Step up and Stand Out
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It’s very easy to drift in your career – sometimes other things become more important, priorities change, the constant effort to impress and do new things can make you wonder if it’s worth putting in the effort, you get frustrated with colleagues, you get depressed at the thought of another winter or you realise with dread you’re heading into performance review time.
All can drag you down and make you lose focus on your career.
If that happens, you have two options. The first is to keep your head down and just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The challenge is that people notice very quickly when you’re feeling down about your work. In fact, if you’re feeling down right now, they’ve probably noticed already – they’ll be asking how you are more often or you may notice the challenges you’re given start to dry up.
You’re a heartbeat away from a City Slickers-esque breakdown:
City Slickers-esque breakdown
But if you’re looking for a better option than the Billy Crystal route, it is possible to step up, recapture your drive and desire, and motor forward. Here’s how:
If you’re feeling down about what you do, get clear on why. Then take small steps to get your energy and drive back. Once you have energy once more – that’s the time to take hold of your job and renegotiate it or find your next.
All can drag you down and make you lose focus on your career.
If that happens, you have two options. The first is to keep your head down and just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The challenge is that people notice very quickly when you’re feeling down about your work. In fact, if you’re feeling down right now, they’ve probably noticed already – they’ll be asking how you are more often or you may notice the challenges you’re given start to dry up.
You’re a heartbeat away from a City Slickers-esque breakdown:
City Slickers-esque breakdown
But if you’re looking for a better option than the Billy Crystal route, it is possible to step up, recapture your drive and desire, and motor forward. Here’s how:
- Remember why you are in your job. What drove you to begin with, what excited you? Are you still doing that? If not, why not?
- Recalibrate your motivation. Are you doing things that fit with what motivates you from a career perspective? Has the job changed around you, or have you moved away from the things that excite you?
- Play to your strengths. Are you doing things that you are good at and you love doing? Or are you forced to do things that you don’t particularly enjoy because they need to be done?
- Find your drains. Identify the tasks, situations and people who are sapping your energy – can you do anything to minimise their impact on your happiness? The secret to a happy life is sitting by the radiator, not fiddling with the drains!
- Step up and find something new. Not necessarily a new job – making big changes when you are not feeling good about yourself rarely has a great outcome – but can you pick up a new responsibility or a new project you can sink your teeth into? What would add a new dimension to your work and energise you?
- Laugh! Find fun at work – start to enjoy what you’re doing. Who makes you laugh? Who really respects you? Who gives you a sense of perspective? Spend time sitting by these radiators.
- Make sure you’re eating correctly and exercising. A lot of studies show your diet and exercise have strong links to your performance at work – don’t neglect yourself! Start with something you know you can do, to get that small buzz of success – then build on that.
If you’re feeling down about what you do, get clear on why. Then take small steps to get your energy and drive back. Once you have energy once more – that’s the time to take hold of your job and renegotiate it or find your next.