Do you ever roll over in bed and say to yourself, “I don’t want to go to work today?” Of course, right? We all do.
Having that happen occasionally is normal. Having that happen every day is not.
The highs and lows of loving what you do are to be expected. But sometimes the highs don’t come back. We end up stuck in the lows, feeling as if we dread going to work, but we can’t pinpoint why.
To get yourself back to loving your job, there are a few things to do.
- First, ask yourself, “Why do you wake up and do what you do?” List at least five reasons why you do what you do. Why do you do this job and not something completely different? Some reasons will be personal; some will be professional.
– I’m in a comfort zone as I know I am good at what I do
– I like the paycheck
– I’m proud of the company I work for
– I really do like to help my boss succeed
– I like the constant change this job brings
– I like working in an office environment
– I like being the one at work that knows all the answers
– I prefer to support rather than be the one in charge
– I like that this job requires constant learning
– I’m proud of what I do
And so on. Don’t worry if your answers are very different than my answers. Just get at least five reasons you do what you do. It’s okay to be materialistic about it (like the money, or title, or company name). It is part of why you do what you do, and don’t be ashamed of it.
- Secondly, ask yourself, “What drives you?” Totally different question. What is your motivator? What causes you to continue to improve?
– financial success
– lifestyle
– pride
– ego
– life long learner
– peer recognition
– appreciation
– stability
– predictability
- Your third question is a little trickier:
I help ________ (who) ___________________ (do what).
– I help David look great to his boss.
– I help Sandra keep under budget.
– I help Gail make it to all her appointments on time.
– I help the Human Resources department keep all the employees happy.
– I help the executive team by screening their phone calls.
And yes, you do WAY more than that. But if you had to narrow it down to one MAJOR task (generically), what would you say you do?
Once you have answered the third question, how does it match to the first two questions? Are they aligned?
If you answered, “I help David look great to his boss,” and appreciation is one of your drivers, then ask yourself, “Do I ever get acknowledged for making David look good?”
Let’s assume you don’t. David isn’t the type of manager that tells you how great you are. His premise is, “No news is good news.”
Then maybe it isn’t the job that has caused you to lose your work motivation, but perhaps it is the combination of you and your boss. You might need to work for someone more appreciative.
Another driver you would compare your ‘I help David look great to his boss” is pride. Does it make you feel proud when David succeeds? If it is financial success, do you feel adequately compensated for making David look good?
It isn’t just one motivator, driver, and function mismatch that causes you to lose your motivation to go to work each day. It is a combination.
Once you compare what makes you do what you do, with what you do, you just might be able to see why you’ve lost your mojo. You have a mismatch.
Sometimes the awareness of a mismatch is enough information to help you deal with that. Sometimes you realize that you are not a good match, and perhaps a different job, a different company, or even a different career is what you need. If that is the case, the next time you go into an interview, you know what to look for.
