Does it often feel like you are just going through the motions at work? Is your life beginning to feel like Groundhog Day where you wake up each morning only to perform the same duties, and deal with the same issues, day in and day out? Sometimes what starts out as a great career that is both satisfying and challenging can start to become stagnant over time and leave you feeling less than happy and satisfied. It doesn’t even mean that your job has changed; it could just be that you’ve grown and you need something new.
If you’re tired of feeling like you career is no longer making you happy and satisfied, then there are ways you can go about bringing change to your life. Here’s a look at seven invaluable hacks that will help you shake things up and bring you a higher level of happiness and satisfaction.
Identify the Problem Areas
One of the best places to start is with a little soul-searching and examination so that you can identify the problem areas. What specifically has you feeling trapped, unhappy, unmotivated, and/or unsatisfied? Maybe it is a particular area of your job, perhaps it is your co-workers, or it could be the company itself. In order to make any sort of impactful changes, you need to be aware of where that change is needed.
Keep in mind, sometimes the answer isn’t simple, nor is it just one factor. There can be a whole host of issues that have got you feeling down and less than inspired to come to work.
Make Sure You Use Your Vacation Time
All too often people can become busy at work with projects, deadlines, and goals, and end up pushing their vacation time aside. Perhaps you choose not to take it, or maybe you just use a day here and there. While that may seem like the best idea, the fact is that you are then pushing your own happiness and well-being to the side. Sure, work is important, but it’s also healthy to take a break and step away. Without doing that, you won’t have a healthy work/life balance.
Don’t Over-Extend Yourself
Often people figure the only way they are going to get ahead in the workplace is to take on a massive workload, one that is so large there is no possible way they can get through it all. In reality, this is only setting you up for disaster, as you will feel a huge amount of stress, and you’ll end up disappointing your manager since you are unable to complete all the tasks. There’s nothing wrong with working hard and pushing yourself, but you also need to be realistic.
Choose to Be Happy and Satisfied
Sometimes it’s not a matter of physical changes that need to be made in the workplace, rather is it your mind-set. If you are determined to be unhappy, stressed, and unfulfilled at work, then you will ensure that becomes reality. A negative mind-set can be crushing and literally take over everything.
If you’re having a hard time trying to be happy and satisfied, start with little steps. Start by looking for one thing that is positive and makes you happy at work and focus on it. From there you can start to add more and more things. Over time, your mind-set will start to shift and you won’t automatically look for the negative.
Take Initiative in the Workplace
Another issue that can be feeding into your unhappiness is that it may feel as though everything is out of your control at work. Maybe it feels like you’re just going along with the crowd, going about your duties in a mindless way. This is the exact opposite of challenging and rewarding, and over time it’s going to start to take a toll on you.
Now is the time to break that cycle. Stop just going along with the crowd and start taking responsibility for your own self and take initiative. Start asking questions, offering input and suggestions, and become an active member of the team rather than sitting in the background. Not only can this make you feel more satisfied, it’s also a great way to get noticed by the boss, which is helpful if you plan on asking for a raise or promotion down the road.
Go Ahead and Ask for Feedback from Your Employer/Boss
This tip can go hand-in-hand with taking more initiative in the workplace. Asking your boss for feedback, perhaps a job evaluation, or just tips and advice can also lead to great things at work. Maybe you think you are taking all the right steps but, in reality, there are areas in which you could be doing better. Knowing what your boss expects of you is integral in making sure you perform your job to the best of your abilities.
Re-Train or Further Your Education in Order to Get a Different Job
Even with all of these tips and hacks, sometimes the only answer is to find a new job – one that actually challenges you and fulfils your own personal goals in life. If that’s the case, it may be necessary to re-train or further your education in order to learn additional skills. Maybe you want to stick within the same field, but work in a higher-level position.
A great example of taking your existing career to the next level can be found in the healthcare industry. Enrolling on an ASN to NP program can teach you the kind of skills you need to advance in the field and work as a nurse practitioner instead. Nurse practitioners can work in a variety of places, and on average earn 60% more than that of an RN.
A Job Doesn’t Have to Seem Like Work
There are plenty of people out there who are unhappy in their job and wish they could be doing something else. And while it’s not always going to be possible, there are ways that you can improve the current conditions and even start to fall in love with your job all over again.
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
Online Men’s Lifestyle Magazine on Gear, Grooming, Girls, Gadgets
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