When we are kids, we have this notion that one day we would pursue our dream career, and fall in everlasting love with our job. Well, that’s a good dream! Unfortunately, the reality isn’t always that bright. Once the responsibilities sink in, our “happy go lucky” nature takes a back seat as well – whether it’s personal or work life. However, to sit and complain and not find any constructive solutions isn’t a healthy way to deal with frustration or dissatisfaction at work.
Your work will fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to enjoy what you do.
We, the millennials, are somehow never satisfied with our job. We do not love our job completely; some of us might like it, some tolerate it, but sadly not many enjoy their work.
Signs that you love your job
- Dreadful Sunday/Monday mornings are not in your dictionary.
- You don’t think about retirement.
- Often, you find yourselves working for free to help someone.
- You’re always on your toes and face any challenges head-on.
- You embrace your authentic self without any inhibitions.
For this very reason, in this post, we will talk about how to rediscover and fall in love with your job. Let’s dig in!
Why Loving Your Job Is Important?
To date, almost 50% of the US workforce are unhappy at their jobs. That’s hugely alarming because stress at work can cause depression and anxiety if you don’t know how to handle it healthily.
However, there are few reasons why you should appreciate your job that you once enjoyed working at.
1. Source Of Livelihood & Balanced Life
Your job is the primary source of livelihood. Without it, you wouldn’t even possibly meet your basic needs.
Sometimes, changing your perspective towards the brighter side helps shift your mindset, even in the most challenging situations. Loving your job for this very reason will allow you the space to explore better opportunities in life.
Without a happy work-life, you cannot achieve a well-balanced life. Did you know in Japan work-pressure-related deaths are so common that it’s called ‘karoshi’? Therefore, a job in which you’re happy and satisfied is essential.
2. Tool For Fulfilling Your Desires
Ever wondered how you can fulfill your desires? It’s because of the job you do presently, which thousands of people out there might be praying for. Be it your dream mobile, car, vacation, house- your current job takes care of all of that desires.
3. Sense Of Purpose
Not everyone is lucky to know their actual purpose in life. Finding what truly ignites your soul takes countless hits and trials. Loving your job will at least instill that sense of purpose deep within you.
It’s okay to do a job of not your liking sometimes; after all, once you learn to love what you don’t like, you’ll eventually put double the effort when you find a job of your dreams.
4. Taking Care Of Your Beloved Ones
Maybe you don’t enjoy your job but what about the happiness of your loved ones? I’m sure at the end of the month when you receive your paycheck and gift presents to your child, their happiness and joy must make you happy too.
You only need one reason to help you push through hurdles. And embracing the attitude to always look on the bright side will help you sail through the stormy nights.
How to Fall In Love With Your Job?
As much as the current generation preaches about doing what you love, let’s accept it that’s not possible in the majority of cases. Sometimes, people genuinely don’t have the choice to leave their job out of the blue.
For some of us, jobs might support your lifestyle, but it rarely supports your wellbeing and happiness. Perhaps we all are frustrated and desperately seeking the perfect job.
Why limit ourselves to only the job we do? Why not look at every aspect of our being?
If you feel chained and unchallenged in your work, read to learn how to fall in love with your job to achieve great results.
1. Initiate Theme Days At Work
Nobody likes monotonous life. That is probably one of the primary reasons we feel burnt out about the things we once loved. Be it your relationship, family, work- igniting the spark through different activities enormously helps.
Instead of sulking, why not introduce fun office activities that you and every employee will love?
Here is a list of theme activities you could propose to organize at the office:
- Tie Mondays – Wear ties every Monday as a team ritual.
- Thai Thursdays – When your entire team goes out to eat Thai food every Thursday.
- Fun Fridays – One-hour fun activity every Friday.
2. Set New Professional Goals Every Month
Setting new professional goals is a valuable strategy that will make you enjoy your work ever than you did before. But it’s also essential to set goals that interest you. You’re more likely to go after goals that truly motivate you to take action on them. While setting goals it is important to remember about SMART goals.
For instance, maybe you love the idea of public speaking and perhaps want to deliver a talk but couldn’t due to the fears attached to it. In that case, you could strategize an action plan to understand how to turn your idea into a reality.
- Practical Ways To Overcome Stage Fear And Be A Good Public Speaker
- Step by Step Guide To Set Goals And Achieve Them
3. Find Out Tasks That Make You Feel Like A Grind
Maybe some tasks dull your mood, making you feel like a grind. While it’s not practical to stay away from those tasks, the least you could do is make the job somewhat interesting. Perhaps attach a reward with the task so that once you complete it, you can pamper yourself with little tips.
Here’s how to make challenging tasks into simpler ones:
- Divide them into smaller and simple tasks.
- Attach rewards for the completion of each task.
- Play music while doing the task.
- Don’t hesitate for pair of extra hands to support you in the task.
4. Stay Away From Office Gossip
With continuation to the above point, ensure that you steer clear of office dramas and gossips. Workplace gossip can adversely impact your moral values, productivity levels, and mental peace to enjoy your job.
If you genuinely want to be happy at work, make sure to stop a rumor from spreading before it turns into full-fledged gossip. It is highly unprofessional to indulge in gossip and unfair to the person in question about the rumor.
Instead, develop healthy habits at your workplace.
5. Keep Toxic Co-workers At Bay
According to CNBC, statistics show that 74% of US employees believe that company culture is vital.
Therefore, it’s often not the job that you don’t enjoy but the toxic co-workers you have to deal with every day. Because a company culture without any unhealthy conflicts with co-workers can make one feel better and enjoy their job.
Toxic co-workers are energy vampires who suck the life out of you. But don’t succumb to their tactics. There are some healthy ways to deal with toxic co-workers without hampering your productivity and motivation at the job.
6. Talk With Your Boss And Ask What You Want
Sometimes, it’s not the job but our desire to explore different fields. If you think there’s a field that genuinely interests you, then propose that idea to your boss. Maybe there’s some new project that you would like to take part in.
Perhaps you wish to volunteer at a speaking session. Whatever it is that you want, communicate that idea with your boss or the person in charge.
7. Find Your Pain Points And Fix Them
Sometimes, it’s the small problems that contribute to hating our job. Taking the necessary steps to fix these problems, which seem insignificant at first, can tremendously revive the love for your job.
Here are some common problems that people face in the workplace:
- Long traveling hours.
- Ignorant boss.
- Gossip and drama.
- Bullying and harassment.
- Partiality and favoritism.
For instance, if a significant chunk of your time goes into traveling to your workplace, this could potentially affect your work productivity in the long run. In such a case, you could request your boss to work from home opportunity or move into a place minutes away from the office.
Similarly, identify the problems you face and take steps to tackle them practically.
8. Make Friends At Work
Who better to share your work worries better than work buddies? Having someone to talk to and share interests can be a good start for work friendships.
Isolation, work fatigue, and unacceptance of a new environment can also be the causes why you’re not liking your job.
Moreover, many of us move to new cities and feel lonely without making friends. In situations like these, your work friends can be a life savior.
Bonus: Here’s how to make friends as an adult!
9. Do Not Be Passionate About The Job, Be Passionate About How Well You Do Your Job
As discussed above, it is not essential to love the job in its complete form; you can love some of it.
For example, you can love making presentations for the meetings, but not the sessions themselves. Instead of dreading the meeting, why not shift your focus to preparing the presentations?
Give your best shot at what you can do well.
10. Be Inspired By Your Co-Workers
Seek out co-workers who inspire you and motivate you to explore your hidden talents. Not only will you enjoy working with passionate people, but you also grow as an individual.
For instance, there could be people whom you love for their creative talents. Interact with them and get their insights on how to explore your creative side.
11. Love What You To
Being content in the job and loving what you do can be bliss. When you’re happy at work, you can focus on other areas of life to have a well-balanced life. And when you put together a happy family and happy work-life, there is nothing more rewarding one can ask for.
12. Make Adjustments
It would be best if you found out what is causing you discomfort. Weigh what is more doable- making changes or quitting? Adjusting and making some changes will help you stay focused and be a great alternative to quitting.
At the end of the day, if things don’t work out getting a job that you want must be on your to-list.
13. Seek & Develop Passion Projects Around Your Work
Discovering your passion around your area of interests can make you happy at work. But if your current job is not your passion, seek what exactly your true passion is.
Ask yourself these questions to find your passion:
- What would make you happy?
- What would you instead do even if you are not paid for it?
- Would you find happiness in the alternative?
Do not take this lightly! Please give it some serious thought. Contemplating these questions will help you see the truth.
14. Bypass The Excuses
Excuses never add any value to life. Instead of succumbing to the complaints, try to face challenges head-on. Never be knocked down for some reason. You’ll be only draining your energy and time through excuses instead of focusing on areas that matter.
15. Stay Positive & Look On The Silver Lining
Lastly, embrace the attitude of gratitude.
Think about the benefits and the positive side of taking the next step. It will help you concentrate on the work and enjoy it. Sometimes, keeping your eyes on the prize ( a promotion, a better pay package, or just a smile of your family members) can keep you focused on your job.
Remember being positive is necessary, and at the same time, being pragmatic is desired. So make it a habit to jot down both the ups/downsides of a particular goal and work accordingly.
A Word From AlignThoughts,
Loving your job takes a conscious effort to rekindle that lost spark again, just like any relationship. However, if you’re depressed at work and no longer enjoy it, this could be a sign you need to consider looking out for the right career. Because job satisfaction is one of the essential factors for your mental well-being.
Key Takeaways On How To Fall In Love With Your Job
- Loving your job is essential to feel content and happy at your work. Sometimes, it’s the monotony in work that people dislike and not the job.
- In such situations, implementing some fun activities at work can revive that lost spark.
- Secondly, setting new professional goals every month is a valuable strategy that will make you happy at work.
- For example, there could be new skills you want to acquire, so set goals and work on them.
- Sadly, almost 50% of US employees are not happy at work.
- Therefore, it is imperative to maintain a healthy work culture, avoid toxic co-workers and stop any unnecessary gossips at the workplace.
- Lastly, embrace the attitude of gratitude as it can help you push through uncomfortable situations and help you enjoy work.
Why should I love my job?
To love your job and be happy at work is essential for the following reasons:
- Source of livelihood and balanced life.
- It is a means for fulfilling your desires and wishes.
- Provides you with a sense of purpose every day.
- You can take care of your beloved ones.
What can I do professionally not to feel stuck at work?
- Pick up new projects.
- Learn a new skill.
- Enroll in volunteering tasks at the office.
- Work on your passion projects.
What are some simple ways to enjoy your work?
Here are 5 simple ways to enjoy your workday:
- Stay away from toxic people and gossip mongers.
- Revamp your workspace and make it vibrant.
- Declutter junk from your laptop and computers.
- Communicate with your boss about your needs.
- Seek out passion projects.