No man is an island” and that goes for everyone at work, too. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed or in over your head then ask for help. No one is going to think you’re weak or stupid because you can’t make it happen all by yourself. The results are much worse if you know you’re destined for failure if you go it alone, but you plow ahead anyway. You’d be surprised how many people want to help. You just have to be proactive and ask. Worst they can do is say no, in which case you just ask the next person in your chain of support. (And if you don’t have a chain of support create one. There must be someone at work who can help you.)
Even if you love your career, your job can sometimes get old. Rest assured that’s only natural. So once the new growth of spring starts to make itself known, it never hurts to do a little “career spring cleaning” to inspire growth of your own. You never know what you’ll discover later in the year once you plant the seeds of ambitious goals.
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Whoever said, “Do what you love and the money will come,” probably didn’t have a family to support or kids to get through college during one of the worst economic downturns in history. Hey, we’re all for being happy at work, but since jobs have dried up faster than my contact lenses on a windy day, some people are forced to stay in less-than-fulfilling posts until the economy decides to do an about-face.
That’s not to say you have to rot in cubicle hell until the employment fairy comes along and raps you between the eyes with her magic stapler. Self-pity and passive attitudes seldom get you where you want to be. So to help you make it through your lackluster day without the help of meds or a three-martini lunch (both of which can be expensive, by the way), we offer six ideas to jumpstart your brain into thinking up new and creative ways to stay motivated in a job that doesn’t thrill you.
1. Focus on the Positives
Yeah, I know it sounds cliché, but you have to avoid getting sucked into a negative vortex. When you don’t like your job, it’s easy to pick it apart until there’s nothing left but a carcass of meaningless tasks. Not only does this not serve your emotional well-being, it turns you into the biggest workplace ass this side of Judas.
Make a list of all the things you do at work. Find the top three you enjoy most (or dislike the least) and focus on those. If possible, makes those your priorities and see if you can somehow either limit or even get rid of (delegate?) the tasks you truly despise. If you can’t think of even one job responsibility you like then…
2. Create New Tasks for Yourself
If you really dislike whatever it is you do at work, then figure out what you CAN do that sparks your interest. Go to your boss and propose you change your duties to include new and interesting projects. Be careful, however, about taking on more than you can handle. If your new duties are too time-consuming, then you also need to convince your boss to take something off your plate. Prepare your case ahead of time, giving good reasons (usually related to saving money) why you should get your way.
If your boss won’t budge and you’re still stuck without an emotional life raft, then…
3. Go Back to School
If you can’t be mentally stimulated at work, then give your brain a workout at school. There are so many choices now for night classes, college online, trade schools, etc., you’d be hard press NOT to find an educational program that fits your desire, schedule and budget. Plus, going back to school is a great way to network so when you do get that new degree or credential, you’ve conveniently met a lot of people who can help you find work.
And speaking of switching careers, going back to school doesn’t mean you have to leave your company to find a new job. Switching departments is also an option, so you might want to…
4. Get to Know New People at Work
If you work in accounting, for example, but you’d like to try your hand at marketing, then go schmooze with the fun kids in the marketing department. Getting to know people in other departments gives you insight into new jobs available within your company. Ask your new friends what it takes to break into a new department and work toward that (by possibly going back to school). NOW you have a goal that really gives you something to look forward to.
And if you STILL can’t find anything at work that lights your fire, then…
5. Get Involved with a Nonprofit or Charity
Nothing feels better than doing a good deed for someone else. Join a nonprofit board. Volunteer regularly for a cause that’s near and dear to your heart. And if your cause is nonpartisan, bring it to work. For example, with the holidays coming, start a Toys-for-Tots drive at the office. Get co-workers to join you in delivering Meals on Wheels. Or simply start an office fundraiser for a nonprofit group that everyone can get behind. This gives you something positive to focus on and makes you forget that your regular job is a snooze.
And if NONE of this helps, then…
6. Work Out as Often as Possible
Exercise produces endorphins, which in turn improves attitude. Join a gym and get on a schedule you can live with. If you’re a weenie about exercise, enlist a buddy to go with you (preferably one that won’t wimp out). If you already exercise then change it up. Join a tennis ladder, a softball team, or a bowling league. Exercise doesn’t mean you have to become a gym rat.
Until the economy gets back on track you may be forced to stay in a job you find so dull you worry your brain might turn to pudding. If this is the case, figure out your own ways to stay interested. Necessity was not only the mother of invention she was also the second cousin to ingenuity – a branch quite often overlooked on the (career) family tree.
So what are your secrets to staying interested in less-than-thrilling jobs? Tell us in the comments below!
]]>A good motivational speaker helps ignite an essential desire in an individual. This feeling, or desire to achieve, is fueled, and the individual has that extra drive to reach their goal. Large and small businesses alike can also benefit a great deal from motivational speaking. The right speaker can help employees to feel driven to achieve and to feel excited about their work. They can also help create a general positive synergy at the workplace.
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