Valentine’s Day is a day of remembrance, celebration and rekindling the spirit of those people and things we love. We send flowers and candy to our loved ones, texts and emails to our dear friends, and we also relish the career-related joys that bring passion and value to our lives.
6 Steps to Love Your Job Again
- Think back to why you fell in love with it in the first place.
- Reflect on the positive aspects of your work.
- Pinpoint why you lost your enthusiasm.
- Take time to rest and recharge.
- Do a little professional development.
- Evaluate your life and relationships outside of work.
As members of the workforce, it’s important to remember that most of us started down a certain career path because we had a passion for the work. We fell in love with doing what we do.
The challenges of work sometimes make it a love-hate relationship. The day-to-day grind takes a toll and your emotional connection with the work is lacking. And so is your love for it. If so, it’s vital you get that back. If you find yourself discouraged, worn out and lacking passion for your job heading into Valentine’s Day, here are five ways you can re-energize and fall back in love with it.
Reflect on the Positives
Start by picking a day like Valentine’s Day to refocus on the positives of your job — the accomplishments, the happy moments, the fun and rewarding things. Remind yourself why you chose the your path and what person, event or luck sent you down it. Thinking about these things helps you recharge and continue the work that will keep adding accomplishments to your career.
And determine what it is about your job that energizes you. Are you spending enough time doing the things you enjoy?
Re-Evaluate Your Work
If you’re losing enthusiasm for your work, take a step back and fully re-evaluate all aspects of it. Think about experiences you’ve had recently and look into any problems or performance issues. Some of those reflections can shed light on why you’re not feeling the passion that you did previously.
See what you can do to problem solve and improve the situation to your satisfaction. If you’re stuck or need helpful feedback, consult a mentor or trusted friend.
Take Time to Rest
Many ambitious and accomplished employees can relate to the old saying: “There just aren’t enough hours in the day.” It requires a remarkable work ethic to run a successful career, but if you don’t build in some consistent time to rest, you will run yourself into the ground. Know when to take breaks so burnout doesn’t happen to you.
Sometimes, a vacation is the best way to recharge your passion for your work and rediscover your love for it. A true getaway for a week or two can clear the mind, allowing you to reset and think about your relationship with your job and how you can re-engage with it.
Do Some Professional Development
Listen to a motivational podcast or read a book to remove the negativity and cynicism many people feel now. Or take a sheet of paper or a blank computer screen and tap into your creativity. Write down ideas, big and small. Don’t worry about the details yet and don’t let limitations get in the way. Think out of the box and allow yourself the freedom to have fun, realizing in the process that you’ve had a lot of fun working hard and there’s more excitement ahead.
This kind of a true reboot allows me to start the next day with a more positive attitude and a renewed desire for success.
Evaluate Your Relationships
I’ve spent much of my career facilitating and developing relationships. What better time than now to rekindle some old relationships and talk about the fun times of the past? Remember a cocktail party, a round of golf, a business retreat, a convention or just a good, funny shared business story.
And what could be better than reaching out to a mentor and thanking them for their guidance and leadership? Nothing can stimulate you more than a discussion with your mentor(s) and rehashing ideas of the past and thoughts for the future.
Refocus on the positives. Solve the challenges. Engage people and find the help, the direction and the means to overcome.
It’s also a time to think about yourself and those in your inner circle. Evaluate yourself, your relationships with your family and your friendships. When your work-life balance is out of whack, you, your partner, your spouse, your children and your friends can pay the price because you are so consumed with your work.
I will never pretend that work did not hold a very high priority in my life. I also know, however, that family was first and I needed to make time for them. I never missed a choir performance or a dance performance for my daughter. And for my sons, I coached 17 seasons of something (soccer, basketball, tee ball, flag football) and rarely missed a practice or a game. Be advised that after those games, I was probably back on my computer plowing away. Reassess your family dynamics. You’ll be surprised that when family goes well, your career follows the path.
I know what it’s like when a career takes a wrong turn or slows down and you feel there is nothing you can do about it but ride out the wave. But take into consideration all the things mentioned above and take the time to reset. Refocus on the positives. Solve the challenges. Engage people and find the help, the direction and the means to overcome. It’s Valentine’s Day. Time to be thankful again, with lots of reasons to love your work again, and to get back on the right path.
