Reignite your passion for your job
Being passionate about your work gives you a reason get out of bed in the morning and makes you feel like what you’re doing is worthwhile. Conversely a lack of enthusiasm can make every workday feel like it drags on forever and in the long term you’ll end up feeling burnt out and unhappy. Here are some ways you can put passion and enthusiasm back into your work like:
Seek a new challenge
It is very common to have little or no interest in your job when you are ready to move up the next level. The best remedy is to seek a new challenge by asking your boss for more responsibility. This way you will not only add value to your current employer, but it will also motivate you to learn new skills, break your routine and show off your hidden talents.
Think about the impact you’re having
It is easy to lose perspective when we are working daily. But step back and take a look at the impact your organisation has on its customers or clients. You may indeed be solving a problem that is keeping someone up at night. Take solace that your role plays an important part in helping others. You are making an impact – don’t forget that!
Make an ‘energy’ list
Think back to when you had a great enthusiasm about your job. What was happening at that time? What about the job gave you energy then? Make a list of the things you loved about your role and determine what has changed. Pick a few things from the list you have made that gave you energy and build activities in your day around these. These activities may still be part of your job, you just need to look.
Create a learning plan
Inspiring yourself at work requires creating a learning action plan that would enhance your skills. Lack of inspiration indicates boredom. Boredom comes from within so find ways to educate yourself – take online classes and create a learning plan on your own outside working hours. Pushing yourself to learn new skills means you will gain a new perspective.
Reflect on your position
Reflect on aspects on your job that you enjoy doing. What skill sets are you using? Is there an opportunity for you to use these skills more often? This is one action you could take immediately to bring back some enthusiasm. Sometimes, even thinking of things you enjoy doing outside of work could infuse some passion into your 9-5 job.
Embrace reality or choose real change
In today’s fast changing world of work allow yourself the opportunity to change jobs if that’s what you want. You had reasons for taking your current job, but things may have changed since then, perhaps you have a new boss, perhaps your co-workers have changed or maybe your employers focus has changed. So, assess your current reality then ask yourself “Can I regain my enthusiasm in this job or is it time to move on”
Celebrate others
If you’re dreading going into work, it’s likely that you aren’t celebrating much. So, if you haven’t got anything to be enthusiastic about celebrate someone else instead. Notice when someone else is doing a good job or has achieved something good and make their day special. I guarantee that you will lift up your entire office and you will start, looking forward to going into work.
Analyse when and why you lost your passion
The number one step to rekindle your passion at work is to take a step back and figure out why it’s gone, and why you have fallen out of love with your job. Dig deep. What if you never had enthusiasm to begin with? Are you in a different place in your life? Are you seeing your job in a new light? Once you understand what makes you feel negative about your role then you can take you can take the next step, even if it means leaving.
Seek out a mentor
Find a person who you would like to learn from, or someone who is in a place where you would like to be. Reach out and ask if they would help you. Have questions prepared to explore how they got to be where they are now and what they think you need to do in order to feel more fulfilled in your career.
Reconnect to the culture
One of the driving factors for individuals to feel fulfilled at work is their connection to the company culture. If you feel disconnected or don’t ‘fit ‘into the organisation it can be difficult to stay motivated. Reach out to your colleagues, volunteer for events at work, suggest going for a drink out of work. Take time to get to know your colleagues, make friends at work if possible.
Keep a diary about work
Start by writing a dairy at the end of each day to help you sieve out patterns about your work life. You might be engaging in a spiral of self-sabotaging thoughts that are draining your energy. Once you are clear how much time you are spending on negative activity and thoughts you can start making changes.
Own your actions and thoughts
When we are less enthused about work, we often forget that we control three very important things: 1) Everything we say 2) Everything we do and 3) Everything we think. What do you need to say, do or think differently to get yourself back in a positive state at work? If you want to be re-energised at work don’t wait for someone else to do if you, its time to take control.
Focus on your strengths
If your enthusiasm is waning at work if could because you are not using your talents. This can result in stress and depression. Allow yourself to flourish by discovering how you work best, who you are and what you want out of your job. Decide if your job at the moment can be adapted to meet your needs or if you need to explore other options.
Let go of negative emotions
If you have lost your mojo, chances are you’ve been hanging on to emotions and perceptions that don’t serve you well. Let them go. Embrace people who give you respect, rekindle your passions, align with your ambitions, show positivity about you and help you achieve your goals. Press the destruct button on the rest.
Put yourself into ‘new employee’ mindset
Enthusiasm can be lost when your surroundings, colleagues and tasks we deal with every day become so familiar that we stop noticing what’s new and different. For a week pretend you have just started your job. What do you notice that you didn’t see before? What opportunities are there for you? Who can you partner with in the workplace? Keep an open mind and you may be surprised by what you discover.
Remember why you wanted this job
It is important to remember why you wanted the job in the first place. What attracted you to work for the company? Don’t become distracted by all the things that are not as you imagined but seek ways of finding fulfilment in the position.
Sometimes in your career, you need to give yourself a bit of a shakeup. Some self-reflection and a positive attitude can make all the difference to how you feel about your job. Why not try and see!
Good Luck
Angela Burton