While grabbing my morning coffee I happened to hear an interesting comment. The person in front of me in line said, “You will be dead for a lot longer than you are living”. At first it sounded like an awkward statement, but the more you think about it, the more it rings true.
With that in mind consider that on average we spend 8.9 hours a day working or doing work-related activities, according to kellyservices.ca. Considering the living-dead ratio, that’s a heck of a lot of time. With so much time of your life devoted to work, it is important for your health and well-being to enjoy what you do.
If you feel trapped or unhappy in your job, how quickly do you think your physical and psychological health will suffer? And how soon do you think this will affect other aspects of your life, such as your interactions with your loved ones and your enjoyment of your leisure time?
You’re probably thinking; “This is all very interesting, but what am I supposed to do—quit my job?”. There are other solutions. Certainly not every day at work is going to be stellar, but your attitude toward your tasks and your co-workers can make a huge difference.
The best way to have a job you like is to find your enjoyment in your current job. Begin by listing the aspects of your job you do enjoy and see if there’s a way to focus more on them. For example, if your co-workers are the best thing about your job, volunteer for team projects. Or if you’re in sales and you enjoy competition, make it your objective to become a top seller.
After you’ve pinpointed one or more things you enjoy, you’ll likely have more energy and start to feel happier and more confident. At that point, you can start looking for career advancement that enhances the aspects of your profession and allows you to give your company the best of what you can do.
Here are a few more tips:
- Work with your supervisor to set goals – Work with your supervisor to set reasonable but inspiring goals that will motivate you and help provide structure for each day.
- Stay present – Try to stay present and concentrate on the task at hand. If you simply don’t have a lot to do, consider finding a side project to work on. Completing extra projects shows initiative and will make a positive impression on your supervisor. If you do have a lot to do but just can’t concentrate, set increments of focused time and then reward yourself with mini breaks as you get stuff done.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for support – If you are struggling with a particular aspect of your job, don’t be afraid to consult a trusted co-worker or manager about ways to find support. See if they can help you figure out ways to delegate work, schedule tasks so your workload is more balanced, or even point you to resources like training or education that can help make tasks more manageable.
