While we spend a good portion of our waking hours on the job, for most people—not all of those hours are happy ones. Work isn’t always as enjoyable as it could be. Often, we feel disengaged, frustrated, or burnt out. For most, passion doesn’t even begin to enter into the realm of things—they simply show up, put in the time, and go home.

According to one study, only 13 percent of employees, worldwide are engaged at work—meaning that they are happy, driven, and enthusiastic about their careers or the line of work they are in. But the rest aren’t. Many people are in-between careers or working extra part-time jobs to make ends meet—while others are working in jobs that they once loved, but somewhere along the way, they lost the enthusiasm and passion that they once had.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
– Howard Thurman

No matter what career situation you find yourself in, if you’re feeling burnt out or tired of your job, the good news is that there are things that you can do to bring back that passion and enthusiasm once again. For some, this could mean finding a new line of work. For others, though, it could be a simple matter of a shift in perspective.

With this in mind, here’s a look at some tips and strategies that can help you to find more enjoyment in your work:

1. Understand the Problem

To rediscover a passion for your work, you must first identify what the true problem is. Did you enjoy your work once upon a time? What changed along the way? Was your job just supposed to have been a stepping stone onto a better opportunity? If so, what’s stopping you from taking the next step and advancing your career? Taking some time to sit down and reflect on your career situation can help you to identify what’s holding you back. Writing things down on paper or talking things over with an understanding friend can help you to get to the bottom of things, allowing you to pinpoint the problem; the first step toward getting back on track.

2. Set Goals and Keep Focused

Once you’ve identified areas where you’re dissatisfied at work, you can create a plan to improve your situation. Whether your problem is something significant, like being in a role that’s a complete mismatch for you or something minor, like feeling overwhelmed and needing to take some time off—it’s important to identify a solution, set some clear career goals, and develop an action plan to reach them.

3. Look for New Opportunities

Our passion can fade when we simply become bored. Doing the same thing, day in and day out, for too long can get old quickly. If this sounds like you, then it’s time to start growing your skills and looking for opportunities that interest you. Jumping at the chance to try something new, working to expand your horizons, and seeking out additional training or qualifications can open up new opportunities for you, allowing you to try different things—to see what you enjoy, allowing you to discover your passion once again.

4. Take Some Time Off

Even the best job in the world can lead to burnout if you’re working around the clock. For this reason, it’s important to take time off to refresh and renew. Taking time off will give you an opportunity to step back, catch your breath, and think about the big picture—a chance to think about what you’re doing and the direction that you want to go from here.

5. Find New Meaning

If you’re no longer passionate about your work, a simple reason could be a matter of priorities. As people, we change. Priorities shift, and things that once interested you five years ago may no longer interest you today. If this sounds like you, it could mean that a career change is in order, or, it could be a simple matter of looking for new areas that are related to your line of work that interest you. For instance, you could have started your career as a designer, passionate about creating websites—but over time, that passion could change into teaching others about web design. Launching a side-venture, such as creating e-books or running an online training course about web design, could help you find renewed passion.

6. Surround Yourself With Good Things

Finally, it’s easy to dwell on the negative aspects of work, while the good things tend to sail by without a moment’s notice. In order to be happy, though—it’s essential to remember that happiness is a choice, not merely a state of external circumstances. Making the decision to be happy means putting in the effort to either find things about your work that you love and are grateful for—or to work on expanding your credentials in order to advance or make a career change.

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While sometimes burnout can be a sign that you’re in the wrong career, if you know fundamentally that you love your job, then rediscovering your passion for it is possible by taking some time to step back and think about your situation. Oftentimes, it’s not that an entire career change is in order. It could simply be a matter of reevaluating your priorities. Asking yourself what it is that you’re interested in will help guide your decisions and allow you to rediscover your passion for your work once again!

At Day Designer, we’re on a mission to get you organized and on your way to living an intentional, meaningful and well-designed life. Day Designer is a daily planner system created to help you find balance, focus, and productivity.

What do you dislike about your work? What do you love about it? Share your thoughts with us!

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