People have always differentiated between a job and a career by saying that a job is work that earns you money, while a career is work that earns you money but doesn’t feel like a job because you actually love it. Between the two, of course, everybody wants a career.
The problem is that a career can eventually feel like a job; it can become joyless even if it’s something that consistently brings all kinds of victories into your life. Often, it’s not because you no longer like what you’re doing, but more about the other factors that come into play and affect your personal happiness level.
For example, when you’re an entrepreneur who managed to create a profitable enterprise from a hobby, over time, operational factors can become overwhelming and disappointing. The need to pay employees when sales are low can leave you sleepless most nights.
Instead of focusing on what you love and what you know you can do well, you end up consumed with worry because of business dynamics.
Another thing that’s common for people who are successful with their careers is that their life can get overtaken by their career. British singer Adele once said in an interview, “The bigger your career gets, the smaller your life gets.”
This is the case for many – they lose time for their family, for the other things that they actually love to do, and for themselves.
Basically, life can get out of balance once a career takes off, but an even bigger issue is how life can just feel like something “less” that you settle for – an eternal compromise.
Your career doesn’t need to feel this way. You can rekindle the joy and passion you used to have and help those cross over to other parts of your life in order to regain balance.
Learn to delight again in your career by following the tips provided below.
Write down what you love about what you do
List all the benefits or life advantages created by your career, such as being able to support your family’s needs and wants, the opportunity to travel, seeing people happy with the products you put out, and others. Learn how to plan life goals and link them to your career, doing this will help you “re-appreciate” your career.
Deliberately avoid negativity
This is the most logical thing to do, especially if you’re working for an organization and there are people who are always complaining and sucking out the joy of the day. You don’t need that – instead, focus on how you can go about your tasks in the most systematic and productive way.
When you finish your job well, you undoubtedly will feel a great sense of accomplishment, and this also means you can leave the toxic environment that the “downers” are creating.
Do more of what you actually like
If you’re a baker, then bake. If you’re a make-up artist, create new looks. Leave the business aspect of what you do, which is often the stressful part, to someone who can manage it well.
Learn more about your career
Think of your career as a living organism that’s constantly changing because of industry demands, your own growth visions, and other variables. Along with learning more about it, strive to develop yourself as a better career person. Turn to a life coach; one of the benefits of having a life coach is that you have someone who can assess your decisions and other actions, and then provide you advice on how to overcome your shortcomings and issues that are stealing your joy.
Maintain physical order in your place of work.
De-cluttering your workspace can free your mind of “toxic” elements. Also, a clean space opens the mind. You’ll find yourself thinking more creatively in order to improve your career and even your relationship with others because your thought processes aren’t disturbed by things you need but cannot find, or items that are out of their place.
Pull away for a while.
Use your vacation leaves at work, travel, spend time with the people whom you love and can energize you, or just do something different for a while. It will do you a lot of good to break away and snap out of the trend. This break will provide you a different and refreshed perspective of your career.
Demonstrate your skills in a different way.
If you’re getting tired of the same old routine, deviate from it a bit. For example, if you’re always baking, how about blogging about it every now and then? Or, you can try teaching – transferring your skills will create a different kind of satisfaction in what you do for a living.
A joyless career is really just a temporary situation; you can learn to delight in it again – all it takes is a renewal of the mind and the drive to explore fresh approaches.
