It helps to love what you do. Research has found that people who are happy with their jobs are more productive. But it can be difficult to stay enthusiastic when you’ve been doing the same job for a long time.
Who wouldn’t want to love their job? Enjoying what you do comes with so many awesome benefits – there is no doubt that positivity is good for your career. Plus, being happy at work is really it’s own reward. However, even if you choose a profession that really excited you, it can be hard to sustain that enthusiasm day after day, year after year. Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to help you feel excited about your job again.
1. Realize your own power
The first step is to take responsibility for your own moods and emotional states. Recognize that your mindset and your feelings start and end with you. Sure, outside factors can influence your life and mental state. However, when all is said and done, you have a lot of power when it comes to determining your own emotions and your outlook. If you linger or ruminate on unpleasant feelings, they’ll likely stick with you a little longer. Fortunately, the opposite is also true. Nothing necessarily needs to change in your professional circumstances in order for you to feel differently. So start by recognizing the awesome power that you have to feel excited about your job again.
2. Establish a pleasant morning routine
The way you begin your day matters a great deal. As entrepreneur and author Tim Ferriss says, “if you win the morning, you win the day.” The mindset and approach that you establish right out of the gate tends to stick with you. So be sure to set up your mornings in a way that makes you feel hopeful, happy and motivated. It doesn’t matter so much what you do (drink tea, meditate, sing in the shower…) but more how the routine makes you feel. Head to work in an enthusiastic mood and you’ll be much more likely to maintain those feelings throughout the day.
3. Find the joy before you start
Some work tasks are more exciting than others. It’s likely that there are aspects of your job that you still really enjoy, and there are others that have started to feel stale and boring. Rather than slogging through those lesser tasks, work to find something exciting about them before you get started. Figure out what you do enjoy about them, and then focus on that as you complete the work. It can be tempting to rush through aspects of your job that you don’t enjoy when you’ve been at it awhile. However, finding ways to enjoy those tasks more might be a better long-term solution.
4. Have fun with work friends
It’s wonderful to have friends at work. They understand your professional life more than others, so enjoy that camaraderie. Also, having pals that you see everyday at work will make you happier, according to research. And these interactions help you to stay more engaged and productive, which is good for your career not just your mood. So embrace your work pals and have a little more fun with them around the office. As long as you don’t take it too far, goofing off a little will likely help everyone to lighten up a little.
5. Remember why you started
Think back on what made you choose this profession – and this specific job – in the first place. What made you feel excited when you first started? It’s likely that you still feel the same way you did at first, it’s just that you’ve grown used to these aspects of your job. So dust off those cobwebs and make an effort to appreciate what you enjoy about your job afresh. You may also want to consider mentoring someone who’s new to your industry. That could be a great way to refresh your memory, and your enthusiasm.
6. Don’t complain without purpose
Have you ever noticed how you feel after spending time with a negative coworker? If you’re like most people, probably not too good. Other people’s moods can really bring you down. So keep that in mind when you are having a bad moment, and don’t complain to others about it. In fact, try to limit how much you even think about the matter unless you’re trying to do something to change it. Complaining won’t make you, or anyone else, feel any better. So only focus on what isn’t working if and when you’re trying to do something about it.
7. Help someone else
It can be helpful to shake things up a little when you need to feel more excited about your job. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to make some big professional change. Instead, try simply doing something to help someone else. Maybe you can go a little above and beyond and help a coworker, a client or your boss in some specific way. You’ve been at your job for awhile, so you have unique abilities and knowledge to share. Doing something to make someone else feel happier will almost certainly have the same impact on you in return. Now that’s something to get excited about.
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