Improving Work Productivity: Four Ways You Can Fall in Love with Your Job Again

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do”-Steve Jobs

Every employee has a relationship with their job.

And that very relationship has a direct effect on how well or bad they perform. Unfortunately, much like any relationship there is, the one you have with your job can grow stale over time. The spark that was once there are long gone and what was once an exciting venture for you is now reduced to a mundane daily routine. Back then, you used to greet each work day with so much enthusiasm and the prospect of getting promoted was always something you had looked forward to. Now, it seems like you are a bundle of listless draining energy sapping away work productivity while you constantly look at the clock to see how much time you have left before you can get up from your desk and leave. At times you find yourself asking, “What happened? How has something I once so loved become something so boring and uninspiring?”

It might be that you just lack motivation but it could also be that you have fallen out of love with your job. And that is okay, you do not need to beat yourself up over it. If you had been doing the same thing every single day for quite some time, the routine can easily get old. However, this does not mean you should look for a new job right away. Like any relationship that might have gotten stale, you do whatever you can to rekindle the spark and reignite your passion for it. Quitting should only be resorted to last. So, if you feel suffocated and overwhelmed by your work or cramped in your desk in one of the Cloverleaf offices or elsewhere, take a deep breath and step back. There are ways to reintroduce the starry-eyed hopes and expectations you once had for your job but it is going to require a bit of work and effort from you.

In any case, here are the ways you can fall back in to love with your current job:

 Teach and Share Your Role With Others

 Being in the same job for a while allows you to be good at what you do. If not, what you do might already come east to you insomuch that it might no longer challenge you. For this reason, your job might come across as boring. However, if you shared and taught what you do to others, not only will you be able to solidify your knowledge but you will inevitably lead others to master their craft. Knowing you had a hand in their mastery and expertise will not only bolster your credentials but will make you feel good about yourself as well. So, round up your interns and conduct discussions as to how they can make their jobs easier.

Be Reverse Mentored

As an employee, you have some long-term goals for which you would need short-term skills in order to accomplish. These skills will propel you in your journey towards your goal or at least make it manageable. Some of these skills might be better off taught to you by a diverse set of colleagues who can reverse mentor you in a variety of objectives that would align to your long-term goal. From there, you can create a set of learning objectives as well as a monthly schedule where you can then absorb what has been taught to you then apply these same skills to your current role. In doing so, you will have acquired a new set of skills that will enable you to come up with fresh approaches to your current tasks thereby giving your job a fresh spin.

 Align your job with your next-stage goals

Unless you have long-term goals in mind, your job will feel like a mindless routine. In this regard, come up with goals first then see how your current job can be aligned to your next career goal. More often than not, one’s enthusiasm in working is stemmed from how they have lost sight of what their goals truly are. Remind yourself why you started to begin with and what you what from your job in the foreseeable future. Groom yourself for your next role by actively looking for ways to improve yourself in your current job. Is it possible for you to volunteer extra work? An extra assignment? Acquire new skills? Or even seek additional training? All of these can better help you in the preparation for your next career goal.

Turn mundane work tasks into games

Work should feel less like work and more like fun so as to say inspired and motivated. To do this, incorporate fun and enjoyment into mundane work tasks by turning the duller aspects of your work into a game. If there are any less desirable projects, break them down into steps and reward yourself when you complete them. Your rewards can range from small (a little coffee break) to big (a lunch date with a mentor where you can discuss your next career and professional move)    

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