Even when we like our jobs, we can still get into ruts where every day feels like the last one.
Getting stuck in ruts saps your energy, your motivation, even your creativity if you let it.
Here are three ways you can break out of those ruts and feel enthusiastic about the job again:
1. Get the worst done first
Whether it’s a task that you personally hate doing or even something your whole department dislikes doing, try this:
Schedule the worst for first thing Monday morning.
It could require some juggling obviously, but the payoff can be big.
Getting drudge work out of the way first brings relief. People feel better when they know that better things are coming the rest of the day and over the course of the week.
2. Make more time
Does the phrase “There aren’t enough hours in the day” ring true with you?
Often a change in schedule is what you need. For example: Would leaving for work 20 minutes earlier and beating rush hour help get you in the facility 40 minutes sooner than your regular arrival time?
Or maybe picking one day a week where you stay late and catch up on paperwork can ease your frustration the rest of the week.
Think about the people who arrive at and leave work at the same time every day – and they gripe about it! A change for the sake of change can really make a difference.
3. Reward yourself
You know that staffers can feel motivated by rewards such as an extra day off or a gift card for exceeding work goals.
Figure out a personal reward for meeting a big goal. It could be a golf outing on a Monday with your buddies where everyone ditches their cell phones.
How relaxing would that be? Maybe another kind of reward works better for you – so what is it?
Share your ideas below in the comments section.
