Do you feel bored at work? According to Robert Half International, three in five employees report feeling listless at their job. This is no unimportant matter knowing that we’ll spend one-third of our life, or 90,000 hours, in the office. How can we maximize that time?
Like me, you may have read countless articles touting the meaning, start-with-a-why, or working-for-a-bigger-cause mantras. All else equal, some jobs are inherently duller than others. The solution isn’t to trick ourselves into believing we are changing the world, but to face facts head-on.
Following is one friendly reminder and three practical, counterintuitive actions you can take to enjoy your boring work more than you’ve ever thought possible.
First, Remember That No Job Can Be Exciting All the Time
A great deal of why we feel bored at work stems from the belief that an interesting job should always be exciting. Unfortunately, we aren’t in this Utopian world yet. Every challenging gig contains some annoying aspects to it. It’s nothing personal; no matter your rank, your job, or your organization, you are bound to experience displeasure. Once you have made peace with this, you have halved your boredom problem. Following are three actions you can take to ease your pain in the workplace.
Make a Learning and Development Plan
Besides our mindset and the intrinsically boring nature of a job, we become disgruntled because we have plateaued. To lessen the impact of boredom on your productivity, mental health, and well-being, make a learning and development plan. No matter how much you know about the job or the menial you think it is, there is room for improvement. Isn’t that wonderful news? For instance, a sales associate can train their memory by remembering a client’s names. Ask yourself, what new skills can I learn from my job? Chances are many learning opportunities may have just eluded you. Exercising creativity to enjoy your work is a valuable learning opportunity.
Get a Life Out of Your Job
People with nothing exciting to look forward to after a long workday are more likely to feel spiritless on the job. From my experience as a life coach, I observed that the more unexciting one’s personal life, the more boring one’s professional life. The most effective strategy in this situation is to create or find after-work activities that are both enjoyable and challenging. I’m not talking about mindlessly watching television or dancing cats on social media. I write, coach, and exercise after work. Not only do I enjoy those activities, but I also set improvement goals for them. There may be a lot of factors, but my time enjoying myself and learning after work contributes a great deal to how I feel at work. So, instead of blaming your job, spice up your off-duty hours.
Make an Exit Plan
If you are unhappy with the job, maybe it’s time for a change. But before you do, ensure you ask yourself this question: Based on my skills, interest, and personality, what job will bring me the greatest satisfaction? This is a simple, yet powerful question. Research shows we thrive better on a job when it’s in alignment with our passion, personality, and interests. Aimlessly hopping from job to job brings an ephemeral joy that wanes as quickly as it comes. The introspection that answering this question carries will require a little effort, but it will be well worth the hassle.
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May this article helps you find the boring and challenging job that will make you want to get out of bed in the morning and keep you up at night.