14 February, 2024
How to love what you do: Reduce Dissatisfaction and start Thriving at Work
Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a job you don’t like? Maybe you felt excited about your work in the initial years but now feel drained and uninspired? Our larger cultural narrative has highlighted the need to ‘find your passion’ or ‘life purpose’ to lead a fulfilling life. Yet, how many of us can truly say we’re living our life purpose within our jobs? Sometimes, creating spreadsheets or sending emails feels like we’re wasting our lives. Or maybe we’re overworked and underappreciated, at which point, we stop loving our work.
Consider this- 70% of millennials and Gen Zs were actively looking to switch their jobs in 2023- the year of layoffs among global giants. This is ample evidence to suggest how today’s working class is actively looking for their ‘dream job’ and is willing to jump ship if needed. In this Valentine’s Day Special Article, we will uncover the secret to reducing dissatisfaction and falling in love with your current job, even if it isn’t your dream job (yet)! Read on to know more.
Tip #1- See your job as a step in your career
People who wake up each morning excited to get to work, know that it was not always the case. They worked their way to their current occupation, maybe even doing jobs they hated but learned a lot from. Ask yourself- what are you learning in your current job? Even if it is just discipline or patience, that’s a great start.
Tip #2- Achieve Mastery in your current work
Carl Newport, an American bestselling author, highlights the importance of building a ‘mastery mindset’ to fall in love with your work, whatever it may be. This involves becoming very good at whatever you do, even if it just means stamping, labeling, and sorting files correctly. This in turn helps to build an attitude of excellence, which naturally breeds the satisfaction of a job well done.
Tip #3- Acquire related skills you’re interested in
Becoming excellent at what you do often involves gaining expertise in more than one skill set. Don’t hesitate to acquire skills related to your work that will give you an edge over the competition while also satisfying your desire to learn something new. If those skills are even remotely related to your dream job, go master them! leverage your natural talents and interests, even better!
Tip #4- Network and Grow
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” This quote from Helen Keller is especially relevant in the context of loving your work- love the people involved in your work! Right from connecting with teammates using an employee appreciation platform to reaching out to seniors, mentors, and even customers, each person can teach us a lot about maximizing our work potential. If nothing else, work becomes more fun and exciting when you’re doing it with people you like! The power of teamwork and shared goals can pull you out of even the deepest rut and help you enjoy your work more.
Tip #5- Learn from your mistakes
Even after following all these steps, there may be times you question your career decisions or want to pivot to another field completely. Allow yourself room to make mistakes and recover from them. Use them as clues to know what you don’t want to do. Continue honing those skills that bring you market leverage and satisfaction. Stay connected with your professional network, especially those in your ‘ideal’ job position, to help you make informed career choices.
If you expected tips like ‘find your life purpose’ and ‘search for the work you’re passionate about’ in this article, sorry to disappoint you! Passion and purpose are both great drivers of meaningful work. However, they’re not static or even well-defined for most people. You can only be passionate about something you’re good at. Once you’re good at something, you may develop a passion for something else. That doesn’t mean you don’t have a purpose- it just means your purpose isn’t large enough to accommodate your full potential. The key is to continue exploring your inner motivations on your career journey and realign yourself till you reach the point where you love your work.
Looking to make your employees love their work and talk about it? You may be interested in our blog on Employee Advocacy.